Where is this walk?

Walk round Ennerdale Water

March 18, 2021

A walk round Ennerdale Water has so much appeal because it is quiet and unspoilt. On all lakeland walks the scenery is superb and this is no different, but the feeling of remoteness and inaccessibility adds a lot.

The Walk

A walk round Ennerdale Water is probably the most satisfying lakeside walk within the Lake District.  The path along the back of Ullswater is more picturesque but the remoteness of Ennerdale gives the walk an edge not found near the more popular lakes. Ennerdale also has the advantages in that it is an ideal size for a full circuit (7.5 miles) and there is excellent, paths/tracks that stick close to the shoreline throughout. No detours inland to avoid private land. It is easy to walk along and clear to follow.

The section on the south side is better than that to the north. I would suggest starting here as it is best enjoyed before any tiredness sets in. Initially there is a little scramble up Anglers Tarn before the path follows a largely flat contour towards the head of the lake. The views are superb looking up the long valley of Ennerdale. On the north side return along the north banks is rather blocked off by trees. Ennerdale is a reservoir for some of the West Cumbrian towns. However this has not affected its beauty and appearance. A visit to Ennerdale Water is certainly worth the extra effort.

Recommend

A late summer evening when the sun is low to the west is the best time of the year to do this walk.

A walk round Ennerdale Water is one of my 25 favourite walks in the Lake District

Navigation Tips at Ennerdale Water

Soon after starting the walk and meeting the shoreline an obvious path heads up to Anglers Crag. An alternative sticks closer to the shoreline. I prefer the Anglers Crag route. However it is not an insignificant climb. The route via the lake is a little rough in places. Whatever you choose the going is straightforward after the crag.

13 Comments
  • Rick says:

    Did it in two and a half hours, doing Anglers crag first, I’m glad I did as I would have been shattered doing it on the way back.
    Make sure you have sturdy ankle protecting boots on for the whole of the southern shore as there is a lot of negotiating slippery rock and ghylls running across the path.

  • Matt Howe says:

    Mid-November and the walk was fine. The south side requires a bit of care as the rocky path posed a threat to my glass ankles but it was easily manageable. Anglers Crag was barely worth mentioning as a scramble, in my opinion, but that’s only relevant to one’s personal opinion as I appreciate it could be challenging for some. The north side of the lake was a doddle and completed in an hour without breaking a sweat. Lovely walk and don’t forget to look up as well as at the water! As an added bonus, a Eurofighter Typhoon flew through the Dale at approx 100ft above the water and then flew back the other way about five minutes later.

  • neil says:

    I think the description is a bit misleading. This is a walk of two halves. The north side is completely straightforward — half on a pleasant path , half on a gravel road. The south side is very different. Its very uneven; there has been good path making but its all narrow, uneven and rocky and wet and you must pay attention all the time. The lakeside stretch past Anglers Cragg is a mixture of steep gravelly paths, narrow rock stretches overlooking the lake and a 4 metre rock wall which you have to climb going anti-clockwise or slide down going clockwise. If either of these worry you stick to the north side path. It takes 4 hours at least to go round. excluding stops, at a reasonable pace. Can’t speak from experience about the route over the shoulder of Anglers Crag but its a steep climb and descent through bracken. The character of either side is quite different. The ecology of the south side is quite special -orchids and marshland plants such as sun dew with very steep woodlands. . There are many orchids ( in June) on the north side too with nice woodland but its more agricultural in character.

    • Jonathan says:

      Not sure I would say misleading as the description says the southern path is rougher 9but much better0. I do not believe it is over difficult but the contrast to the north may make it seem worse. I find it typical of a lakeside path, but excellent as a result

  • Wendy mabin says:

    We are not seasoned walkers at all, we managed to do the whole walk with our two dogs and felt so proud of ourselves for having done so. When we hit Anglers Craig there was no lower path to be seen, so the lake must have been fuller and covering the path completely, so we had to climb which was difficult with 2 strong dogs on leads, but we did it! The rest of the walk was flat and rocky wet ground but manageable. Stunning views and well worth the scramble. My husband is 60 and im 54, we were tired afterwards considering we never walk this far normally. We finished the walk with good food at the Fox and Hounds, highly recommend.

