Grasmoor

Grasmoor stands in the north-western Lake District, a steep-sided mountain overlooking Crummock Water. It forms the highest point of a group of fells between the villages of Lorton, Braithwaite and Buttermere. The fell’s western face falls sharply to the lake, while its eastern slopes link to Crag Hill and Coledale Hause. Grasmoor holds the largest scree slopes in the North Western Fells, and its summit ridge stretches west to Grasmoor End at 745 metres. The fell’s name comes from Old Norse, meaning ‘wild boar’, a word also found in nearby place names. The mountain offers two striking ways to reach the top. From Crummock Water’s shore the climb is short but steep, rising 600 metres in one kilometre across shifting scree. From the east the ascent is gentler, following four miles of grassy ridge from Little Town. The summit plateau is a wide dome of short grass and moss, narrowing at the centre where Dove Crags forms a deep hollow. Alfred Wainwright noted the bowl’s size, though it holds no water despite being one of the Lake District’s largest glacial combs. At the summit a large cairn marks the highest point, surrounded by smaller piles and sheep-grazed turf. From here all the main Lakeland ranges are visible except the Far Eastern Fells, with High Stile rising above the lake. The western end of the plateau gives the clearest view, while the eastern side slopes gently down to a broad col. Scree fans tumble from the summit ridge toward the road below, and streams like Liza Beck and Cinderdale Beck drain the northern and southern flanks. The fell lies within a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is owned by the National Trust.