Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts from the National Trust car park at Maggie's Bridge. A track leads past Watergate Farm to the shore of Loweswater and into Holme Wood, which runs along the lake's south-west side. The path keeps close to the water past the National Trust's lakeside bothy to the far end of the wood, then returns the same way, with views to Mellbreak and Fellbarrow.
It is 5.5 km with 113 m of ascent; allow about 1¾ hours. The grade is Easy: level and well surfaced.
Most of the route is a Miles without Stiles path with a good surface. Loweswater is the only lake in the Lake District whose water flows inland rather than towards the sea. Holme Force, a waterfall in the wood, is a short walk from the path, and the National Trust lets a stone bothy on the shore as a camping barn.
Maggie's Bridge car park has only about ten spaces and charges non-members of the National Trust. There is no bus.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- A level walk past Watergate Farm into Holme Wood on Loweswater's quiet south-west shore
- Loweswater is the only lake in the Lake District whose water flows inland rather than towards the sea
- A Miles without Stiles route most of the way
Getting there
Start: Maggie's Bridge National Trust car park · Pay and display. 54.57713, -3.34052
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Harrington: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
