Circuit of Loweswater

Route: Circuit of Loweswater

Area: Western Lake District

Date of walk: 15th May 2025

Walkers: Andrew and Gilly

Distance: 4.2 miles

Ascent: 300 feet

Weather: Sunny

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

We parked at Waterend where there are several roadside parking spaces along the Loweswater road. We followed a path across the head of Loweswater which brought us to the lane leading to Hudson Place. We turned left beyond Hudson Place to descend towards the lake and passed through a gate leading 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. We continued through Holme Wood and then joined the track leading to the Loweswater road. Points must be deducted from an otherwise perfect walk, as the return section follows the road for about 15 minutes. However it’s a fairly quiet road and can be avoided for much of the way by taking a narrow footpath which runs close to the lakeshore and parallel with the road. This can be found opposite an ancient pinfold which has an information board about its interesting origins

The lakeside path eventually ended and a further 5 minute road section brought us back to the start of the circuit o

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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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The start of the walk from the roadside parking spaces as we follow the sign to Hudson Place

A glimpse of Loweswater below Carling Knott and Holme Wood

We cross the newly built bridge over Dubs Beck

Dubs Beck, which was 'rewiggled' by West Cumbria Rivers Trust three years ago. Once a straight channel, this will now reduce flooding risk and improve wildlife diversity