Allen Crags
Encyclopedia
Allen Crags is a fell
in the English Lake District, it lies in a group of very popular hills and is regarded as part of the Scafell group of fells. It is a hill that is frequently traversed by walkers along its ridge but is seldom climbed as the sole objective.
, it is of Breton
origin and the fell was named after an unknown French conqueror.
in Borrowdale
and concludes at the strategically important mountain pass of Esk Hause
. The fell is craggy and rocky and falls away steeply to the head of the Langstrath valley on its eastern side while its western flanks are characterised by grey slabs of rock and are less precipitous as they fall away to Grains Gill. To the north Allen Crags is connected to the fell of Glaramara
by a three kilometre undulating ridge which is a joy to walk taking in three subsidiary tops along the way to the main top. To the south the fell drops 80 metres (262 ft) to connect with the mountain pass of Esk Hause from where it is possible to reach the neighbouring fells of Esk Pike
and Great End
and even Scafell Pike
with a little more effort.
s and siltstone
s of the Esk Pike Formation. There is a narrow intrusion of andesite
and hybridized andesite porphyry
running across the high point. The majority of the ridge displays the underlying dacitic
welded lapilli
-tuff
of the Lincomb Tarns Formation.
as well as Glaramara and Allen Crags.
, the southern part of the view is restricted by higher fells but the northern panorama from west to east is a fine view.
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
in the English Lake District, it lies in a group of very popular hills and is regarded as part of the Scafell group of fells. It is a hill that is frequently traversed by walkers along its ridge but is seldom climbed as the sole objective.
Name
The name originates from “Alein” or “Aleyn” which was a popular personal name after the Norman conquest of EnglandNorman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
, it is of Breton
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
origin and the fell was named after an unknown French conqueror.
Topography
Allen Crags is situated at the southern end of a 6 kilometres (4 mi) long north-south ridge that starts at StonethwaiteStonethwaite
Stonethwaite is a small village in the Lake District in the English county of Cumbria. It is situated in the valley of the Stonethwaite Beck, a side valley of Borrowdale, and within the Lake District National Park...
in Borrowdale
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
and concludes at the strategically important mountain pass of Esk Hause
Esk Hause
Esk Hause is a mountain pass in the English Lake District, where paths from Eskdale, Borrowdale, Langdale and Wasdale all meet. Esk Hause is a first step to reaching higher summits, such as Scafell Pike, Great End, Esk Pike and Allen Crags, which are all nearby.The source of the River Esk is close...
. The fell is craggy and rocky and falls away steeply to the head of the Langstrath valley on its eastern side while its western flanks are characterised by grey slabs of rock and are less precipitous as they fall away to Grains Gill. To the north Allen Crags is connected to the fell of Glaramara
Glaramara
Glaramara is a fell in the English Lake District in Cumbria. It is a substantial fell that is part of a long ridge that stretches for over six kilometres from Stonethwaite in Borrowdale up to the important mountain pass of Esk Hause...
by a three kilometre undulating ridge which is a joy to walk taking in three subsidiary tops along the way to the main top. To the south the fell drops 80 metres (262 ft) to connect with the mountain pass of Esk Hause from where it is possible to reach the neighbouring fells of Esk Pike
Esk Pike
Esk Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, one of the great cirque of hills forming the head of Eskdale.-Topography:The Southern Fells include the highest ground in England, a horseshoe which begins with Scafell and Scafell Pike in the west and then curves around the north of Upper Eskdale to...
and Great End
Great End
Great End is the most northerly mountain in the Scafell chain, in the English Lake District. From the south it is simply a lump continuing this chain....
and even Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England at . It is located in Lake District National Park sometimes confused with the neighbouring Sca Fell, to which it is connected by the col of Mickledore...
with a little more effort.
Geology
The summit rocks comprise the laminated volcaniclastic claystoneClaystone
Claystone is a geological term used to describe a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed primarily of clay-sized particles ....
s and siltstone
Siltstone
Siltstone is a sedimentary rock which has a grain size in the silt range, finer than sandstone and coarser than claystones.- Description :As its name implies, it is primarily composed of silt sized particles, defined as grains 1/16 - 1/256 mm or 4 to 8 on the Krumbein phi scale...
s of the Esk Pike Formation. There is a narrow intrusion of andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
and hybridized andesite porphyry
Porphyry (geology)
Porphyry is a variety of igneous rock consisting of large-grained crystals, such as feldspar or quartz, dispersed in a fine-grained feldspathic matrix or groundmass. The larger crystals are called phenocrysts...
running across the high point. The majority of the ridge displays the underlying dacitic
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
welded lapilli
Lapilli
Lapilli is a size classification term for tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts. Lapilli means "little stones" in Latin. They are in some senses similar to ooids or pisoids in calcareous sediments.By definition lapilli range...
-tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
of the Lincomb Tarns Formation.
Ascents
As mentioned Allen Crags is quite often approached along its northern ridge from Glaramara and this is the most popular ascent of the fell, however a direct climb is possible from Borrowdale ascending the Grains Gill path from Seathwaite to Esk Hause and then climbing easily up the fell from the south. The fell can also be included in a 15 km (9 mi) horseshoe walk from Seathwaite also taking in Seathwaite FellSeathwaite Fell
Seathwaite Fell is an area of the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It stands above the hamlet of the same name at the head of Borrowdale.-Position of the summit:...
as well as Glaramara and Allen Crags.
Summit and View
The top of the fell has three cairns with the middle one set on rocks being the highest. The highlight of the view is an excellent vista of Great GableGreat Gable
Great Gable is a mountain lying at the very heart of the English Lake District, appearing as a pyramid from Wasdale , but as a dome from most other directions. It is one of the most popular of the Lakeland fells, and there are many different routes to the summit...
, the southern part of the view is restricted by higher fells but the northern panorama from west to east is a fine view.