Easy Walks in the Lake District

Easy walks in the Lake District? With all those mountains and high fells around? But you might want to rest your legs, or the forecast is uncertain, or you just want to see what our lovely valleys look like. Here's five easy walks that we love, with a bit of a climb thrown in for fun.

Riverside Stroll

Out and back routes are full of surprises in the Lake District. The view coming the OTHER way is completely different, and we don’t hesitate to recommend this gem of a walk. It starts and finishes at Skelwith Bridge, home of the legendary café Chesters by the River. And it’s wise to save your coffee and cake for the end of the walk, otherwise you’ll never get going.

The walk follows a well-maintained bridleway along the River Brathay. But first you must stop to gaze in awe at the spectacular waterfall of Skelwith Force. It’s mesmerising to watch the power of the water.

Then follow the path, which is mostly level, and easy for pushchairs, with just a few gates to go through. The views ahead are of the iconic Langdale Pikes. After the path turns to decorative paving, you’ll arrive at the pretty village of Elterwater and the lake of the same name. That name actually means swan lake, though it’s unlikely you’ll see any swans here now.

You can stop for a drink at the famous Britannia Inn, before making your way back along the river – with completely different views – back to Skelwith and your well-earned cake at Chesters.

The Coffin Road

This one is a round trip, a delightful day’s walk with fascinating sights all along the way. And a lovely village at the half way point where you can stop for lunch at the lovely Mathilde’s cafe, at the Heaton Cooper art gallery.

Start in Ambleside where you can park on Rydal Road. Cross the main road, take the uphill lane Smith Brow at the mini roundabout then immediately left to take the back road, Nook Lane, behind the University campus.

This brings you to Low Sweden Bridge. Follow the track down with Scandale beck on your left then, at the bottom, turn right onto the broad track that runs alongside Rydal Park. This is where the traditional Ambleside Sports are held every summer.

After going through the grounds of Rydal Hall, follow the path up past Rydal Mount (home of the poet William Wordsworth) then left on the signed path known as the Coffin Trail. This is an old ‘corpse road’ that was used in medieval times to carry the dead to the consecrated ground at St Oswald’s in Grasmere for burial. There was no graveyard in Ambleside then.

This lovely, at times rocky, path takes you along the valley, above the road at White Moss, and eventually onto a tarmac road behind Dove Cottage, another house where Wordsworth lived. Cross the busy main road and walk into the village of Grasmere where you’ll find Mathilde’s opposite the village green.

After lunch, follow the road round the back of the lake, past the boat landings at Faeryland, then take the second footpath on the left which leads via Deerbolt wood onto Loughrigg Terrace, below the fell of the same name. Below you is Rydal Water, one of the smallest lakes, just a quarter of a mile long. You’ll pass the entrance to the spectacular Rydal Cave. You must go inside and see just how huge it is.

Then drop down a steep and slatey path, go round the back of Cote How, and follow the minor road under Loughrigg beside the river Rothay, till you reach a packhorse bridge and your route through the park back to Ambleside. A round trip of about eight miles.

A Mountain Tarn

Here’s another out and back walk, but this time we’re taking you up into the mountains, though it's still a relatively easy walk. You will climb to Easedale Tarn, a dramatic sheet of water overshadowed by high fells.

The way up is dominated by the striking white gash of Sour Milk Gill cutting through the hillside; the return offers a panorama of exquisite loveliness, the valley dropping below Helm Crag to the village of Grasmere.

This is where you'll start; walk up the narrow road at the side of the Heaton Cooper Studio, past the youth hostel until you reach a signpost (just before the Lancrigg Hotel).

Cross two stone bridges and then take the meticulously engineered path, through a gate and over another, wide, stone bridge, then take the left fork. The beck, and eventually the waterfall, will be on your right.

The route climbs gently at first, with only a few steeper sections, before finally reaching the tarn itself. Those with a thirst for further adventure can climb on, to Tarn Crag or Sergeant Man. Otherwise, it’s time to turn round and see that other world of the return journey.

There IS another path on the opposite side of the waterfall, reached by some stepping stones at the end of the tarn, and it does lead back to the valley eventually, but it can be very muddy and boggy in places. Go ahead, if you don’t mind wet feet, or just turn round and retrace your steps, enjoying the outline of the high fells and, in particular, an unusual view of the “lion and lamb” rocks on the summit of Helm Crag.

The walk is about four miles from the centre of Grasmere, and will take between two and three hours, depending on how many times you stop to take photos.

Tarn Hows

This is a man-made tarn and so is smaller than the natural lakes in the area. And it's one of the loveliest easy walks in the Lake District, one and three-quarter miles on a good path. You will get a taste of just about everything that’s lovely about the Lake District in this short walk. There’s no danger of getting lost, you won’t need detailed instructions, and on a hot day the shade of the surrounding woodland will be very welcome.

From the National Trust car park, cross the road and take the left hand fork following the track down to the lake side. Pass through the gate and continue on the track in a clockwise direction around the Tarn.

Follow the track as it continues around the Tarn to a point where a path crosses the main route. Continue straight ahead around the tarn and back to the car park. It’s all suitable for pushchairs.

A Day Out by Boat with a Walk in the Middle

As easy walks go, this offers plenty of rest! It's a full day out which will take you up and across England’s biggest lake. From here at the Cedar Manor, walk down to Bowness and take the Windermere Lake Cruises steamer all the way to Waterhead, and from there take the Green cruise to Wray Castle. On this quiet western shore of Windermere, this Victorian mock-Gothic imposing and turreted castle is owned by The National Trust, and has lots of indoor space where children are encouraged to play creatively. But the grounds are fascinating too, with some magnificent giant redwood trees.

Your walk takes you from the castle to the lake shore at High Wray Bay, then you walk south, seeing a lot of fallen trees from the devastating damage caused by Storm Arwen. Eventually you'll reach the Victorian Claife Viewing Station, with its stained glass "picture frame". And then it's a short walk to the cross-lake ferry back to Bowness.