Wainwright — Southern FellsAlso a Birkett

Dow Crag

Dow Crag at 778m (2,552ft) is one of the great rock climbing crags of the Lake District, its eastern face dropping in a series of buttresses and gullies to the dark waters of Goat's Water below.

778 m

Height

~3.5–4.5 h

Typical time

Bonus Birketts

See routes & download GPX → Parking & buses →

Home › Fells › Dow Crag

Written and walked by Lee McCoy

778 mWainwright — Southern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 778 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Fri 11 Sep): 10° to 8°C, gusts to 33 mph, 2.0 mm of rain forecast.

Fri 11 Sep

🌦️

10° / 8°

💨 33 mph

🌧 2.0 mm (95%)

Sat 12 Sep

🌧️

13° / 8°

💨 50 mph

🌧 40.4 mm (100%)

Sun 13 Sep

🌦️

12° / 6°

💨 21 mph

🌧 0.3 mm (50%)

Mon 14 Sep

🌧️

13° / 5°

💨 29 mph

🌧 15.5 mm (88%)

Tue 15 Sep

🌦️

12° / 7°

💨 34 mph

🌧 5.8 mm (84%)

Wed 16 Sep

🌦️

9° / 7°

💨 29 mph

🌧 2.8 mm (84%)

Thu 17 Sep

🌦️

10° / 7°

💨 36 mph

🌧 6.4 mm (83%)

Forecast snapshot from 11 Sep 2026, 08:30 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 778 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Dow Crag at a glance

Dow Crag

Dow Crag at 778m (2,552ft) is one of the great rock climbing crags of the Lake District, its eastern face dropping in a series of buttresses and gullies to the dark waters of Goat's Water below. Wainwright described it vividly, capturing the dramatic contrast between the crag's fierce eastern face and its gentler western slopes. The walker's route from Coniston via Goat's Water is excellent, with the climbing crags providing tremendous atmosphere throughout. The summit gives splendid views over the Duddon valley to the Scafells. Combined naturally with the Old Man via the ridge connecting them for a fine half-day circuit from Coniston village.

Field notes

I visited this on my way around the Coniston Circuit and is easily overlooked as often it is the penultimate Wainwright of a long day and the one just before the finale of the day and the route's namesake: The Old Man of Coniston. For me I was stupidly racing another fell walker who started off around the same time and were tagging fells around the loop. The summit here is one that most I suspect won't actually get to the very top. No-one else that was there at the time tried either. It's still a bag in my mind, even though the rocky precipice wasn't truly equalled.

Routes up Dow Crag

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

The Coniston Horseshoe

20.8 km · ~6.3 hr

The full Coniston Horseshoe — the grand ~21 km, ~1,280 m round of seven Wainwrights above Coniston: Wetherlam, the steep Prison Band onto Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, the Old Man of Coniston and Dow Crag. The big day out; for the shorter version see the [Coniston Old Man round](/routes/coniston-old-man-round.html).

Classifications & hill data

Wainwright

Southern

Birkett

Fellranger

Synge

Nuttall

HuMP

778 m

Height

2,552 ft

In feet

SD 2625 9779

Grid ref

The short answers

Is Dow Crag a Wainwright?

Dow Crag is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list and the HuMP list.

Where do you park for Dow Crag?

We hold no car park within 2.5 km of the summit, so there is no short walk-in to recommend here. We only look within 2.5 km, measured straight-line: over longer distances a road may cross a pass and the drive bears no relation to the line.

My hikes over Dow Crag (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Awesome trek up Wetherlam, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friars, Brim Fell, Dow Crag & Old Man of Coniston. (opens in new tab) — 19.2 km · 1417 m ascent · 5h 34m moving · 31 Aug 2024

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Parking & buses for Dow Crag

Best parking to hike Dow Crag

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

White Pike (layby) — 2.5 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Walna Scar, White Maiden, White Pike (Seathwaite) and Pikes — the 'Birketts by Dunnerdale Fells' route starts 466 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Walna Scar Road, Coniston (paid, rough track) — 2.7 km from summit (straight line)

