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Stone Arthur is a fell in the English Lake District, an outlier of
the Fairfield group in the Eastern Fells and stands above Grasmere
village.
Stone Arthur is properly the south western ridge of
Great Rigg but was given the status of a separate fell by Alfred
Wainwright in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.
His
decision was based on it having a summit with "a short wall of rock like
a ruined castle." This outcrop is appears particularly impressive from
Grasmere village from where the higher fells are hidden.
From the
top of Great Rigg the main ridge ploughs on due south descending over
the tops of Heron Pike and Nab Scar and carrying the ever popular
Fairfield horseshoe walk.
A second shorter ridge descends
steadily to the south west over gradually roughening ground, until after
three quarters of a mile a rock outcrop is thrust up. This is Arthur's
Chair and the ridge upon which it stands is Stone Arthur. Prominence is
negligible and other than the low outcrop itself, the "summit" is merely
the point at which the gradient steepens markedly.
Between Stone Arthur and Heron Pike is the
little valley of Greenhead Gill. This bears evidence of former mining
activities, beginning at around 600 ft above sea level with a trial.
Further up the fellside are the remains of Grasmere Lead Mine. This
was operated by the Mines Royal between 1564 and 1573 and there are
several levels and shafts around the 1,000 ft contour.
To the north west of Stone Arthur is the valley of Tongue Gill
separating it from the lower slopes of Seat Sandal.
This side of
the ridge is craggy with the main features being Brackenwife Knotts and
Rigg Crags.
Both Tongue and Greenhead Gills are tributaries of
the River Rothay which passes through Grasmere village to the lake of
Grasmere. The lower slopes have been planted with areas of woodland.
The summit of Stone Arthur is difficult to locate exactly amongst
the upthrust rocks of Arthur's Chair.
The view is excellent,
particularly over Grasmere with Easedale Tarn showing across the valley.
Stone Arthur can be climbed directly up the steep ridge from the
village, although the depth of bracken combined with the gradient do not
make the prospect particularly alluring.
The summit can also be
reached from either side of the ridge. Beginning at Mill Bridge, Tongue
Gill can be followed until the footbridge, before making a pathless
ascent on grass.
From Grasmere, Greenhead Gill also provides
access, climbing until a contouring traverse to the summit can be made.
Walking
routes near Stone Arthur
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