Four Seasons by Elter Water and Loughrigg Tarn

Bluebell woods, a lake, a tarn, a waterfall and Little Loughrigg, make this a memorable outing.

Distance 4 miles (6.4km)

Minimum time 2hrs

Ascent/gradient 328ft (100m)

Level of difficulty Medium

Paths Grassy and stony paths and tracks, surfaced lane, 4 stiles

Landscape Lake, tarn, fields, woods, open fellside, views to fells

Suggested map aqua3 OS Explorer OL 7 The English Lakes (SE)

Start/finish NY 328048

Dog friendliness Under control at all time; fellside grazed by sheep

Parking National Trust pay-and-display car park at Elterwater village

Public toilets Above car park in Elterwater village

Write a review of this walk

Directions
Background
Information

1 Pass through a small gate to walk downsteam above Great Langdale Beck. Continue to enter the mixed woods of Rob Rash. A little gate leads through the stone wall, the open foot of Elter Water lies to the right. Continue along the path through the meadows above the river. This section can be wet and is prone to flooding. Pass through the gate and enter mixed woods. Keep along the path to pass Skelwith Force waterfall down to the right. A little bridge leads across a channel to a viewing point above the falls. Keep along the path to pass through industrial buildings belonging to Kirkstone Quarry.

2 Kirkstone Gallery is on the right, as the path becomes a small surfaced road. Continue to intercept the A593 by the bridge over the river where there are picnic benches. Turn left to pass the hotel. At the road junction, cross directly over the Great Langdale road to gain a lane which passes by the end of the cottages. Follow the lane, ascending to intercept another road. Turn right for a short distance and then left towards Tarn Foot farm. Bear right along the track, in front of the row of cottages. Where the track splits, bear left. Through the gate continue along the track to overlook Loughrigg Tarn. At a point half-way along the tarn cross the stile over the iron railings on the left.

3 Follow the footpath down the meadow to traverse right, just above the tarn. The footpath swings off right to climb a ladder stile over the stone wall. Follow the grassy track leading right, up the hill, to a gate and stile on to the road. Turn left along the road, until a surfaced drive leads up to the right, signed 'Public Footpath Skelwith Bridge'. Pass a small cottage and keep on the track to pass a higher cottage, Crag Head. A little way above this, a narrow grassy footpath leads off right, up the hillside, to gain a level shoulder between the craggy outcrops of Little Loughrigg.

4 Cross the shoulder and descend the path, passing a little tarnlet to the right, to intercept a stone wall. Keep left along the wall descending to find, in a few hundred paces, a ladder stile leading over the wall into the upper woods of Rob Rash. A steep descent leads down to the road. Cross this directly, and go over the little stone stile/broken wall next to the large double gates. Descend a track to meet up with the outward route. Bear right to return to Elterwater village.

Although it does include steep sections of ascent and descent this is not a desperately difficult walk. There are outstanding views throughout its length. The little lake of Elter Water and the petite Loughrigg Tarn are amongst the prettiest stretches of water in the region. The former, really three interconnected basins, was originally named Eltermere, which translates directly from the Old Norse (Viking) into 'swan lake'. The swans are still here in abundance. Be careful they don't grab your sandwiches should you choose to eat your lunch sat on the wooden bench at the foot of the lake. The views over both lake and tarn, to the reclining lion profile of the Langdale Pikes are particularly evocative.

Each season paints a different picture. Golden daffodils by Langdale Beck in early spring, bluebells in Rob Rash woods in May, yellow maple in Elterwater village in October and a thousand shades of green, everywhere, all summer. The river is dominant throughout the lower stages of the walk. It starts as the Great Langdale Beck, before emerging from the confines of Elter Water as the sedate River Brathay. Ascent then leads to the suspended bowl of Loughrigg Tarn, followed by the open fell freedom of Little Loughrigg. This is very much a walk for all seasons, and should the section through the meadows by the Brathay be flooded, then a simple detour can easily be made on to the road to bypass the problem.

With all the quarrying and mining that once took place in the Lake District, not to mention a little poaching for the pot, there used to be a considerable demand for 'black powder' or gunpowder, as it is more commonly known. Without treason or plot, Elterwater Gunpowder works, founded in 1824, once filled that demand. The natural water power of Langdale Beck was utilised to drive great grinding wheels or millstones. Prime quality charcoal came from the local coppices, whilst saltpetre and sulphur were imported. In the 1890s the works employed around 80 people. Accidental explosions did occur, notably in 1916 when four men were killed. The whole enterprise closed down in 1929. Today the site is occupied by the highly desirable Langdale Timeshare organisation, with only the massive mill wheels on display to bear witness to times past.

Of course, the raw ingredients had to be brought in and the highly explosive gunpowder taken away. That was done by horse and cart. My grandfather, Tommy Birkett, used to tend and groom the cart horses. Clydesdales were preferred for their huge strength and considerable intelligence. On workdays he would harness them up and on special occasions they had their mains plaited and ribboned and they were decorated with polished horse brasses. The horses have long gone but some of their brasses remain fixed to the oak beams in the Brittania Inn. Some I keep in my studio in Little Langdale.

Where to eat and drink

The friendly and popular Brittania Inn stands in the centre of the village. It serves real ales and does excellent bar meals year-round. En route the Kirkstone Gallery has a café, called Chesters, offering tea, coffee, cakes and light meals. The Skelwith Bridge Hotel also offers bar meals.

While you're there

At Skelwith Bridge the path goes right through the middle of a working slate finishing quarry. Although the rock is actually extracted from a quarry above Kirkstone Pass, it is sawn, split and polished here. It has many uses varying from practical roofing slates, to decorative panels that clad high prestige buildings, to ornamental coffee tables for the drawing room. Some of the finished products can be viewed in the Kirkstone Gallery just below the works to the right of the path.

What to look for

Carrying the full contents of the River Brathay over a vertical drop of some 30ft (9m), Skelwith Force waterfall is an impressive sight. A little bridge provides access to the rocks above the force, and steps and a walkway lead to lower rocks and a good viewpoint. Access is unrestricted, though the rocks are polished and the waterfall unguarded. A weir once diverted water from above the falls to power the mills at Skelwith Bridge just downstream.