Circuit of Loweswater

Route: Circuit of Loweswater

Area: Western Lake District

Date of walk: 28th February 2024

Walkers: Andrew

Distance: 4.2 miles

Ascent: 300 feet

Weather: Cloudy with some light drizzle and weak sun

Loweswater is unique in the Lake District, as it is the only lake that drains towards the centre of Lakeland, into Crummock Water to which it was once joined

I parked in the small car park at Maggie’s Bridge where there is room for about 8 cars. If this is full there is alternative parking on the Loweswater road at the other end of the lake. An easy track leads across the foot of Loweswater and past Watergate Farm. Just beyond the farm I entered into Holme Wood, managed by the National Trust, and having many inviting paths and some superb mature trees – alder, oak, lime, chestnut, ash, sycamore and others. Sadly the larch trees in the wood have been affected by Phytophtora Ramorum, and all of them have recently been felled by the National Trust in order to reduce the chance of the disease spreading.

There’s a choice of paths running through the the wood – a wide track is the most direct route, but I preferred to follow an alternative path which follows the lakeshore and passes by Holme Wood Bothy. At the end of Holme Wood I emerged at the head of Loweswater and walked along the track past Hudson Place. After crossing a couple of fields I arrived at the Loweswater road. Points must be deducted from an otherwise perfect walk, as the return section follows the road for much of the way. However it’s a fairly quiet road and can be avoided for some of the way by taking a narrow footpath which runs close to the lakeshore and parallel with the road

The narrow path rejoins the road by an ancient pinfold which has an information board about its interesting origins. Beyond the pinfold I continued along the road before turning right to walk along the lane leading back to Maggie’s Bridge to complete the circuit of Loweswater

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)