Alfred Wainwright would be shaking his head with displeasure if he knew that David and I sort of got lost as we ventured on an easy walk to Castle Crag.
Castle Crag from Derwentwater
Castle Crag is more of a hill than a mountain. Classified as a Wainwright even though he, himself states in his Pictorial Guides (book six), that the crag of 290m, ‘should be regarded, not as a separate fell but as a protuberance…of Low Scawdel.’ However he then goes on to praise Castle Crag’s merits. ‘Castle Crag is so magnificently independent, so ruggedly individual, so…unashamed of its lack of inches, that less than justice would be done by relegating it to a paragraph in the High Spy chapter.’ I have to agree, Castle Crag looks magnificent in the Jaws of Borrowdale, even if it is overshadowed by higher peaks.
David and I decided Castle Crag would be the destination of our most recent day out. We arrived at the the quiet village of Rosthwaite just before 10am. We managed to get a parking space at the small NT car park (where toilets are free but ask for a donation). We paid £6 for four hours parking.
However on the day, with poor intelligence and bad maps, David and I took a detour towards caves where ‘Professor of Adventure,’ Millican Dalton took summer residence before his death in 1947, aged 79. We saw melting icicles before we retraced our tracks and finally found a path that climbed steeply towards the views and quarry of Castle Crag.
We navigated through a slippery spoil heap to get to the summit, where there’s a WW1 memorial and beautiful views of Derwentwater. Buffeted by a chilling easterly wind, David and I managed to share a picnic with red kites chasing each other, while surveying the awesome scenery.
I simply love this area of the Lake District and keep coming back to explore more and more of its facets. Eagle Crag looked enticing (Wainwright’s Route A looked doable), and we have yet to venture towards Latrigg. Which fell do you think David and I should explore next?
Thanks so much for reading,
Christine x
Christine Lucas 
I think you may have reccommended this walk to me Christine. We always get lost too! Love the icicle cave and the views look stunning. Xx
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It was a nice walk once we got back on track lol x
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😁😁
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Glorious scenery.
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Having never yet been to the Lake District, I love seeing your photos of the areas you have walked and look forward to seeing your next adventure! The views of stunning in your photos and I love the icicles.
It’s photo an hour this Saturday by the way, just in case you’ve not seen the date anywhere.
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Thanks for the heads up about Photo an Hour. Will try an participate this weekend 😁 glad you like the pictures of the Lake District x
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Latrigg is a fabulous fell and you have two options. First set out from Keswick itself heading up Spooney Green Lane and to the summit. Or drive up to the Gale road car park at the back of Latrigg and walk the simple 10 minutes to the summit. Its amazing when the sun is setting behind the fells to the south and west. I would leave Eagle Crag for now, its a very steep and tough climb up the front. I would say Walla Crag via Rakefoot(again leave from Keswick) or Sale Fell from Wythop church are better alternatives
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Thanks for your suggestions. Have done Walla Crag but Latrigg is overdue. I like the idea of the path from Keswick through the woodland. I’m sure we will venture to Keswick very soon 🙂
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Latrigg from the road end direct is tedious and dull, and the only merit is that the view comes right at the last second. A better bet is the roundabout route from the lower end of the parking area, which connects to the top of the Spooney Green Lane approach. It’s easy, it’s quiet, it’s a little gem, but it does give away a lot of the view en route.
As for Eagle Crag, I got up the direct route without incident so I don’t see why you couldn’t do it, but you do need to be an experienced walker, and have a good head for heights once you’re above the gully. As for the return, I chose to drop down into Langstrath (very carefully) just after Sergeant’s Crag rather than get round into Greenup from the back of Eagle Crag. It was steep, and raining, but I suffered no mishaps.
Two great little fells.
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Thanks for the suggestions, much appreciated 🙂
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Are you planning on doing all 214 fells? Myself and my partner did this over the course of 2 holidays to the Lakes a year over 6? years I think.
It was hard work as we often took in more than one fell a day and literally walked everyday all day for our holidays but it was a fantastic achievement!
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No I don’t think I’d be able to climb some of the fells. Just taking in some easier walks and views along the way 😊
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I’m not sure how I managed them all to be honest, I’m not the fittest person by any means, and have struggled with some of them!
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