Spectacular Waterfalls in the Lake District

We’re taking you for another look at some waterfalls in the Lakes this time. We’ve written about them before, the Falls and the Forces that are justifiably popular. But this time, after recent heavy rain, we have a host of spectacular waterfalls in the Lakes. Some you might not have heard of before. And some might not even have existed before!

Spout Force

Spout Force is in a quiet corner of the Lakes but happily not far from the road. So you won't find too many crowds here, but you won't lose your way, either. The waterfall is on the lower slopes of Graystones in the north-western fells. It’s a steep part of Aiken Beck which drops into the delightfully named Darling How plantation. You'll be heading towards the lovely Vale of Lorton. Wainwright describes this as one of the pleasantest of the Lakeland valleys, with its “velvet pastures and neat woodlands”.

Take the Whinlatter Pass road, and just after the entrance to Whinlatter Forest you'll find a little car park signposted, just after the road starts to descend. The walk to the waterfall is a really atmospheric place especially after heavy rain. The surrounding rocks are covered in moss and bracken, which adds to the sense of seclusion, even though it's only a short walk, less than half a mile. There's a tiny plunge pool at the bottom, maybe not ideal for a swim, but good enough for cooling down on a hot day.

Moss Force

Here's another hidden gem in the north western fells that is certainly one of the spectacular waterfalls in the Lakes. Moss Force is one of the lesser known beauty spots, tucked away on the quiet road between Keswick and Buttermere. It has a series of short cascades, three distinct sections, rather than one continuous waterfall. When seen from the valley, and in full force, it has the appearance of a long white streak painted down the hillside at the head of the Newlands Valley.

If measured from top to bottom, it's the tallest waterfall in the Lake District. After a rocky top cascade, the middle section falls into a large pool that's popular with swimmers. Then the final section falls down into Moss Beck, the stream which heads down the valley. But...at the moment you might have to get to Buttermere via Whinlatter or Honister passes and then walk from the village to see this one. Because as we went to press the road was still closed following a landslide caused by heavy rain!

Dash Falls

Here's a spectacular sight over in the northern fells, on the slopes of Great Calva. Whitewater Dash Falls is the watchtower of Skiddaw Forest, says Wainwright. And it's a mighty sight to see, with 246 feet of cascading water tumbling down the slopes of Great Calva.

You might have noticed this fell when driving north up the main road from Grasmere to Keswick. There's a very distinct gap between the higher tops of Skiddaw and Blencathra, and in here you'll see the conical shape of Great Calva. But it's usually only visited by the peak baggers. And always ticked off by runners attempting to complete the Bob Graham Round, the Lakeland challenge to cover 42 summits in 24 hours. Great Calva is fell-top number 2 on the Bob Graham circuit (or the penultimate one if you’re tackling the round anti-clockwise. Which we happen to think makes more sense, to have a last fabulous run down off Skiddaw straight into the centre of Keswick.)

But that's another story. You can walk to the waterfalls from a little car park near Peter House Farm. Follow the A591 up the east side of Bassenthwaite Lake and turn right at Orthwaite to get there. Then start walking south-east on the Cumbria Way, and after half a mile or so, there's a fork in the track; take the right-hand fork signed to Dash Falls.

Forces Falls

Here's a really remote spectacular waterfall in the Lakes, out on the eastern fringes of the area in the lovely, quiet valley of Swindale. To get there it's a 15 minute drive from the A6 at Shap via Keld. And then there's quite a bit of road walking, but this is a very quiet road. So it's the perfect place for wildlife spotting. You might see red squirrels, red deer, otters, lizards, ospreys or peregrine falcons as you walk along. Forces Falls are part of Mosedale Beck at the head of the valley.

You can do a lovely circular walk on easy terrain, following Swindale Lane along a stream on the valley floor. The rocky outcrops ahead of you are Nabs Crag and Geordie Greathead Crag. From the ford at the head of the valley it's possible to follow an old corpse road over to the shores of Haweswater, but you don't need to go so far to see this beautiful waterfall in a narrow ravine.

Occasional Waterfalls

The photos of these spectacular waterfalls in the Lakes were taken by our talented friend Paul Barnett who has been out and about exploring with his camera for a number of years.

But another photographer, Amanda Cooper, noted what many of you might have seen in recent weeks: waterfalls where there aren't usually waterfalls! We call these our Occasional Falls. You'll have seen many of them tumbling down the hillside from the Helvellyn range while driving north from Grasmere to Keswick. Amanda was over at Honister where she came across a number of new waterfalls cascading down to the visitor centre at the Honister Slate Mine. Have you come across any new waterfalls this season? Let us see your photos.