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

Raven Crag - a high view down the length of Thirlmere, the snow-dusted Helvellyn range left and golden light at the valley head
Wainwright — Central FellsAlso a Birkett

Raven Crag

Raven Crag at 461m (1,512ft) is the dramatic cliff above Thirlmere, its great crag face one of the most impressive roadside crags in Lakeland.

461 m
Height
~2.5–3 h
Typical time
+9
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Raven Crag

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

461 mWainwright — Central Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+9 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 461 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 16° to 15°C, gusts to 32 mph, 2.8 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
16° / 15°
💨 32 mph
🌧 2.8 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
16° / 12°
💨 29 mph
🌧 4.4 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
14° / 5°
💨 29 mph
🌧 2.0 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
15° / 2°
💨 23 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
16° / 4°
💨 14 mph
🌧 5.4 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌫️
16° / 4°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
17° / 5°
💨 15 mph
🌧 0.4 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 461 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

Raven Crag

Raven Crag - a high view down the length of Thirlmere, the snow-dusted Helvellyn range left and golden light at the valley head
© Lee McCoy

Raven Crag at 461m (1,512ft) is the dramatic cliff above Thirlmere, its great crag face one of the most impressive roadside crags in Lakeland. Wainwright described it as the most accessible of the Central Fells crags, the walker's path reaching the summit above the main face quickly from the road. The views from the top across Thirlmere to the Helvellyn range are excellent. A short, satisfying outing from Thirlspot.

Routes up Raven Crag

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

Raven Crag Easy Walk
5.8 km · ~1.7 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Central
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
461 m
Height
1,512 ft
In feet
NY 3033 1875
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Legburthwaite (United Utilities, small), about 1.7 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Raven 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.

0.4 km WNWCastle Crag (Shoulthwalte)404 m · Eastern
0.6 km NNWThe Benn (Sippling Crag)446 m · Eastern
1.0 km EGreat How (Thirlmere)333 m · Eastern
1.9 km NEWren Crag311 m · Eastern
2.0 km ENECastle Rock339 m · Eastern
2.5 km SFisher Crag421 m · Central
2.7 km ESEBrown Crag610 m · Eastern
2.7 km NHigh Rigg (High Rigg South Top)343 m · Eastern
2.9 km SSWArmboth Fell (Birkett)479 m · Central

Routes over Raven Crag

Raven Crag Easy WalkLive
5.79 km · ~312 m ascent · loop · ~1.5–2.5 h
Summits: Raven Crag

⬇️ 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 Raven 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 Raven Crag30 labelled tops shown (0 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 14 kmSkiddaw · 11 kmHelvellyn Lower Man · 5 kmBowfell · 14 kmGreat Gable · 12 kmEsk Pike · 13 kmRaise · 4 kmBlencathra · 9 kmWhite Side · 4 kmGreat Dodd · 4 kmStybarrow Dodd · 4 kmKnowe Crags · 8 kmWatson's Dodd · 3 kmSeat Sandal · 8 kmLong Side · 11 kmClough Head · 5 kmLonscale Fell · 9 kmKnott · 14 kmColdbarrow Fell · 6 kmCalfhow Pike · 4 kmHigh Seat · 2 kmSteel Fell · 8 kmSouther Fell · 12 kmCriffel · 55 km · clear daysStanding Crag · 6 kmBrown Crag · 3 kmBleaberry Fell · 2 kmWatendlath Fell · 4 kmLoughrigg Fell · 14 kmBrown Rigg · 4 kmGategill Fell Top · 9 kmLingmell · 14 kmGlaramara · 10 kmDoddick Fell · 9 kmJenkin Hill · 9 kmGreat Calva · 12 kmWythburn Fell · 6 kmDodd · 10 kmEagle Crag · 7 kmGreat How · 1 kmWren Crag · 2 km
What you can see from Raven Crag, by direction
  • North: Knowe Crags (8 km), Lonscale Fell (9 km), Gategill Fell Top (9 km), Lonscale Pike (9 km), Blencathra (9 km), Jenkin Hill (9 km), Doddick Fell (9 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (10 km), Skiddaw Little Man (10 km), Skiddaw North Top (11 km), Great Calva (12 km), Knott (14 km)
  • North-east: Great Dodd (4 km), Clough Head (5 km)
  • East: Watson's Dodd (3 km), Stybarrow Dodd (4 km), Raise (4 km)
  • South-east: White Side (4 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (5 km), Seat Sandal (8 km)
  • South: Shelter Crags (14 km), Crinkle Crags (15 km), Crinkle Crags (15 km), Crinkle Crags (15 km), Crinkle Crags (15 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (15 km)
  • South-west: Glaramara (10 km), Looking Steads (10 km), Great Gable (12 km), Great End (13 km), Esk Pike (13 km), Bowfell (14 km), Ill Crag (14 km), Lingmell (14 km), Scafell Pike (14 km)
  • North-west: Carl Side (10 km), Skiddaw South Top (11 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (11 km), Long Side (11 km), Skiddaw (11 km)

