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823 m · Wainwright — Eastern Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Wainwright — Eastern FellsAlso a Birkett

Hart Crag

Hart Crag at 822m (2,697ft) is the rocky summit at the northern end of the Fairfield ridge above Dovedale, giving excellent views down the crag-girt hollow of Dovedale to Hartsop and Brothers Water below.

823 m
Height
~3.5–4.5 h
Typical time
+4
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Hart Crag

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

823 mWainwright — Eastern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+4 bonus Birketts within 3 km Severe in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 823 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 14° to 12°C, gusts to 41 mph, 14.2 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
14° / 12°
💨 41 mph
🌧 14.2 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
14° / 10°
💨 33 mph
🌧 3.9 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
12° / 3°
💨 27 mph
🌧 0.9 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
13° / 1°
💨 24 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
13° / 2°
💨 15 mph
🌧 3.0 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
14° / 3°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
14° / 4°
💨 12 mph
🌧 0.2 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 823 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

About the walk

Key information

Hart Crag

Hart Crag, a Lake District fell
Photo: Shanesykes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hart Crag at 822m (2,697ft) is the rocky summit at the northern end of the Fairfield ridge above Dovedale, giving excellent views down the crag-girt hollow of Dovedale to Hartsop and Brothers Water below. Wainwright described the eastern face as impressively craggy, with Scrubby Crag and Hutaple Crag forming a dramatic backdrop to the valley. The summit is reached most naturally as part of the Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside, or via the direct ridge from Dovedale. Combined with Dove Crag for a fine circular route from Hartsop, exploring the quiet east face of the Fairfield group.

🗒️ My notes
Most of the autobagging software gives me this peak. But to be honest, at the time I had no idea of anything of bagging, or its mechanics. I was just up there for the journey. The purists amongst you would have fair claim to say that I haven't. I'll just have to go up there again to enjoy the rocky peak and cobbled-together cairn.

Routes up Hart Crag

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

Fairfield Horseshoe
16.9 km · ~4.9 hr · Moderate
One of the classic Lakeland rounds and a fine first big horseshoe. From the car park at Rydal it's a steady, moderate climb with only a minor amount of scrambling — my kids, then 7 and 10, managed it, though they found it a long day. You can easily start from Ambleside instead: stock up at the shops on the way out and finish at the Royal Oak for a well-earned pint. The full round takes in eight tops, with Fairfield's broad summit the high point and Windermere laid out behind you on the descent.
Hartsop Fells and Hart Crag
11.9 km · ~3.6 hr
Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside
22.4 km · ~6.7 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Eastern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
823 m
Height
2,700 ft
In feet
NY 3681 1126
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Cow Bridge, Hartsop (free), about 4.3 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Hart 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.

1.2 km NWCofa Pike823 m · Eastern
2.2 km NNEGavel Pike784 m · Eastern
2.7 km ENEGale Crag512 m · Eastern
2.8 km SSWHeron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)621 m · Eastern

Routes over Hart Crag

Fairfield HorseshoeRevised
16.92 km · ~925 m ascent · loop · ~4.5–6.5 h · Clockwise · Moderate
Summits: Nab ScarHeron Pike (Rydal)Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)Great RiggFairfieldHart CragDove CragHigh Pike (Scandale)Low Pike

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Any season in good conditions; save the broad, featureless summit for a clear day.

⚠️ Warnings: Fairfield's broad summit plateau is confusing in cloud — carry a map and compass and take a bearing before descending.; A little easy scrambling in places, but nothing obligatory.

Full route guide ↗

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

Hartsop Fells and Hart CragRevised
11.87 km · ~765 m ascent · loop · ~3.5–5 h
Summits: Gale CragHartsop Above How (Gill Crag - Hartsop Above How)Hart CragDove CragLittle Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top)High Hartsop Dodd

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

Long Hike to Fairfield from AmblesideRevised
22.39 km · ~1350 m ascent · loop · ~6.5–9 h
Summits: Red ScreesDove CragHart CragFairfieldGreat RiggHeron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)Heron Pike (Rydal)Nab Scar

