Lake District
Thornthwaite Crag North Top
711M
2332FT
About Thornthwaite Crag North Top
Situated on the northern ridge descending towards Hartsop, this quiet Synge summit overlooks the deep trench of Hayeswater. While crowds gather at the towering stone beacon on the main plateau, this secondary top provides a more intimate perspective of the steep, scree-lined flanks of Gray Crag and the High Street massif.
Key Statistics
Rank
148th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Far Eastern Fells
Prominence
?
13.8m
Nearest Town
Patterdale
Geology
You are walking on volcanic sandstone, hardened lava, and layers of ancient ash. These rocks were formed by the debris and flows of powerful, long-extinct volcanoes.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY429110
Latitude
54.4912°N
Longitude
2.8820°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Thornthwaite derives from the Old Norse words 'thorn' and 'thveit', meaning a clearing where thorn trees grow, likely referring to the valley landscape seen from these heights.
- •Listed as a Synge in Tim Synge’s 1995 guide to the Lake District fells, this top is frequently bypassed by walkers following the well-worn main path between High Street and the main Thornthwaite summit.
- •The summit offers a spectacular, framed view of the Helvellyn range across the Patterdale valley, with the sharp, distinctive profile of Catstye Cam clearly visible on a clear day.
- •A popular way to include this top is via a steep ascent from Hartsop, following the valley of Hayeswater Gill before striking up the grassy slopes of the northern spur.
- •It lacks the famous fourteen-foot stone beacon found on the main summit, but it compensates by being one of the few places in the Far Eastern Fells where you can actually hear the silence.