Lake District
Rowantree Crag
403M
1322FT
About Rowantree Crag
Tucked away in the quiet Sleddale Fells, this modest 403-metre summit offers a tranquil escape from the busier Lake District hubs. Listed by Synge, the crag provides a rugged vantage point overlooking Wet Sleddale Reservoir, with clear views across the moorland towards the bulky Sleddale Pike.
Key Statistics
Rank
602nd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Far Eastern Fells
Prominence
?
6m
Nearest Town
Shap Rural
Geology
You are walking on ancient lava flows and hardened volcanic ash, formed by explosive eruptions and layers of rocky debris.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY528127
Latitude
54.5083°N
Longitude
2.7293°W
Did You Know?
- •Rowantree is the northern term for the Mountain Ash; historically, these trees were often the only significant vegetation on high, rocky outcrops and were traditionally considered a charm against malevolent spirits.
- •It is classified as a Synge summit, a list devised by Timothy Synge to highlight fells that Alfred Wainwright omitted from his famous series, focusing instead on the quieter, more peripheral areas of Lakeland.
- •The crag overlooks the valley of Wet Sleddale, where Sleddale Hall—the 'Crow Crag' cottage from the cult 1987 film Withnail and I—is situated, tucked beneath the neighbouring slopes.
- •Looking east away from the National Park, the view is dominated by the vast, rolling expanse of the Westmorland limestone plateaus and the distant, high wall of the North Pennine fells.
- •A visit here usually involves testing the waterproof credentials of your boots; the ground between the nearby forest and the summit is often less a path and more a series of interconnected bogs.