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

The View from Hart 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
Computed 360-degree skyline from Hart Crag36 labelled tops shown (12 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 16 kmHelvellyn · 5 kmBowfell · 13 kmGreat Gable · 16 kmPillar · 20 kmNethermost Pike · 4 kmHigh Crag · 4 kmRaise · 7 kmCrinkle Crags · 14 kmGreat Dodd · 10 kmHigh Street · 7 kmHigh Raise · 8 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 16 kmSwirl How · 14 kmThornthwaite Crag · 6 kmKidsty Pike · 8 kmHart Side · 8 kmLittle Stand · 14 kmKentmere Pike · 10 kmHigh House Tarn Top · 13 kmCross Fell · 39 km · clear daysFairfield · 1 kmWhitfell · 28 kmSt Sunday Crag · 2 kmDove Crag · 1 kmGavel Pike · 2 kmRed Screes · 4 kmIll Bell · 8 kmRed Crag · 9 kmYoke · 8 kmPlace Fell · 7 kmBirks · 3 kmHeron Pike North Top · 3 kmWard's Stone · 57 km · clear daysSwarth Fell · 12 kmNab Scar · 4 kmWhite Side · 6 kmGreen Side · 8 kmRampsgill Head · 8 kmDow Crag · 17 kmGrey Friar · 15 kmStonesty Pike · 14 kmMardale Ill Bell · 8 kmHarrison Stickle · 10 kmHarter Fell · 19 kmAllen Crags · 13 kmStony Cove Pike · 5 kmFroswick · 7 kmGray Crag · 6 kmRest Dodd · 7 kmWether Hill · 10 kmMiddle Dodd · 3 kmIngleborough · 52 km · clear daysWhernside · 48 km · clear daysThe Knight · 7 kmBirk Fell · 8 kmWansfell Pike · 8 kmBrownthwaite Crag · 10 kmKitty Crag · 14 kmGummer's How · 23 kmHolme Fell · 12 kmCarron Crag · 18 kmLatterbarrow · 12 kmWhite Hill · 61 km · clear daysWhitbarrow · 25 kmNewton Fell South · 30 km · clear daysSnowdon · 174 km · a handful of days a yearAran Fawddwy · 196 km · a handful of days a yearThe Cheviot · 122 km · a handful of days a yearYr Eifl · 194 km · a handful of days a yearPendle Hill · 82 km · a rare clear dayMoel y Gamelin · 166 km · a handful of days a yearSighty Crag · 74 km · a rare clear dayGreat Whernside · 74 km · a rare clear dayDun Rig · 121 km · a handful of days a yearWinter Hill · 101 km · a rare clear dayBlackwood Hill · 86 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 111 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Hart Crag, by direction
  • North: Raise (7 km), Green Side (8 km), Stybarrow Dodd (8 km), Great Dodd (10 km), Gategill Fell Top (17 km), Atkinson Pike (18 km)
  • East: Thornthwaite Crag (6 km), High Street (7 km), Rampsgill Head (8 km), Kidsty Pike (8 km), High Raise (8 km)
  • South-west: Shelter Crags (13 km), Crinkle Crags (13 km), Crinkle Crags (13 km), Crinkle Crags (13 km), Crinkle Crags (14 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (14 km), Great Carrs (14 km), Swirl How (14 km), Brim Fell (16 km), The Old Man of Coniston (16 km)
  • West: Bowfell (13 km), Esk Pike (14 km), Great End (14 km), Ill Crag (15 km), Broad Crag (15 km), Green Gable (15 km), Great Gable (16 km), Scafell Pike (16 km), Scafell (17 km), Kirk Fell (17 km), Pillar (20 km), Pillar Rock (20 km), Black Crag (20 km), Red Pike (20 km), Scoat Fell (21 km)
  • North-west: High Crag (4 km), Nethermost Pike (4 km), Helvellyn (5 km), White Side (6 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (174 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (162 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (196 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (170 km, Wales), The Cheviot (122 km, England), Arenig Fawr (182 km, Wales), Yr Eifl (194 km, Wales), Craig Cwm Silyn (182 km, Wales).

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 (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Hart Crag

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
79Wainwrights in view+19 marginal
174 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
1Sea in viewMorecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales.

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 174 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 159 km clear
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 53 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesSE · 47 km clear
  • Great Dun Fell North PenninesENE · 40 km clear
  • Cross Fell North PenninesNE · 39 km clear
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuaryS · 37 km in view
All 79 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Fairfield, Great Rigg, Hartsop Above How (Gill Crag - Hartsop Above How), St Sunday Crag, Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top), High Hartsop Dodd, Heron Pike (Rydal), Birks, Middle Dodd, Nethermost Pike, Red Screes, Nab Scar, Hartsop Dodd, Arnison Crag, Helvellyn, Catstye Cam, Brock Crags (Wainwright), Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top), Gray Crag, Silver How, Thornthwaite Crag, Loughrigg Fell, Raise, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Place Fell, Rest Dodd, The Knott (High Street), Froswick, High Street, Blea Rigg, Rampsgill Head, Ill Bell, The Nab, Stybarrow Dodd, Kidsty Pike, High Raise (High Street), Yoke, Hart Side, Sergeant Man, Beda Fell (Beda Head), Pavey Ark, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Harter Fell (Mardale), Thunacar Knott, Harrison Stickle, Great Dodd, Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts), Black Fell, Pike of Stickle, Kentmere Pike, Wether Hill, Loadpot Hill, Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), Shipman Knotts, Holme Fell, Pike of Blisco, Glaramara, Wetherlam, Cold Pike, Bowfell, Arthur's Pike, Allen Crags, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Esk Pike, Little Mell Fell, Great Carrs, Swirl How, Great End, Green Gable, Great Gable, Scafell Pike, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Scafell, Kirk Fell, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Red Pike (Wasdale), Carrock Fell, Seatallan

How Hart 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.

Best parking to hike Hart Crag

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

Cow Bridge, Hartsop (free) — 4.3 km from summit (straight line)
Free car park by Brothers Water — Hartsop above How, Dovedale, Caudale Moor.
Directions
Steel End, Thirlmere (paid) — 4.3 km from summit (straight line)
South end of Thirlmere for the Wythburn valley and Armboth fells.
Directions
🚺 Dob Gill Car Park (933m) — Free

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.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Fairfield Horseshoe route:

🚌 Church for Rydal Mount (146 m)⛺ map (432 m)⛺ Rydal Hall Youth Centre Bunkhouse (441 m)

On the Hartsop Fells and Hart Crag route:

🚌 Cow Bridge (29 m)🚌 Cow Bridge car park (33 m)🚌 Road End (306 m)

On the Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside route:

🛖 map (6 m)🛖 map (65 m)🛖 map (77 m)🚺 map (30 m)🚺 map (108 m)🚺 map (123 m)🚌 Loughrigg Avenue (71 m)🚌 Hayes Garden Centre (189 m)🚌 Kelsick Road Stand 1 (256 m)⛺ Ambleside Backpackers (19 m)

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

Buses to Hart Crag from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”
Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)
Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)
The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.
Stagecoach 555
Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

My hikes over Hart Crag (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Navigating Hart Crag in cloud

Severe

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. A serious place to be caught in cloud: carry map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save it for a clear day.

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

Other fells near Hart Crag

Maps & guidebooks for Hart Crag

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