Raven Crag

Raven Crag rises out of the forest above Thirlmere dam as a sheer cliff about 150 m high. People come for the view from its edge, straight down the length of the reservoir.

There is a layby on the minor road along the west side of Thirlmere, right at the foot of the crag, with more space around the dam. You can also park on the A591 verge near Bridge End and walk across the dam wall. From the road a steep, rough, waymarked path climbs straight up through the plantation, through deer fence gates and across forestry tracks, and steps and a boardwalk take you over the last stretch to a viewing platform with a guardrail. It is short, about 2.4 km there and back with around 300 m of climbing, but the climbing starts the moment you leave the car.

The highest point is a small cairn a little way back, partly screened by conifers, so the view comes from the platform rather than the summit. From it you look down on the dam and south along Thirlmere, across to the Dodds and the Helvellyn range, with Blencathra to the north east.

Castle Crag, a rocky knoll close by on the same ridge, was the site of an Iron Age hill fort. A sign marks it, and traces of the defensive ditch and earthen bank lie under the heather and bracken. Skiddaw shows well from its top. A longer ridge walk takes in The Benn as well, and a bigger round crosses the moor south to Armboth Fell and High Tove before dropping back to the lake.