  • Chris says:

    I ve been looking forward to this walk since arriving in Cumbria. My family and I with two small dogs have just returned this failing to complete the full circuit. The weather was amazing thankfully and although not seasoned walkers we decided we would do this at a relaxed pace. We started as described and hit anglers early. I struggled the climb and was pushed on by the fact it should get easier, which it does only at the bottom of the lake which took us 3 hours and no turning back. I managed to fall 3 times and with sheer exhaustion managed to get to bowness carpark. It total it took Nearly 5 hours. On the plus side I ve never seen so much beautiful scenery. May be its something to work up to, but unless you are a seasoned walker, it’s sure not the easiest walk to do.

    • Jonathan says:

      I am sorry for your experience but this is a popular route and the majority of people do not find it too much of an issue. Yes the path over Anglers is a little rough but generally the path is no more or less than you would expect for an Lakeland shoreline path. e grade it as mid not an easy walk.
      I do agree the views are superb though!

    • Jane Clinton says:

      We did this walk in the September heatwave. My husband and I are reasonably fit and in our 60’s.

      Took your recommendation of going anti-clockwise (which meant the harder, rockier path is out of the way during the first half of the walk). The second half is much flatter and not so challenging on the feet.

      Highly recommend this walk. The scenery is stunning and there were very few people en- route.

      We got a bit lost at the eastern end of the lake and ended up in a sheep pen – but had we followed the blue signs we would have ended up by going though a gate and turning left onto a road which ran parallel to a stone wall. After seeking advice from a friendly paddle boarder we regained the track.

      A superb walk – we will do it again next time we come.

  • Bran Norman says:

    It took us (both sixty somethings, quite fit) under four hours to do the whole circuit, including stopping for picnic lunch and various chats with other dog walkers. Husband walked up Anglers Crag and over the top, I did the bottom path. I get vertigo and this path was not a problem. The terrain is very uneven on the west side. The east side of the lake is mostly dirt road and not interesting.

  • Claire says:

    I loved this walk for the amazing views of the lake and the hills, but sadly ended up being unable to do the full circuit. We parked in the Bowness Knott car park and walked anti clockwise, on a flat gravel footpath which was very easy going. However this changed on the approach to Anglers Crag. We chose the lakeside option, which unfortunately did not match the walk description – I ended up having to turn back due to a section of steep scrambling on a vertigo-inducing bit of path. Maybe I’m a bit of a wimp, but I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be so challenging from the words used in the description! Thankfully it was a sunny day and we’re relatively young and fit, so having to walk all the way back was not an issue.

  • Camped in the fifties where The Anglers Arms used to be with my Cumbrian relatives. Borrowed a few.big stones and an old iron gate off an ancient wall and had a superb campfire that served all sixteen of us handsomely. Slept in an ex girl guide tent on the springy turf with a pillowcase full of bracken. No memory so clear or poignant than lying looking out of the tent flap up at the stars, smelling my fragrant pillow, and listening to the gentle lapping of Lake Ennerdale. Lucky, lucky me.

  • Julie McCann says:

    Staying locally in the area I choose to do this walk and based on your information above. I would like to feedback that I am not a regular terrain walker but fairly fit so thought this would be quite easy, however I would like to say that the walk did take far longer than your advice and on the north side more challenging than your description also. I only write this as I wouldn’t want anyone to be mis lead as once on the walk it is a long way to get back and as your suggesting potentially when it’s getting darker and cooler late afternoon into the evening

    • Vivien Fisher says:

      I think it’s helpful if you know your average walking speed. Taking into account stopping to admire the scenery, taking photos or even having a swig of water adds to the overall time taken. Baring this in mind there is a very useful sliding guide to adjust to your own personal speed. I’m a reasonably fit walker but always allow 2.5mph and that’s not allowing for a lunch break.
      HTH

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