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.

Raven Crag is one of our picked Lake District viewpoints — what you can see from it, when the light is best, and where to park.

What you can see from Raven Crag

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
37Wainwrights in view+2 marginal
56 kmFurthest sightlineCriffel
—Sea in viewnone from here

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland.

Far horizons
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 56 km distant
All 37 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

High Seat, Bleaberry Fell, High Tove, Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top), Watson's Dodd, High Rigg (Naddle Fell), White Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Great Dodd, Clough Head, Latrigg, Ullscarf, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Sergeant's Crag, Seat Sandal, Lonscale Fell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Skiddaw Little Man, Glaramara, Dodd (Skiddaw), Carl Side, Long Side, Skiddaw, Ullock Pike, Souther Fell, Rossett Pike, Great Gable, Great Calva, Great End, Esk Pike, Bowfell, Lingmell, Knott, Loughrigg Fell, Scafell Pike, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

How Raven 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 Raven Crag

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

Legburthwaite (United Utilities, small) — 1.7 km from summit (straight line)
St John's in the Vale — Sticks Pass side, High Rigg, Raven Crag.
Directions
🚺 Legburthwaite Car Park (155m) — Free
Swirls, Thirlmere (paid) — 2.3 km from summit (straight line)
The standard west-side route up Helvellyn via Browncove Crags.
Directions
🚺 The Swirls Car Park (461m) — Free · Accessible · RADAR key🚺 Armbroth Car Park (1587m) — 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.

Buses to Raven Crag from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

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 Raven Crag (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Navigating Raven Crag in cloud

Straightforward

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. 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 Raven Crag compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Frequently asked questions about Raven Crag

Is Raven Crag a hard walk?

Short but steep — the honest pairing. From the foot of Thirlmere it's only about a mile to the top, but the forest path gains its height quickly and the final section is stepped. At 461 m (1,512 ft) it's one of the quickest Wainwright summits to reach — and the crag-top viewpoint straight down the length of Thirlmere is among the best short-walk rewards in the district.

Where do you park for Raven Crag?

The car park by Thirlmere dam, at the lake's northern end (reached by the minor road down the western shore) — the path starts almost opposite. It's small and popular; on summer evenings, when the viewpoint is at its best, arrive with a fallback in mind.

How long does Raven Crag take, and is it good for children and dogs?

About 1.5–2 hours up and down. It's a good adventurous short walk for children who manage steps and steady climbing — but the summit is the top of a genuine crag: keep children and dogs well back from the viewpoint edge. The forest sections are enclosed and dog-friendly; leads at the top.

Is Raven Crag busy?

It can be, in a small-scale way: the walk is short, the car park is small, and the viewpoint ledge holds only a handful of people, so sunny evenings and weekend middays see queues for the view. Early morning is the quiet time — and midweek it's often deserted. Pairing it with High Rigg or Castle Crag (Shoulthwaite) next door makes a fuller, quieter outing. How busy a fell feels tracks how many people are looking for it in the first place.

Is this the Raven Crag people scramble and climb on?

Different crags — Lakeland has several Raven Crags. This page is the Thirlmere Wainwright, a walkers' summit. The scramble is Raven Crag, Yewdale (near Coniston), and the famous rock climbs (Corvus, and the Langdale routes) are on other Raven Crags again — climbers' ground, not part of this walk.

Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-07-27 · Suggest a question or correction

Other fells near Raven Crag

Maps & guidebooks for Raven Crag

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