Great Worm Crag

About Great Worm Crag

Rising from the wild moorland between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley, this rugged Outlying Fell is a quiet, rocky vantage point. Its summit consists of several granite tors set among heather and bog, offering an excellent perspective on the southern flank of the Scafell range and the Irish Sea coast.

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Did You Know?

• •The name likely derives from the Old Norse 'ormr', meaning a serpent or dragon; in Lakeland topography, this typically refers to a long, sinuous ridge or a twisting rocky outcrop rather than a mythical creature.
• •Alfred Wainwright included the hill in his 'Outlying Fells' guidebook, describing the summit as a 'delightful place' of rock and heather, though he warned walkers that the surrounding ground is 'somewhat moist'.
• •The summit provides a distinct profile view of the Scafell massif to the north, looking directly up the line of Eskdale towards the massive wall of Scafell Crag and the summit of Scafell Pike.
• •While it shares a ridge with the much higher Harter Fell, it is most easily reached from the top of the Birker Fell road, which cuts across the high moorland between the villages of Boot and Ulpha.
• •Despite the name, you are far more likely to encounter an inescapable peat bog or a stray Herdwick sheep than a dragon on these slopes.