High paid car park above Coniston — Old Man, Dow Crag, Brown Pike with a head start. Fees: pay and display; cards only; RingGo ID 37321 (LDNPA, checked Aug 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

🚺 Coniston Bridge (~1414 m straight line)🚺 Coniston Ruskin Avenue Car Park (~1569 m straight line)

Tongue House (layby) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)

0.7 km from the 'Birketts by Dunnerdale Fells' route start. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Demming Crag (layby) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Demming Crag (1.5 km), Horsehow Crags (1.7 km), Harter Fell (Eskdale) (1.7 km). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Birks Bridge (FE) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Demming Crag (1.4 km), Harter Fell (Eskdale) (1.6 km), Horsehow Crags (1.6 km). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Getting to Dow Crag by bus

The 505 stops at Coniston, outside The Ruskin Centre. From there it is 1.8 km and 179 m of ascent to the start of The Coniston Horseshoe — a walk in before the walk. The last bus is 20:24 towards Kendal (505) and 18:44 towards Ambleside (505), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 505 “Coniston Rambler”

Windermere – Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Hawkshead – Coniston

Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside

Daily in season (reduced winter service). Best access for the Coniston fells (Old Man, Wetherlam group).

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Hazards on Dow Crag

Hazard & Incident Information for Dow Crag

Hazard: High

One of the great rock-climbing cliffs of the Lakes, its summit perched right at the top of a 500-foot precipice of buttresses and gullies plunging to Goat's Water. The walkers' route along the ridge from the Walna Scar path is straightforward, but the east face is serious mountaineering ground with a long history of climbing falls, rockfall and fatalities. Coniston Mountain Rescue Team is called here repeatedly. The danger lies in straying onto the crag — whether deliberately scrambling the gullies or accidentally near the edge.

The east face (buttresses and gullies above Goat's Water): A major climbing cliff with steep, exposed and often loose or wet rock. Climbers and scramblers are regularly hurt here — recent falls include serious head injuries when a large block pulled away, and there have been fatalities. The gullies (Easy Gully, Great Gully and others) are loose and far harder and more dangerous than they look. Only experienced, equipped climbers should be on the face; it is not a walkers' route.
The summit edge: The top is a rocky perch directly above the precipice. In wind, cloud or when scrambling about for the view, a slip near the edge would be fatal. Keep well back from the lip.
Rockfall onto Goat's Water below: Loose rock dislodged from the face can fall onto the climbers' approach path and the shore of Goat's Water. If walking below the crag, don't linger directly beneath climbers, and wear a helmet if scrambling.

Who should attempt this fell: As a walk, Dow Crag is reached easily and safely along the ridge from Goat's Hause or the Walna Scar road — just keep back from the summit edge. The crag itself is a different world: a serious climbing venue with loose rock, big exposure and a grim accident record. Don't be tempted into the gullies as a shortcut up or down. Leave the face to roped, experienced climbers in good conditions.

Most common causes: Climbing and scrambling falls on the east face, some fatal · Rockfall from loose blocks on the buttresses and gullies · Slips near the exposed summit edge above the crag · Walkers underestimating the gullies as a way up or down

Local Mountain Rescue: Coniston Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · Reviewed 13 Jun 2026

Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information (opens in new tab)

A note on Church Beck (with Red Dell Beck & Levers Water)

Church Beck (with Red Dell Beck & Levers Water) runs below the old Coniston copper mines and carries mine-derived copper and zinc — enough to matter for river life, though the lead and cadmium that would harm a person stay below the drinking limit here. Treat any hill water before drinking (a filter won’t remove dissolved metals); don’t single this beck out as a clean fill-up.

What’s actually in this beck — we mapped every mine-fed one →

Metal-mine water data © Environment Agency (Open Government Licence v3.0).

