Raven Crag

About Raven Crag

Perched right above the Thirlmere dam, Raven Crag is famous for its steep woodland ascent and a timber viewing platform. It offers arguably the most dramatic perspective of the reservoir and the Helvellyn range, packing a massive visual punch for such a modest height.

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Did You Know?

• •The summit features a sturdy timber viewing platform constructed by United Utilities, designed to give walkers a safe, unobstructed view over the 150-foot drop of the main crag towards Thirlmere. They accidentally created the Lake District’s most efficient "content factory" for influencers. If you've not had your photo taken here, you've never been.
• •The massive dam at the fell's foot was completed in 1894 to create the Thirlmere reservoir, which supplies water to Manchester via a 96-mile gravity-fed aqueduct that requires no pumping.
• •The name is an Old Norse-English hybrid, combining the Viking word hrafn with the Middle English crag (meaning a steep, rugged rock). Historically, it wasn't just a poetic name; it served as a literal description for one of the few high, inaccessible ledges in the valley where ravens could safely nest away from the reach of shepherds.
• •Despite its relatively low altitude, the fell's eastern face is a major venue for rock climbers, featuring traditional routes like 'The Medlar' and 'Corax' on high-quality Borrowdale Volcanic rock.
• •The direct ascent from the dam involves a series of brutal, lung-busting timber steps through the forest that will make you question your fitness levels long before you even see the summit cairn.