A walk to Aira Force and Gowbarrow summit

This lovely challenging walk starts from the magnificent Aira Force, which pours its water into Ullswater, about which there is a sad, romantic legend. It tells of a beautiful damsel, Lady Emma, who was betrothed to Sir Eglamore. He was a knight and often away fighting the infidel and as these absences became longer she began to sleep walk, visiting places where she and Eglamore had wandered, much in love. One night she reached the edge of the high-level gap through which tumbled Aira Force.


As she stood in her trance, Eglamore, who had unexpectedly returned from his travels, set out to find her. When he came upon her overlooking the torrent, he believed that the noise of the falling water was the reason she did not respond to his calls, and he touched her arm. She awoke and, in her distressed state, tumbled into the depths. Eglamore raced down beside the ravine to rescue her. Eventually he found her far downstream and pulled her from the water, only for her to die in his arms. He was so distraught at losing his love that he became a monk and lived in a cave above the Force. He built a little bridge across the raging beck so that no one else should topple over in the same way.

Park in the Aira Force National Trust car park, grid ref 401201. Members, don’t forget your membership card. The car park lies on the A592, 2 1/2 miles north-west of Glenridding. Buses stop at the car park. There are toilets in the car park and pleasing tearoom just above the car park.

1 From the back of car park, follow the good track into woodland and curve right into The Glade. Cross the bridge over Aira Beck. Climb the steps beyond and at the Y-junction keep to the lower path. This leads on through glorious woodland and then winds a little right, and then left, to a bridge at the foot of the fall, where you will want to use your camera.


Return along the same path and, at the Y-junction of paths, turn sharp left. Walk up a short way to take a small gate on your right onto open fell. Walk ahead on a distinct reinforced path through bracken. Ignore path going off right.
2 Go on up and pause after a few steps to see, to your right, the crenellated Lyulph’s Tower – not open to the public. It was just above this dwelling that Lady Emma lived in a castle. Carry on up, with care, the sometimes pitched path, climbing all the time along the side of Gowbarrow Park. Pause to enjoy the superb views of the lake. After a mile, always up, you reach, left of the path, a lichen-covered picturesque, very hard stone seat.


A little further on there is a stile on the right to a cairn with a superb view – also a notice to say the path down the very steep slope is closed.
3 The path soon winds away from the steep drop for a short way. Then it returns once more. Here pause to enjoy the rocky ridges dropping steeply down, colourful with heather, thyme, hawkbit and tormentil – too steep and lacking soil depth to allow bracken to get established. Eventually the path, still reinforced, begins to descend close to the edge of the steep slopes dropping towards the lake. After nearly a mile from the seat you reach, on the left, a stone ruin, marked as a shooting lodge on the map. Turn left before it.
4 A good path continues, climbing again, until the reinforcing stops and a flatter area lies ahead. The path continues on, damp in places. At one point you have the choice of paths round a huge boulder. The path then begins to climb and comes close to the north side of Gowbarrow. Keep to the path as it winds back and forth and then, ascend easily, to the summit and its cairn. Here you might wish to have a pause, your lunch, and enjoy the stunning views.


5 Before you descend, look down (west) on the short path you came up last and return down it for a few steps to then take a wider grassy path, left, heading half right, towards a long wall descending the western slopes of the fell. This is easy to walk at first but as it gets lower and steeper it has been reinforced with large rocks, over which you should take care. Pause to enjoy the view. The way continues down for over 1/2 mile, coming beside a conifer plantation on your right. Then the hard work ends when you climb a ladderstile over the wall and walk ahead along a short path to join a track.


6 Turn left and follow the way eventually moving into woodland. The track is quite good but take care where stones protrude. Carry on ahead, past High Force and walk on ahead for 3/4 mile through the lovely decidous woodland. Eventually the track takes you out of the trees, to pass through bracken. Ignore the first short path right to a stile into the woodland and carry on to take the second little path and stile. Turn left and soon pass the gate on your left, taken at the start. Carry on downhill and then steps to reach The Glade. Follow the path ahead to the car park.


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Practicals

• Distance: 5 1/2 miles/9km
• Time: 4 hours
• Height gain: 993ft/334m
• Terrain: Path to the shooting lodge is good but high and exposed in parts. A reinforced path continues uphill to the start of damp area. The descent is good at first, with one short wettish area. The final steep descent needs care but the big rocks do keep your feet dry!
• Map: OS Explorer 5

For more photos, see "A walk to Aira Force and Gowbarrow summit" on Flickr.

If you enjoyed this blog post, find more walks by Mary Welsh either by clicking through to take a look at A list of walks in the Lake District or use the search bar in the top left hand of your screen.

Please read Mary Welsh's Golden Rules for good, safe walking before setting out.