Windermere Way
Encyclopedia
The Windermere Way is a 45 mile circuit of Windermere
, a lake in the English Lake District
. The route is wholly within the Lake District National Park
and takes in the summits of Wansfell
, Loughrigg Fell
and Gummer's How
as well as passing through the towns of Ambleside
and Windermere.
or the Lake Steamers.
and includes just about all the accessible lake shore paths together with ascents of the high points around the lake.
The route is broken down into four sections that most people will manage in a day’s easy walking. The Windermere
to Ambleside
walk starts at Bowness
Bay and follows the lake shore northwards before ascending Orrest Head
, dropping down again to cross Trout Beck
then taking to the high fell tops, visiting Wansfell
Pike the highest point on the walk.
Between Ambleside
and Ferry House, the walk starts by climbing Loughrigg Fell
, then drops down again past Loughrigg Tarn
and on to a pleasant lakeside stroll by Wray Castle
. It then climbs steeply again, to give views from Claife Heights, finishing at Ferry Nab.
Between Ferry Nab and Lakeside
the route passes through Cunsey and winds along the western shore of Windermere, visiting High Dam at Finsthwaite before concluding at Lakeside Steamer Pier.
The final stretch from Lakeside back to Bowness is the longest and doesn't touch the lakeshore at all, but does afford some excellent views from Gummer's How
and lovely walking through the woods.
at Bowness and Cumbria Way
at Skelwith Bridge.
The following lakes and tarns are passed by the route:
Windermere
Windermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
, a lake in the English Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
. The route is wholly within the Lake District National Park
Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is located in the north-west of England and is the largest of the English National Parks and the second largest in the United Kingdom. It is in the central and most-visited part of the Lake District....
and takes in the summits of Wansfell
Wansfell
Wansfell is a fell in English Lake District it is situated 2.5 kilometres east of the town of Ambleside. The fell is part of the long southern ridge of Caudale Moor and occupies the swathe of territory between Ambleside and the Troutbeck valley.-Topography:...
, Loughrigg Fell
Loughrigg Fell
Loughrigg Fell is a hill in the central part of the English Lake District. It stands on the end of the long ridge coming down from High Raise over Silver How towards Ambleside, and is separated from its neighbours by the depression of Red Bank....
and Gummer's How
Gummer's How
Gummer's How is a hill in the southern part of the Lake District, on the eastern shore of Windermere, near its southern end. How, derived from the Old Norse word haugr, is a common local term for a hill or mound....
as well as passing through the towns of Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
and Windermere.
History and status
The Windermere Way is an unofficial route and mostly follows footpaths and bridleways. There are short stretches of road walking. The route can be broken down into four easy stages with an easy return to your starting point using the Windermere FerryWindermere Ferry
The Windermere Ferry is a vehicular cable ferry which crosses Windermere, a lake in the English county of Cumbria. The route forms part of the B5285 road and crosses the lake at about its mid-point, from Ferry Nab in Bowness-on-Windermere to Far Sawrey, a distance of some...
or the Lake Steamers.
Route
The walk circumambulates WindermereWindermere
Windermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
and includes just about all the accessible lake shore paths together with ascents of the high points around the lake.
The route is broken down into four sections that most people will manage in a day’s easy walking. The Windermere
Windermere
Windermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
to Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
walk starts at Bowness
Bowness
Bowness can refer to:* Rick Bowness, assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks and former Canadian National Hockey League leftwinger*Tim Bowness, English singer with No-Man and other projects...
Bay and follows the lake shore northwards before ascending Orrest Head
Orrest Head
Orrest Head is a fell in the English Lake District on the eastern shores of Windermere. It is one of Wainwright's The Outlying Fells of Lakeland - and the first fell he climbed...
, dropping down again to cross Trout Beck
Trout Beck
The Trout Beck is a fast flowing river of the Lake District in North West England. It is one of the main sources of replenishment for Windermere. Its name comes from Old Norse and appears in documents from 1292 as Trutebyk...
then taking to the high fell tops, visiting Wansfell
Wansfell
Wansfell is a fell in English Lake District it is situated 2.5 kilometres east of the town of Ambleside. The fell is part of the long southern ridge of Caudale Moor and occupies the swathe of territory between Ambleside and the Troutbeck valley.-Topography:...
Pike the highest point on the walk.
Between Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
and Ferry House, the walk starts by climbing Loughrigg Fell
Loughrigg Fell
Loughrigg Fell is a hill in the central part of the English Lake District. It stands on the end of the long ridge coming down from High Raise over Silver How towards Ambleside, and is separated from its neighbours by the depression of Red Bank....
, then drops down again past Loughrigg Tarn
Loughrigg Tarn
Loughrigg Tarn is a small, natural lake in the Lake District, Cumbria. Situated north of Windermere, just north of the village of Skelwith Bridge, and at the foot of Loughrigg Fell...
and on to a pleasant lakeside stroll by Wray Castle
Wray Castle
Wray Castle is a large private house at Claife in the English county of Cumbria, built in the Gothic Revival style in 1840. Today, the castle is used as a training centre, and is not open to the public...
. It then climbs steeply again, to give views from Claife Heights, finishing at Ferry Nab.
Between Ferry Nab and Lakeside
Lakeside
-Australia:*Lakeside Joondalup Shopping City, Joondalup, Western Australia*Lakeside, near Reservoir, Victoria*Lakeside International Raceway, Pine Rivers, Queensland*Lakeside Mental Hospital, formerly known as Ballarat Lunatic Asylum, Ballarat, Victoria...
the route passes through Cunsey and winds along the western shore of Windermere, visiting High Dam at Finsthwaite before concluding at Lakeside Steamer Pier.
The final stretch from Lakeside back to Bowness is the longest and doesn't touch the lakeshore at all, but does afford some excellent views from Gummer's How
Gummer's How
Gummer's How is a hill in the southern part of the Lake District, on the eastern shore of Windermere, near its southern end. How, derived from the Old Norse word haugr, is a common local term for a hill or mound....
and lovely walking through the woods.
Connecting trails
The route connects with the Dales WayDales Way
The Dales Way is an 84-mile Long Distance Footpath in Northern England, from Ilkley, West Yorkshire to Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria....
at Bowness and Cumbria Way
Cumbria Way
The Cumbria Way is a linear long distance footpath in Cumbria, England passing through the towns of Coniston and Keswick. It also passes through the Langdale and Borrowdale valleys...
at Skelwith Bridge.
Places of interest
The following hills are crossed by the route:- Wansfell
- Loughrigg
- Claife Heights
- Gummers Howe
The following lakes and tarns are passed by the route:
- Windermere
- Grasmere
- Loughrigg Tarn
- High Dam