Iron Crag is a mountain in the
English
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Lake District
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
, standing between
Crag Fell
Crag Fell is a hill in the English Lake District. It is part of the Lank Rigg group, standing above Ennerdale Water in the Western Fells. The craggy northern face above the lake gives the fell its name, prominent in views from the car park at Bow ...
and
Caw Fell
Caw Fell is a fell in the English Lake District, standing between Haycock the Lank Rigg group. It occupies a wide upland area with Ennerdale to the north and Blengdale to the south. Caw Fell is distant from any point of access by Lakelan ...
.
The name of the fell is the source of some confusion, as the summit is unnamed on Ordnance Survey maps. Iron Crag apparently refers to the rocky outcrop below the summit, while the lower slopes are referred to as Ennerdale Fell. The Western aspect of the lower slopes, facing
Ennerdale Water
Ennerdale Water is the most westerly lake in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It is a glacial lake, with a maximum depth of 150 feet (45 metres), and is ½ mile to a mile (700 to 1,500 metres) wide and 2½ miles (3.9 kilo ...
is known as The Side.
Topography
Iron Crag is separated from
Caw Fell
Caw Fell is a fell in the English Lake District, standing between Haycock the Lank Rigg group. It occupies a wide upland area with Ennerdale to the north and Blengdale to the south. Caw Fell is distant from any point of access by Lakelan ...
by an unnamed col at the watershed of Bleaberry Gill and Silvercove Beck. The Western slopes are separated by a much shallower col leading to
Whoap
Whoap is a hill located near the western edge of the English Lake District, standing at 511 m. It is part of the Lank Rigg group and is separated from this fell by an unnamed col, known locally as the Whoap Step. Whoap is not listed as a Wainwr ...
. The gentler southern aspect, which is covered by rough grassland, covers a roughly triangular area, bordered on the South by Caw Fell and Bleaberry Gill, and on the West by
Lank Rigg
Lank Rigg is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands to the south of Ennerdale in the Western Fells. A sprawling hill with gentle grassy slopes it can be climbed from various points on the Coldfell road. It carries various remains from an ...
and Whoap. The Ennerdale Wall, running over the length of the ridge, marks a striking transition in vegetation, with the Northern slopes of Iron Cragg being mostly carpeted by
heather.
Summit and view
The true summit, marked by a small cairn, is on the Northern aspect of the Ennerdale Wall.
Iron Crag is classed as a
Fellranger, being described by Richards in the ''Wasdale'' volume of his book series.
It is among the 21 such summits (originally 18 before the extension of the Lake District) which are not included in
Wainwright's
list of 214.
Richards describes Iron Crag as "Great ridge between Crag Fell and Caw Fell, dividing the barren pasture of Kinniside Common from the rank heather of Ennerdale".
Ascents
From the Fell Road at Kinniside, a track known as the Black Potts road leads Eastwards for around three miles, past
Blakeley Raise
Blakeley Raise is a fell in the English Lake District, standing at 389m. Unlike its neighbours Grike, Crag Fell and Lank Rigg it is not listed as a Wainwright. Despite this lack of status, Blakeley Raise is a worthy climb, providing extensive ...
,
Grike and
Crag Fell
Crag Fell is a hill in the English Lake District. It is part of the Lank Rigg group, standing above Ennerdale Water in the Western Fells. The craggy northern face above the lake gives the fell its name, prominent in views from the car park at Bow ...
before ending at the lower slopes of Boat How. From here, the Ennerdale Wall can be followed to the summit area of Iron Crag.
[ Alfred Wainwright: ''A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Volume 7 The Western Fells'': Westmorland Gazette (1966): ]
Crashed Aircraft
The remains of a Royal Canadian Air Force Sabre Mk6 (23380), which crashed on 26 June 1959, can be found close to the summit of Iron Crag
[Yorkshire Aircraf]
, accessed 2011-07-07
Gallery
Image:Ironcragfromcragfell.JPG, Iron Crag from the Black Potts road
Image:Iron crag from the west.jpg, Iron Crag from the West
References
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