Great Crag walk - Dock Tarn walk

Route: Great Crag

Area: Central Lake District

Date of walk: 13th August 2021

Walkers: Andrew

Distance: 5.6 miles

Ascent: 1,400 feet

Weather: Mostly cloudy and overcast, with few bright patches and some light rain

Great Crag is a mid-level lakeland fell which I visited this time last year, when it was covered with a coat of purple heather. Hoping for more of the same, I decided to revisit the fell

I made an early start and parked just outside the small hamlet of Stonethwaite, where there are several parking spaces . I crossed the nearby beck via Stonethwaite Bridge, turning right immediately to join the Cumbria Way for a short distance. I then left the Cumbria Way to join a path heading uphill which followed the course of Willygrass Gill. It was a steep climb, but the addition of rock steps made the ascent a straightforward affair and before long I arrived at Dock Tarn. There had been a few patches of sun up to this point, but unfortunately the weather closed in at this point and there were grey skies overhead

Dock Tarn is surrounded by numerous mounds and tors, all covered with heather, and it’s a lovely sight. As Wainwright says, ‘Dock Tarn is a place to lie adreaming, and life seems a sweet sweet thing’. Great Crag is a complicated place, full of ups and downs, and determining the summit and the path to it is not a simple affair. There are numerous small paths, some of which peter out. I simply aimed for the highest point and, after some meandering, arrived there. Another top with a slightly larger cairn was nearby, so I visited that too. Both are wonderful spots. It’s a shame that the weather was poor today at this point – dull overcast skies failed to bring out the colour of the heather and the beauty of the views

I descended to rejoin the main path below and headed in the direction of Watendlath and its tarn. The path took me across some wild and very juicy terrain leading to Puddingstone Bank. From here the path descended alongside Bowdergate Gill, with wonderful views into Borrowdale, before merging with the Cumbria Way lower down. Improving weather on this section added to the beauty of the scenery. From here it was a short stroll beside Stonethwaite Beck back into Stonethwaite, and the end of a superb walk

For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)