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Ennerdale Water

Arguably the most inaccessible of all the big lakes. If traveling by road the Lake itself can only be reached by two minor roads. The first from Ennerdale Bridge and the other from the Lamplugh direction. Public access by road stops at Bowness. But the valley continues for about another 6 miles with no public roads. This is one of the few places where you can walk for hours without seeing other people or any traffic, unless you get up onto the high fells.

This lack of access has allowed Ennerdale to remain less crowded than most other places in the Lake District, even in the height of the summer season.

The walking in this area is superb as it caters for every level of walk. The high fells, all accessible from the valley include Red Pike, Pillar, Steeple, High Stile and Great Borne. For the more adventurous you can even get onto Great Gable from the far end of the valley.

The low level walks are too many to list. The obvious walk is a circuit of the lake. This is very easy to follow, and at a nice slow pace should take about 3 - 4 hours. There are a few way marked routes through the valley, which are easy to follow. But the best low level walking here is to just explore the valley and the forests. There is a very good forestry road on both sides of the River Liza running the full length of the valley. So no matter how far you walk a good return path is never far away.

If you follow the “Smithy Beck Trail” there are still reminders of the old iron ore workings, and an early form of blast furnace.

On a personal note:-

Ennerdale is only about 10 minutes from home so as far back as I can remember I've been visiting Ennerdale. I can recall, even at 6 or 7 years old coming here for picnics and playing in the river and the forests. And the trips to Ennerdale show which used to be held at Bowness next to the Lake. This was the one day in the year when the traffic on these roads was at stand still.

Even now 30 years later I feel like the area around Bowness has an atmosphere about it. I can still see the show stands and the pens for the animals in the same unchanged field, and our silver Ford Zephyr parked in the woods.

Map and Gallery:

 Area Map

 Ennerdale Water and Great Borne, Bowness Knott, Starling Dodd, Red Pike, High Stile and Anglers Crag.

 Almost at the end of the lake.

 Anglers Crag and Crag Fell.

 Ennerdale seen from Crag Fell summit.

 Taken from Herdus summit cairn.