Hart Crag facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hart Crag |
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Hart Crag, with a cloud-covered Fairfield behind.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 822 m (2,697 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 50 m |
| Parent peak | Fairfield |
| Listing | Wainwright, Nuttall, Hewitt |
| Geography | |
 Hart Crag
Location in Lake District
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| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District, Eastern Fells |
| OS grid | NY368113 |
| Topo map | OS Explorer OL5 |
Hart Crag is a cool fell (which is a type of mountain or hill) located in the Lake District in England. It's part of a group of hills called the Fairfield group, found in the Eastern Fells area.
Contents
Exploring Hart Crag's Landscape
Hart Crag sits on a high ridge (a long, narrow hilltop) that stretches from Fairfield to Dove Crag. From this ridge, a long side-ridge, called a spur, branches off to the northeast. This spur is known as Hartsop above How. Even though it's really part of Hart Crag, a famous fell-walker named Alfred Wainwright treated it as a separate fell in his guidebooks. We'll follow that idea here too!
Valleys Around Hart Crag
Hart Crag is special because it's where three different valleys meet. Even though it forms part of the high ground at the end of each valley, it's not the very start of any of them.
- Rydal Beck Valley: To the west of Hart Crag's top, you'll find the long, quiet valley of Rydal Beck. This valley runs south for about 3 miles. It eventually flows into the River Rothay near Rydal village. The slopes here are steep but don't have too many rocks sticking out.
- Link Cove and Deepdale: North of Hart Crag is Link Cove. This is a hanging valley, which means it's a valley that's higher up than the main valley it flows into. Water from Link Cove tumbles down as waterfalls into upper Deepdale. Deepdale Beck then flows northeast towards Ullswater, a large lake. The most impressive rocky parts of Hart Crag can be seen from this side, especially from fells like St Sunday Crag.
- Dovedale: The third valley is Dovedale, which goes generally eastward. It's separated from Deepdale by the Hartsop Above How ridge. Right below Hart Crag in Dovedale is Houndshope Cove. This is a high-level corrie, which is a bowl-shaped hollow often formed by glaciers.
Connecting Ridges
The ridge leading to Fairfield goes northwest to a dip called Link Hause. This spot connects Rydale and Link Cove, but it's not an easy path for walkers between the two. After Link Hause, the ridge climbs over some rocks and then widens into the grassy top of Fairfield.
To reach Dove Crag, you cross a low point between Houndshope Cove and Rydale. A stone wall runs along most of this ridge. This wall is super helpful for finding your way, especially if the weather is bad or foggy. The Hartsop Above How ridge starts a bit vaguely from Hart Crag's summit. You have to walk across a wide, rough area before the ridge becomes clear.
Reaching Hart Crag's Summit
The top of Hart Crag has some rocks mixed with green grass. You'll see two cairns (piles of stones) marking the ends of the short ridge at the very top. Other cairns help point the way to good spots for viewing Deepdale and Dovedale. The highest point is at the southeastern end of the summit area, just west of the main path.
From the summit, you get great views looking west towards the Scafells (England's highest mountains) and also towards the Far Eastern Fells. However, the nearby fells of Fairfield and Dove Crag block some of the views of the rest of the Lake District.
Climbing Hart Crag
Many people climb Hart Crag as part of a popular long walk called the "Fairfield Horseshoe." This walk goes in a big circle around Rydale valley. It covers about 10 miles and lets you visit 8 different Wainwrights (fells described by Alfred Wainwright). You can also start from Bridgend and use the Hartsop Above How ridge to get to Hart Crag.
There are also ways to climb Hart Crag directly:
- You can follow Rydale valley to its very end and then make a steep climb up to the summit.
- Another way is to walk along Deepdale, being careful to avoid boggy (muddy) areas. From there, you can climb onto the Hartsop Above How ridge from the lower part of Link Cove.
- A third option is to come up through Dovedale and Houndshope Cove.
