Dove Crag

Dove Crag is a fell in the Eastern Fells of the Lake District National Park. It stands seven kilometres south-south-west of Glenridding, reaching 792 metres. The fell is often climbed as part of the Fairfield horseshoe walk, but a direct ascent from Patterdale reveals its impressive crags. The highest point was originally unnamed but later adopted the name Dove Crag. The fell shows its unassuming back to Rydal in the west while great crags command the head of Dovedale on the opposite side. A lower tier of crags juts out into the valley with Stangs at its head, dividing Dovedale Beck from its main tributary, Hogget Gill. Dove Crag is notable as the first chapter written by Alfred Wainwright for his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. He wrote the chapter on 9 November 1952 after ascending the fell from Ambleside. It took Wainwright 14 more years to complete the series of seven books covering 214 fells. The crags of Dove Crag are the fell’s finest feature, popular with rock climbers for classic routes such as Extol and Fast and Furious. Boulderers also use the area, with climbs like Impailed and Pail Attitude on detached boulders. Concealed within the crags is the Priest’s Hole, a five-metre-deep cave used as a rough overnight camp. A visitor finds a small rock platform with a cairn at the summit. A dry stone wall crosses the summit 15 metres to the west, running north to south to High Pike and Hart Crag. The highlight of the summit view is obtained by walking to the edge of the crags and looking down into Dovedale. The ascent from Patterdale starts at Brothers Water and follows the path to Hartsop Hall before rising up Dovedale. The upper part of Dovedale was once believed to be the crater of a volcano. The fell can also be approached from Ambleside along its long southern ridge passing over Low Pike and High Pike.