Navigating Dow Crag in cloud

Straightforward

Walkable ground sits close to a lethal drop — in cloud it’s easy to walk straight onto steep ground. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Dow Crag compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: White Pike (layby), about 2.5 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Dow Crag (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.6 km SBuck Pike - Seathwaite Fell744 m · Southern

1.2 km SBrown Pike682 m · Southern

2.2 km SSWWhite Maiden613 m · Southern

2.4 km NNEGreat How (Swirl Band)775 m · Southern

2.6 km SSWWhite Pike (Seathwaite)600 m · Southern

2.9 km SHigh Pike Haw354 m · Southern

Routes over Dow Crag

The Coniston HorseshoeRevised

20.8 km · ~1279 m ascent · loop · ~6–8.5 h

Summits: Wetherlam Swirl How Great Carrs Grey Friar Brim Fell The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)Dow CragBuck Pike - Seathwaite Fell Brown Pike

✎️ Walked and described first-hand by Lee, Wetherlam-first — the full Coniston round over all the major tops, a long and serious mountain day. The trickiest navigation is the Grey Friar–Calf Cove–Levers Hawse traverse and the Lad Stones ground; carry OS Explorer OL6 and a compass for the clag.

⬇️ Download GPX

⚠️ Warnings: Prison Band, the rocky descent from Black Sails to Swirl Hawse, is steep and eroded with the ground falling away both sides — care needed in mist or wind. Dow Crag's summit sits above a serious east face over Goat's Water — keep slightly left (west) of the top and well back from the gullies and edge, especially in poor visibility. The Grey Friar → Calf Cove → Levers Hawse leg is largely pathless and the round's hardest navigation — careful map-and-compass work in clag. The short final climb to Dow Crag from Goat's Hawse has scrambly steps with moderate exposure — stay on the path and away from the edge.

Full route guide ↗

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Dow Crag

Water & shelter on the way up

On the The Coniston Horseshoe route:

🛖 map (7 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

The view from Dow Crag

The 360° skyline from Dow Crag

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys

What you can see from Dow Crag, by direction

North: Swirl How (3 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (7 km), Crinkle Crags (7 km), Crinkle Crags (7 km), Crinkle Crags (7 km), Crinkle Crags (8 km), Shelter Crags (8 km), Bowfell (9 km), Pike de Bield (9 km), Esk Pike (10 km), Ill Crag (10 km), Great End (11 km), Glaramara (13 km), White Side (20 km), Crag Hill (24 km), Knowe Crags (30 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (30 km), Skiddaw Little Man (30 km), Gategill Fell Top (30 km), Blencathra (30 km), Skiddaw South Top (31 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (31 km), Skiddaw (31 km), Skiddaw North Top (31 km)
North-east: Brim Fell (1 km), Fairfield (17 km), Hart Crag (17 km), Dollywaggon Pike (17 km), High Crag (18 km), Nethermost Pike (18 km), Helvellyn (19 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (19 km), High Street (22 km)
North-west: Scafell (10 km), Scafell Pike (10 km), Broad Crag (11 km), Red Pike (16 km), Black Crag (17 km), Scoat Fell (17 km), Haycock (18 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (158 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (145 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (180 km, Wales), Snaefell (87 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (154 km, Wales), Cairnsmore of Fleet (103 km, Scotland), Arenig Fawr (167 km, Wales), South Barrule (103 km, Isle of Man).

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Dow Crag

Dow Crag sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (at midsummer) first light is only 8 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.

Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
	First light	Almanac sunrise	Difference
Midsummer	04:46 BST ±5.0 min	04:38	+8 min
Equinox	06:22 GMT ±5.0 min	06:16	+6 min
Midwinter	08:27 GMT ±5.0 min	08:32	-5 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean 0.14°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Dow Crag

Dow Crag holds the light. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does the sun leave this summit before almanac sunset — the ground falls away westward rather than standing over you, and at midsummer it is still in the sun 3 minutes after the valley has lost it.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
	Last light	Almanac sunset	Difference
Midsummer	21:55 BST ±5.0 min	21:52	+3 min
Equinox	18:32 GMT ±5.0 min	18:26	+6 min
Midwinter	15:58 GMT ±5.0 min	15:50	+8 min

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Dow Crag. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes. These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

What you can see from Dow Crag

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.

57Wainwrights in view+11 marginal

158 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction

2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Morecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales and the Isle of Man.

