Browncove Crags

About Browncove Crags

Acting as a rugged gateway to the Helvellyn plateau, this rocky shoulder breaks the steep western slopes above Thirlmere. It offers a more textural, interesting ascent than the grassy paths nearby, providing a grandstand view over the reservoir toward the Wythburn fells and the distant, jagged skyline of the Langdale Pikes.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Old English 'brun' and 'cofa', the latter being a dialect term for a 'cove' or sheltered glacial cirque. While the cove itself sits on the northern side of the ridge, the crags dominate the skyline for those ascending the western fells.
• •As a Synge-classified fell, it is recognised as a distinct summit in Tim Synge’s 'The Lakeland Fells'. This list focuses on subsidiary tops that possess a unique character often overlooked by more mainstream walking guides.
• •The summit offers a superior, tighter perspective of Thirlmere than the main Helvellyn ridge. From the edge of the crags, the reservoir’s forested shoreline is perfectly framed against the bulky profile of Raven Crag and the Armboth Fells.
• •For walkers approaching from the east via Glenridding, these crags mark the dramatic point where the high plateau suddenly drops away. The transition from the flat, stony summit of Lower Man to the broken rock of the crags is one of the most sudden changes in terrain on the range.
• •The crags are a vital landmark for those using the 'Swirls' zig-zags in mist; when the path stops winding and the ground turns to broken stone, you know you have finally reached the roof of the Lake District.
• •It is the ideal spot for walkers who want to enjoy Helvellyn’s height and atmosphere without having to join the inevitable queue for a summit cairn photograph a few hundred metres away.