Eastern Fells · Book 1

Little Hart Crag

Little Hart Crag is a Wainwright, one of the 214 Lake District fells in Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides. At 637 m (2,090 ft) it is the joint 119th highest of the 214 and the 23rd highest in the Eastern Fells.

Height: 637 m; 2,090 ft
Rank: =119; of 214
In area: 23; of 35
Difficulty: Moderate

Little Hart Crag in the Eastern Fells of the Lake District — Photo: Mick Knapton via Wikimedia Commons

About Little Hart Crag

A neat rocky top above Scandale Pass. Short and punchy with excellent angles to Red Screes and Dove Crag. Ideal as a quick add-on to a bigger Fairfield circuit.

Two rocky knolls about 100 metres apart make up the top of Little Hart Crag. The western one carries the cairn, and the eastern one shows quartz in its rock. It sits at the head of Scandale, between Dove Crag and Red Screes, and there is no sensible direct route to it. You collect it on the way to somewhere else, or as the high point of a short round.

A short round starts at Cow Bridge car park, at the foot of Kirkstone Pass beside Brothers Water. Take the track along the lake to Hartsop Hall, climb the steep grassy nose of High Hartsop Dodd, and follow the ridge south over wet, peaty ground to the summit. Coming back, drop to Scandale Pass and follow Caiston Beck down to the valley. You can also reach Scandale Pass from Patterdale, or fold the fell into the Dovedale round with Hart Crag and Dove Crag, about 11.6 km in all.

There is no scrambling. The ground is grass and rock on the ridges, and boggy in the hollow between Little Hart Crag and Dove Crag.

Higher fells cut off the long views, but Dove Crag and Red Screes are close enough to study in detail. Scandale Tarn lies in a hollow on the grassy slopes just east of the summit, close to the top of the pass.

The fell is built of a dacite lava named after its neighbour, the Middle Dodd Dacite, over volcanic sandstone.

In winter

The usual way up from Brothers Water is the steep nose of High Hartsop Dodd, which gets slippery when wet or frozen. The ground west towards Dove Crag is boggy and freezes into hard, uneven tussocks, so allow time on a short day.

Dog Friendly

Sources: Wikipedia: Little Hart Crag, Walk Lakes: The Dovedale Round. Updated 24 September 2026.

Summit

OS grid ref: NY 387 100
Latitude: 54.48190° N
Longitude: 2.94715° W
Area: Eastern Fells

Walking up Little Hart Crag

The nearest car park on foot is Bunkhouse parking, 3.0 km (1.9 miles) from the summit along mapped paths. Directions to the car park

Route from Bunkhouse parking

Distance: 3.0 km; 1.9 miles, one way
Ascent: 477 m; Total climb to the summit
Time up: 1 h 20 min; Allow 1 to 2 hours

Height in metres along the path from Bunkhouse parking to the summit.

Times use Naismith’s rule, 5 km/h on the flat plus extra time for the climb, with Langmuir’s corrections. It’s a rule of thumb for the way up only, so add stops, weather and the walk back down.

The route follows paths mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors and isn’t a guided line. This car park was picked automatically and hasn’t been checked by hand yet, so compare it with a map. Check the mountain forecast before you go and carry a map and compass.

Little Hart Crag questions

Is Little Hart Crag a Wainwright?

Yes. Little Hart Crag is one of the 214 fells Alfred Wainwright described in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, in Book 1, The Eastern Fells.

How high is Little Hart Crag?

Little Hart Crag is 637 metres (2,090 feet) high. That makes it the joint 119th highest of the 214 Wainwrights and the 23rd highest in the Eastern Fells.

Where do you park for Little Hart Crag?

The nearest car park on foot is Bunkhouse parking, 3.0 km (1.9 miles) from the summit along mapped paths.

How long does it take to climb Little Hart Crag?

From Bunkhouse parking it is 3.0 km with 477 m of ascent. Naismith's rule, with Langmuir's corrections, puts the climb at about 1 h 20 min, so allow 1 to 2 hours to reach the summit at your own pace, plus the walk back down.

How hard is Little Hart Crag?

Upfell rates Little Hart Crag as moderate. Check the mountain weather forecast before you set out and carry a map and compass.

Which Wainwrights are near Little Hart Crag?

The closest are High Hartsop Dodd (519 m, 1.0 km NE), Middle Dodd (654 m, 1.1 km SE) and Dove Crag (792 m, 1.3 km W).

What is the grid reference for the summit of Little Hart Crag?

The summit is at OS grid reference NY 387 100, or 54.48190, -2.94715 in latitude and longitude.