Stone Arthur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stone Arthur |
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 Stone Arthur
Location in Lake District
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 503 m (1,650 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 2 m |
| Parent peak | Great Rigg |
| Listing | Wainwright |
| Geography | |
| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District, Eastern Fells |
| OS grid | NY348093 |
| Topo map | OS Explorer OL5, OL7 |
Stone Arthur is a small mountain, called a fell, in England's beautiful Lake District. It's part of the Fairfield mountain group, found in the eastern part of the fells. Stone Arthur stands tall above the charming village of Grasmere.
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What is Stone Arthur?
Stone Arthur is actually a ridge coming off a bigger fell called Great Rigg. But a famous writer named Alfred Wainwright decided to give it its own special status. He wrote about it in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells books.
Wainwright thought Stone Arthur deserved to be a separate fell because of its unique top. It has a rocky outcrop, like a small tower, that looks "like a ruined castle." This rocky part, called a tor, looks really cool from Grasmere village. From there, it can even hide the taller mountains behind it!
How Stone Arthur Connects to Other Fells
From the top of Great Rigg, the main ridge continues south. It goes down over other fells like Heron Pike and Nab Scar. This path is part of a very popular walking route called the Fairfield horseshoe.
Stone Arthur is on a shorter ridge that goes southwest from Great Rigg. This ridge gets rockier as it goes down. After about three-quarters of a mile, you find a big rock sticking up. This rock is known as Arthur's Chair, and the ridge it sits on is Stone Arthur. The "summit" is mostly where the ground gets much steeper.
Valleys and Streams Around Stone Arthur
Between Stone Arthur and Heron Pike, there's a small valley called Greenhead Gill. This area shows signs of old mining. There are remains of the Grasmere Lead Mine, which was active a long time ago, between 1564 and 1573. You can still see old tunnels and shafts there.
To the northwest of Stone Arthur is another valley, Tongue Gill. This valley separates Stone Arthur from the lower parts of Seat Sandal. This side of the ridge has steep, rocky areas like Brackenwife Knotts and Rigg Crags. Both Tongue Gill and Greenhead Gill are streams that flow into the River Rothay. This river then flows through Grasmere village and into the lake of Grasmere. Some of the lower slopes around Stone Arthur have trees planted on them.
What is Stone Arthur Made Of?
The rocky top of Stone Arthur, the "tor," is made of special kinds of rock. These rocks are called pebbly sandstone and breccia. They are part of something geologists call the Pavey Ark Member.
Views from the Top
Finding the exact highest point on Stone Arthur can be a bit tricky because of all the rocks at Arthur's Chair. But the view from the top is amazing! You get a fantastic look over Grasmere village and the lake. You can also see Easedale Tarn, another small lake, across the valley.
How to Climb Stone Arthur
Most people start their climb to Stone Arthur from a path near Greenhead Gill. This path goes up steeply, then crosses the lower part of the fell before reaching the summit rocks from the south.
You can also reach the top from either side of the ridge. One way is to start at Mill Bridge and follow Tongue Gill. When you reach a footbridge, you can then walk up the grassy slope without a clear path. Another way from Grasmere village is to climb alongside Greenhead Gill. You go up until you can walk across the side of the fell to reach the summit.
