logo Walking Britain
Home About Holidays FAQ Email MENU ☰

Elterwater circular

Lake District Walk

Nat Park - Lake District - Lake District Central Fells

County/Area - Cumbria

Author - Peter Smyly

Length - 4.0 miles / 6.5 km    Ascent - 500 feet / 152 metres

Time - 2 hours 30 minutes    Grade - easy/mod

Maps Ordnance Survey Logo Anquet Maps Logo

Ordnance Survey Explorer OL7Sheet Map1:25kBUY
Anquet OS Explorer OL7Digital Map1:25kBUY
Ordnance Survey Landranger 90Sheet Map1:50kBUY
Anquet OS Landranger 90Digital Map1:50kBUY

Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Elterwater circular
Click image to visit gallery of 4 images.

This Lake District walk has been named an 'Elterwater circular' in the sense of a walk that starts and finishes at Elterwater village, rather than a circuit of the lake of the same name which would be logistically challenging, given its indented, tree-clad shorelines although public footpaths do offer a possible circular route which goes around the lake without following its shoreline.

This is a walk suitable for a day when the tops are in cloud or simply for people who prefer a walk that is mostly on the level with a few gradients, mostly gentle ones. In places, the route involves walking along secondary roads where care needs to be taken with occasional traffic. The walk includes a visit to the lake of Elter Water and Loughrigg Tarn. This may raise the question of what the difference is between a tarn and a lake and various authors of Lakeland books have attempted to answer this question. While a lake is generally larger than a tarn this is not always the case, for example, Devoke Water, the largest tarn in the Lake District is larger than Rydal Water, a lake. If you were to list all the bodies of water in the Lake District by size, then as a general "rule of thumb", your typical lake is much larger in surface area than any tarn. Elter Water is one of the smaller lakes in the Lake District and an exception to that "rule". Elter Water is also a shallow lake with a maximum depth of only twenty feet whereas, by contrast, Loughrigg Tarn is almost twice as deep at thirty nine feet.

There is a large maple tree outside the Britannia Inn where the walk starts. Follow the Cumbria Way at a left turn just before the bridge over the river. Next, follow the path due south with the river on the right and fields on the left and enter Rob Rash Woods. The lake of Elter Water remains elusively hidden behind trees, until the path emerges from the woods and the view opens out to the right with the lake clearly in view, backed by the Langdale Pikes with Lingmoor Fell on the left. Follow the path ahead, initially across an open field with the River Brathay on the right, then through a gate into woods. The impressive water feature of Skelwith Force soon appears on the right, a rushing waterfall which can be seen from closer to by way of a narrow path leading to a viewing platform. To continue the walk, return to the main path to the small village of Skelwith Bridge where there is a café and a shop (Chesters by the River).

Next cross the A593, the busy main road coming in from the Ambleside direction, and walk up Foul Step, a narrow secondary road ahead that leads to Grasmere which is steep to begin with. After the gradient levels out, take a right turn where the road branches, and then follow a path to the left past houses and along the public bridleway ahead as Loughrigg Tarn comes into view. The Langdale Pikes, one of the most familiar Lakeland mountain profiles, dominate the backdrop to the tarn. Beyond the tarn, the bridleway joins up with a secondary road at a T junction. Turn right here and then take the next path on the left which winds its way up through woodland to Langdale Youth Hostel at High Close. Beyond the hostel, follow the secondary road coming in from Grasmere to the north east past Walthwaite Bottom and back down the hill to the village.

Other walks nearby

Walk 2715 Skelwith Bridge & Loughriggeasy/mod5.5 miles
Walk 1684 Lingmoor Fell & Langdale easy/mod7.0 miles
Walk 1823 Fairfield Horseshoe & Loughrigg from High Close mod/hard14.0 miles
Walk 1134 Wetherlam and The Carrs from Little Langdalemod/hard10.8 miles
Walk 2270 Tilberthwaite and Holme Fell Little Langdaleeasy/mod5.5 miles
Walk 3697 Loughrigg Fell from Skelwith Bridgeeasy/mod4.5 miles
Walk 1154 Between Grasmere and Langdalemoderate9.5 miles
Walk 1472 Alcock Tarn & Rydal Watereasy/mod7.0 miles
Walk 1565 Rydal Water & Grasmere circulareasy/mod6.0 miles
Walk 1682 Rydal Water & Grasmere easy/mod5.5 miles

Recommended Books & eBooks

Walking the Lake District Fells - Keswick

Walking the Lake District Fells - KeswickPart of the Walking the Lake District Fells series, this guidebook covers a wide range of routes to 30 Lakeland summits that can be climbed from Keswick, Whinlatter, Bassenthwaite, Caldbeck, Mungrisdale and Threlkeld, with highlights including Skiddaw and Blencathra. Includes suggestions for longer ridge routes.
More information

Walking the Lake District Fells - Patterdale

Walking the Lake District Fells - PatterdalePart of the Walking the Lake District Fells series, this guidebook covers a wide range of routes to 35 Lakeland summits that can be climbed from Ambleside, Grasmere and Patterdale and the Thirlmere and Ullswater valleys, with highlights including Helvellyn and Fairfield. Suggestions for longer ridge routes are also included.
More information

Messaging & Social Media

Message Walking Britain and follow the latest news.

Facebook  Twitter

Mountain Weather

Stay safe on the mountains with detailed weather forecasts - for iOS devices or for Android devices.