Route: Gowbarrow Fell
Area: Eastern Lake District
Date of walk: 15th October 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 5.0 miles
Ascent: 1,200 feet
Weather: Sun and blue skies, rather hazy
We parked in the National Trust car park at Aira Force and having visited the spectacular waterfall, which falls 70 feet, we followed the course of Aira Beck upstream before emerging onto open fellside
After a short distance we followed a path beside a dry stone wall which leads to the top of Gowbarrow Fell. The views from the fell are good but pale into insignificance in comparison with those that follow on the descent from it.
An easy path heads south at first towards Ullswater and then as the lake is approached the path contours round the flanks of Gowbarrow Fell at high level, with superlative views which get better and better as further progress is made. This has to be one of the best paths in the whole district – a short walk in heaven
All too soon we started the easy descent back to Aira Force – it was tempting to carry on and do the round again. For anyone following this route, I recommend that you walk clockwise, as we did, in order to keep the best views ahead of you on the wondrous elevated path back to the start
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
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Start of the walk from the National Trust car park at Aira Force
A pleasant walk through woodland leads to Aira Beck
Aira Beck
We cross the bridge at the foot of Aira Force for a view of the waterfalls
Aira Force
We return over the bridge and follow the track beside Aira Beck, with the beck on our left
From the top bridge, a view of Aira Force plummeting 70 feet to the bottom of the falls
There are a succession of smaller waterfalls as we make our way upstream
We follow the sign for Gowbarrow
We emerge from the woodland onto open fellside
Our path takes us uphill alongside a dry stone wall
Looking back towards the head of Ullswater
And now looking back to Dockray
Ullswater
Dockray again
Bonnie
Summit of Gowbarrow Fell ahead
OS trig point at the summit of the fell
Skiddaw and Blencathra
We descend in the direction of Ullswater
The start of a heavenly half mile or so as we traverse round the fellside with ever improving views of Ullswater
Sandwick
As we round the corner, views of the head of the lake open up
Aira Point and Glencoyne Park
Looking towards the foot of the lake
One of the Ullswater Steamers
All good things must come to an end, and we reluctantly start the descent back to the start
Glencoyne
We enter the woodland near Aira Force and retrace our steps back to the start
Back home, a red squirrel in the garden