Far horizons

Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 158 km clear
Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 142 km clear
Snaefell Isle of ManW · 87 km clear
Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesESE · 54 km clear
Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 50 km clear
Irish Sea open waterSW · 42 km in view
Morecambe Bay bay/estuarySSE · 24 km in view

All 57 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Brim Fell, Grey Friar, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Hard Knott, Cold Pike, Green Crag, Pike of Blisco, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Bowfell, Slight Side, Loft Crag, Pike of Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Esk Pike, Scafell, Thunacar Knott, Scafell Pike, Great End, Sergeant Man, Illgill Head, High Raise (High White Stones), Whin Rigg (Wasdale), Glaramara, Helm Crag, Sergeant's Crag, Yewbarrow, Middle Fell, Great Rigg, Seat Sandal, Red Pike (Wasdale), Seatallan, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Fairfield, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Dollywaggon Pike, Haycock, Nethermost Pike, Caw Fell, Helvellyn, Ill Bell, High Seat, Bleaberry Fell, Mardale Ill Bell, Kentmere Pike, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Clough Head, Latrigg, Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Little Man, Carl Side, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Long Side, Skiddaw, Knott

How Dow Crag’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Places to stay near this fell

Bank Ground Farm (opens in new tab) guest house

about 2.7 km from the start, in a straight line

The strongest single sentence for a family in the whole cluster — "High chairs, cots and stair gates are available on request" — paired with a stated breakfast time, chefs cooking dinner on site, six en-suite B&B rooms plus cottages sleeping 2 to 16, and two EV chargers. The stair gates matter: nobody else within 3 miles mentions them.

Worth knowing: “Pets are more than welcome on the farm, we have purpose built five star accommodation so that you can bring the whole family along, however with the exception of assistant dogs, no pets are allowed inside the cottages and farmhouses.”

Arthur Ransome used the farm as the model for Holly Howe in Swallows and Amazons, and the 1970s film was shot there.

Dogs “Pets are more than welcome on the farm, we have purpose built five star accommodation so that you can bring the whole family along, however with the exception of assistant dogs, no pets are allowed inside the cottages and farmhouses.”
Family rooms “The traditional farm buildings have been converted into cottages of different sizes, sleeping two to sixteen.”
Evening meal “Let our fab chefs prepare you lovely meals, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.”
Children “High chairs, cots and stair gates are available on request.”

Coniston Holly How YHA (opens in new tab) hostel

about 1.7 km from the start, in a straight line

The cluster's best wet-walker-plus-family combination inside 2 km: a shared drying room, a highchair, all-you-can-eat cooked breakfast with under-10s at £1, a licensed bar, a self-catering kitchen and a bus stop nearby — and unlike Coppermines you can book a single private room rather than the whole building. Carries two restrictions a reader must see before booking: dogs only in the Camping & Cabins, and under-12s barred from dorm rooms.

Worth knowing: “Pets are not permitted at YHA Coniston Holly How, except in our Camping & Cabins accommodation.”

It is a working Mountain Leader training and assessment base, not just a hostel.

Drying room “Shared drying room”
Family rooms “Bed in a shared room is offered here Private room is offered here Camping & Cabins is offered here”
Evening meal “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Coniston Holly How”
Packed lunch “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Coniston Holly How”
Parking “The hostel car park is controlled by an ANPR parking system and is free for guests and patrons from check-in at 17:00 to 10:00 on the day of departure, charges apply outside of these times.”
Children “People of all ages are welcome at YHA. Guests aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or older.”

YHA Coppermines (opens in new tab) hostel

about 1.6 km from the start, in a straight line

A whole building for one group 500 feet up the Old Man, with a shared drying room, a shared laundry room, a cot, a highchair, ground-floor rooms and free parking — the best answer in the cluster for a large family or a walking group who want the place to themselves. Two conditions decide whether it works: it is exclusive-hire only, so there are no single beds to book, and dogs are only allowed if you take the whole hostel.

Worth knowing: “Pets are not permitted at YHA Coniston Coppermines, except when hiring the whole hostel through YHA Exclusive Hire.”

It sits 500 feet up the mountain already, and they warn that the postcode alone will send your sat nav to somebody's private house.

