Walla Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, near Keswick. The fell is a short walk from Keswick and overlooks Derwentwater.
Topography The crag is the terminal cliff on a short ridge running north west from Bleaberry Fell, dropping about from the plateau above. Below this are further steep slopes before the gradient slackens on the shore of Derwentwater. The face is heavily wooded — mainly with conifers — almost to the top. The trees continue down through Great Wood to the lake. Walla Crag has one major breach, Lady's Rake.
The summit lies a little way back from the brink, the smooth heather-clad hinterland then dropping to the broad depression of Low Moss. Beyond here the ground rises again to Bleaberry Fell. The southern boundary of the fell is formed by Cat Gill, which flows west from Loss Moss to the lake. The gill separates Walla Crag from the neighbouring Falcon Crag, popular with rock climbers. Brockle Beck flows north from Low Moss, before turning west to enter Derwentwater at Strandshag Bay.
Geology The crag itself exposes the plagioclase-phyric andesite lavas of the Birker Fell Formation. The summit area is overlain by drift deposits.British Geological Survey 1:50,000 series maps: Sheet 38: BGS (1998)
Summit
The top is marked by a large cairn and overlooks the islands of northern Derwentwater and the Vale of Keswick. There is also a clear line of sight down Borrowdale to the high fells.Mark Richards: The Central Fells: Collins (2003):
Ascents
Walla Crag makes a half day or evening walk from Keswick and can be climbed via Brockle Beck, Great Wood (a traverse under the face) or Cat Gill. There is also a clear path from Bleaberry Fell.
Height Fellwalkers of an older generation found the height of Walla Crag an easily memorable 1,234 ft, much as Scafell Pike was once a simple 3,210 ft. More recent work by the Ordnance Survey has now elevated Walla Crag to 1,243 ft.
Panorama The following Wainwrights are visible on a clear day: NoFellHeading (°)Distance (miles)1Latrigg2.52.12Lonscale Fell7.33.73Mungrisdale Common22.85.44Blencathra35.04.95High Rigg76.72.06Clough Head76.73.67Great Dodd95.64.18Watson's Dodd105.43.89Stybarrow Dodd108.64.410Raise119.64.811White Side126.34.812Helvellyn132.55.513Bleaberry Fell151.91.214Crinkle Crags188.810.415Rosthwaite Fell191.05.616Bowfell191.39.417Grange Fell192.83.218Glaramara195.07.019Esk Pike195.48.920Allen Crags196.68.321Great End200.58.622Seathwaite Fell202.27.823Scafell Pike202.79.524Scafell204.410.225Lingmell206.49.226Castle Crag206.43.727Base Brown206.96.928Green Gable209.57.629Great Gable210.17.930Brandreth212.87.031Grey Knotts213.46.632High Spy219.14.133Dale Head221.35.034Hindscarth231.24.835Maiden Moor231.43.236Robinson236.85.437Red Pike (Buttermere)242.48.138Catbells245.62.239Starling Dodd246.79.140Knott Rigg252.35.141Whiteless Pike255.76.242Ard Crags256.84.443Wandope259.25.644Sail261.84.945Crag Hill262.75.346Scar Crags263.94.347Causey Pike264.93.648Outerside270.64.149Hopegill Head274.65.750Barrow275.13.151Grisedale Pike278.24.952Whinlatter293.35.553Lord's Seat305.05.654Barf310.35.155Sale Fell314.57.356Dodd330.94.357Ullock Pike335.65.158Long Side337.64.859Carl Side341.24.460Skiddaw (south top)346.54.761Skiddaw Little Man350.24.1
References