Lake District
Little How Crags
739M
2423FT
About Little How Crags
Perched on the high-level ridge between Swirl How and Great Carrs, this rocky shoulder provides a dramatic vantage point over the Levers Water basin. The ground is a mix of shattered stone and hardy grasses, characteristic of the Coniston range. It offers a clear, earned view across the depths of Greenburn towards Wetherlam's rugged western face.
Key Statistics
Rank
119th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
2.6m
Nearest Town
Seathwaite
Geology
These crags are formed from layers of hardened volcanic ash and small stones. They are the remnants of powerful eruptions that created the rugged ground beneath your boots.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SD272997
Latitude
54.3878°N
Longitude
3.1219°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Old Norse word haugr, meaning a hill or mound, combined with the Middle English 'crag' for a steep, rugged rock. It describes the broken, stony nature of the ground that falls away sharply towards the east.
- •Although it lacks the fame of its immediate neighbours, the summit is listed as a Synge—a classification named after Tim Synge, who identified additional Lakeland tops not included in Alfred Wainwright’s original seven volumes.
- •It serves as an excellent balcony for viewing the 'Prison Band,' the steep and narrow ridge connecting Swirl How to Wetherlam, as well as the dark circle of Levers Water tucked directly below the crags.
- •Most walkers pass over this top while navigating the popular high-level circuit from Coniston, often arriving here shortly after visiting the nearby memorial on Great Carrs which marks the 1944 crash site of a Royal Canadian Air Force Halifax bomber.
- •It is the kind of summit that requires a keen eye on the map to identify; many hikers treat it as nothing more than a slightly uphill breather on the final pull towards the much larger cairn of Swirl How.