Drying room “Shared drying room”
Family rooms “Entire place is offered here Bed in a shared room is not offered here Private room is not offered here”
Evening meal “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Coniston Coppermines”
Packed lunch “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Coniston Coppermines”
Parking “Free parking is available onsite.”
Children “People of all ages are welcome at YHA. Guests aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or older.”

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Dow Crag

Is Dow Crag hard to climb?

The walkers' summit is not hard — it's reached on a clear path via Goat's Hause, the col linking it to the Old Man of Coniston, with no scrambling. At 778 m (2,553 ft) it gives one of the finest perches in the southern Lakes, right at the top of a great cliff.

That cliff — the east face above Goat's Water — is a different matter: a serious rock-climbing venue with a real accident record. Walkers reach the top by the ridge, not the crag.

Sources: Coniston Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

What is the route up Dow Crag for walkers?

From the Walna Scar Road car park above Coniston, follow the track and branch to Goat's Water beneath the crag, then climb to Goat's Hause and up the ridge to the summit — a clear path with no scrambling. It's commonly combined with the Old Man of Coniston for a fine round.

Keep well back from the summit edge, which sits right at the top of the precipice.

How long does it take to climb Dow Crag?

Allow around 4 hours for the Dow Crag and Goat's Water round (about 10.5 km / 6.5 miles), or nearer 5 hours for the popular circular adding Brim Fell and the Old Man of Coniston (around 12 km).

Is the crag on Dow Crag dangerous?

The east face above Goat's Water is one of the great Lakeland climbing cliffs — steep, often loose or wet rock with big buttresses and gullies, and a history of serious and fatal falls. It's for experienced, roped climbers, not walkers.

Don't be tempted onto the face or its gullies as a shortcut, keep back from the cliff-top summit, and if walking below it, avoid lingering directly beneath climbers because of rockfall.

Sources: Coniston Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

What is South Rake on Dow Crag?

South Rake is a scree-filled gully at the southern end of the crag — the easiest line actually up the crag, a Grade 1 scramble with some loose rock and a little easy boulder-climbing. It's a way for confident scramblers to gain the summit through the cliff, not a walkers' path.

If you just want the top, the ridge route via Goat's Hause is simpler and avoids the crag entirely.

Sources: The Lake District — Dow Crag (opens in new tab)

Is Dow Crag suitable for beginners?

By the walkers' route via Goat's Hause, yes — a fit beginner can manage it in good conditions, and the views of the crag and Goat's Water are superb. The crucial thing is to keep well back from the summit edge, which is right at the top of the precipice.

Beginners should avoid the crag itself and South Rake. Go on a clear day, carry a map and compass, and treat it as a proper fell.

Sources: Coniston Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

What should I wear and take up Dow Crag?

Wear proper walking boots with good grip for the rough, stony ground, and carry warm and waterproof layers — the summit is high and exposed. Take a map and compass, food, water and a charged phone, and check the mountain forecast.

Keep back from the cliff edge at the top, leave the crag and South Rake to experienced scramblers/climbers, and carry winter kit when there's snow or ice.

Sources: MWIS — Lake District forecast (opens in new tab)

Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-06-14 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Dow Crag

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Dow Crag at a glance

Dow Crag

Field notes

Routes up Dow Crag

Classifications & hill data

The short answers

Is Dow Crag a Wainwright?

Where do you park for Dow Crag?

My hikes over Dow Crag (Strava)

Parking & buses for Dow Crag

Best parking to hike Dow Crag

Getting to Dow Crag by bus

Hazards on Dow Crag

Hazard & Incident Information for Dow Crag

A note on Church Beck (with Red Dell Beck & Levers Water)

Navigating Dow Crag in cloud

Map & nearby Birketts

Birketts near Dow Crag (within 3 km)

Routes over Dow Crag

On the hill: terrain and water on Dow Crag

Water & shelter on the way up

The view from Dow Crag

The 360° skyline from Dow Crag

Sunrise and sunset on Dow Crag

Last light — when the sun leaves Dow Crag

What you can see from Dow Crag

Places to stay near this fell

Bank Ground Farm (opens in new tab) guest house

Coniston Holly How YHA (opens in new tab) hostel

YHA Coppermines (opens in new tab) hostel

Frequently asked questions about Dow Crag

Other fells near Dow Crag