Arnison Crag

Infobox Mountain
Name = Arnison Crag
Photo = Arnison_crag_from_hartsop.jpg
Caption = Arnison Crag (right of centre) from Hartsop
Elevation = 433 m (1,420 ft)
Location = Cumbria, ENG
Range = Lake District, Eastern Fells
Prominence = "c" 10 m
Parent peak = Birks
Coordinates =
Topographic
OS "Explorer" OL5
Grid_ref_UK = NY393150
Listing = Wainwright

Arnison Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, an outlier of the Fairfield group in the Eastern Fells. It looks down on Patterdale village and the upper reach of Ullswater.

Topography

Although properly a north eastern ridge of Birks and having little topographical prominence, Arnison Crag was classed as a separate fell by Alfred Wainwright in his "Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells". That convention is followed here. In support of his decision he referred to it as as "a low hill with a summit worthy of a mountain."Alfred Wainwright: "A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells", Book 1: ISBN 0-7112-2454-4] .

Birks, which is itself a satellite of St Sunday Crag, resides on a southwest to northeast ridge. Below the summit and about half way down the main slope, a level spur juts out eastward and then curves around to the north to run parallel with Birks. At the far end of this subsidiary ridge is the rocky summit of Arnison Crag. The slight col where the Arnison Crag ridge connects to the flank of Birks is Trough Head.

To the east of Arnison Crag is the lower portion of Deepdale and the settlement of Bridgend. This flank is rough and includes Aiken Crag and the face of Arnison Crag itself, just below the summit. To the west, separating the fell from the main ridge of Birks, is Hag Beck. This flows northward from Trough Head, passing through the woods of Glemara Park before issuing into Grisedale Beck just above the main road. Glemara Park was once a deer park and now contains much broadleaved woodland. Its retaining wall is still largely intact.

The ridge from Trough Head to Arnison Crag is fairly level and passes over a series of knolls. One of these- about hafway along- is the true summit, being 1,446 ft (441 m) high. Wainwright and later guidebook writers Richards, M: "Lakeland Fells, Near Eastern Fells": Collins (2003): ISBN 0-0071-1366-8] have chosen to ignore this top because it is grassy and too far back to give an adequate view. This is one of the many reasons why Wainwrights are a subjective hill list, in contrast to the more numerically based Hewitts or Marilyns. North of the summit, the ground drops steeply over two tiers of rock outcrop, the lower one being Oxford Crag. Arnison Crag meets the valley floor directly behind Patterdale village.

Geology and Mining

There is evidence of former mining activity on the Deepdale slopes of Arnison Crag. Two levels were worked for haematite just above Deepdale Hall.Adams, John: "Mines of the Lake District Fells": Dalesman (1995) ISBN 0-8520-6931-6] Geologically the summit of the fell is andesite, with the underlying Deepdale Formation of volcaniclastic sandstone revealed on the north western face. [Woodhall, DG: Geology of the Keswick District- a brief explanation of the geological map. 1:50,000 Sheet 29: British Geological Survey (2000)]

ummit and View

The summit is a low rock tower, attractively seen from the surrounding valleys. There is only a very small cairn due to the lack of available stone. The view is largely restricted by higher fells, but with the Fairfield and High Street fells well seen.

Ascents

Ascents can be made from Patterdale village, either direct up the nose of the ridge, or by curving round to the west and following the Glemara Park wall. Trough Head can also be reached from either Deepdale or Hag Beck, providing an approach from 'behind' the summit. Arnison Crag is often climbed as the first part of the ascent of St Sunday Crag. From here the walker can either circuit Deepdale via Fairfield, Hart Crag and Hartsop above How or swing north around Grisedale, taking in Dollywaggon Pike, Nethermost Pike and Helvellyn.

References