A scenic Ullswater walk to Aira Force via Gowbarrow Park

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Taking in the stunning views of Ullswater from one of the best vantage points anywhere around the lake on this walk to Aira Force

Ullswater Aira Force walk details:

Ullswater walk distance: 5 miles circular

Ullswater walk time: 3 hours

Ullswater walk Difficulty: Easy

Ullswater Aira Force walk map route:

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The walk starts from Watermillock Church where you already have gained a bit of height in the car, and heads along a clearly defined footpath towards Aira Force for 2.5 miles. At Aira Force you can have a wander around and bite to eat and admire this classic Lake District waterfall. On this particular route, we simply head back along the same path. There's no steep climbs and it's suitable for anyone with a reasonable level of mobility & fitness. You can extend this walk to go to make it more challenging and the summit of Gowbarrow Fell after Aira Force (see map at the bottom of the page for that route)

Photos of this superb Ullswater walk in the Lake District:

Because you actually start the walk quite high up at Watermillock Church - the walk is relatively flat and not strenuous at all. It is also quite varied, and you'll pass through some woodland on occasions.

The views are mainly open and expansive and here we are heading along to the awesome vantage point where the photo below was taken

You get some of the best views of Ullswater on this walk in my opinion

Memorial seat is another amazing place to take a rest and soak up the views

Ullswater on this Gowbarrow fell walk, looking towards Glenridding and the Helvellyn range. This is a lovely walk providing some of the best views of Ullswater, and also including Aira Force.

As you continue on this walk from memorial seat you are just faced with stunning views of Ullswater along every step of the way.

Ullswater walks Gowbarrow Fell Aira Force best Lake District views Lakes Cumbria England

Autumn is another great time to do this walk and there aren't many better views than this for me and when the tree's and bracken are golden in the Autumn and when the sun is shining it's extra special. The exact spot of this particular view is highlighted by the star in the map below

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Aira Force is one of the most well-known waterfalls in the Lake District and the drop is quite impressive. The woodland and ravines around Aira Force are worth a wander around and you'll also find a small shop & toilets at Aira Force. On this particular walking route we simply retrace our steps all the way back to Watermillock.

Extend your walk up to Gowbarrow fell

If you want a walk that is a bit more strenuous and is a circular route then I have done another blog post on a longer versions of this walk that heads up to Gowbarrow fell after Aira Force - the full route of that walk is below and you can view a more in-depth blog post here with a lot more photos

This walk also starts off at Watemillock towards Aira Force but heads up to Gowbarrow Fell to make it a bit more strenuous. The star shows where I think is the best viewpoint on this walk

As ever I hope you have enjoyed that little write up and photos and it inspires you to want to visit the area and give the route a go. If you have any questions about this route - just post a comment and I'll try and answer.

Happy Hiking!

Post by Stuart Hodgson
'The Hiking Photographer'

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