Dove Crag

Dove Crag is a fell in the English Lake District. Situated in the Eastern Fells of the national park, seven kilometres south-south-west of Glenridding, it reaches a height of 792 metres (2,598 feet). The fell is often climbed as part of the Fairfield horseshoe walk but a direct ascent from Patterdale is required to show the fell's full potential, displaying the impressive crags just to the north east of the summit. The highest point was originally unnamed on maps, being just a minor top, but over the years the summit has adopted the name of Dove Crag by mutual accord.

The crags of Dove Crag are the fell's finest feature. The crag is about 75 metres high at its highest point and is a popular venue for rock climbers with classic routes such as Extol and Fast and Furious. Lately it has become used by boulderers with several top-class climbs such as Impailed and Pail Attitude on the boulders that have become detached from the main crag. Concealed within the crags is the “Priest's Hole”. This is a cave, roughly about five metres deep with extra protection provided by a wall built in front, which is often used by walkers and climbers as a rough overnight camp. It is well used and stocked (even having a visitors' book) but it is not easy to find in bad conditions. It is marked on the large-scale Ordnance Survey maps but this is only of limited use. It is not mentioned by Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, which suggests that he did not know of its existence.