A Brief Moment of Sun, Raven Crag

Raven Crag catches a rare shaft of sunlight, and frankly it has earned it. This brooding giant overlooks the foot of Thirlmere Reservoir and has been stopping writers in their tracks for generations. They have called it everything from “vertical white walls” and a “chiselled face furred with conifer” to a “gigantic round tower” that appeared “blackened and shattered by the lapse of ages.” High praise, even by Lake District standards¹Kitching, G. (2020). Armboth | Lakeland Walking Tales. [online] Lakelandwalkingtales.co.uk. Available at: http:// www.lakelandwalkingtales.co.uk/tag/armboth/ [Accessed 19 Jan. 2022]..

Then came the Victorians with their grand plans. When Thirlmere was dammed in the late 19th century and the lake level rose, Canon Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley declared that the crag had been “cheated of its height.” The water won that round.

Getting to the top requires some effort, as all the best things do. A steep path passes an old Iron Age fort at Castle Crag before a wooden boardwalk delivers you to the summit. The reward is a view down the full length of Thirlmere that would stop a charging bull. Wainwright himself once sat up there and sketched his own portrait, which suggests the view was quite good enough to ignore. The crag is also a landmark unmistakably visible from the ridge of High Rigg.

In winter, the bare larch branches against the rock face resemble the “rib vaults” of a “natural cathedral,” which is really rather splendid for somewhere you reach in muddy boots.

The water may have taken a few feet of its glory, but Raven Crag dominates this valley for miles. It is not the sort of place that goes unnoticed.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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  Kitching, G. (2020). Armboth | Lakeland Walking Tales. [online] Lakelandwalkingtales.co.uk. Available at: http:// www.lakelandwalkingtales.co.uk/tag/armboth/ [Accessed 19 Jan. 2022].