Lake District Winter Walks – walks to help you enjoy the beauty of the Lakes all year round.

While we can all agree that walking in the summertime is undoubtedly glorious, nothing can quite compare to a cold, crisp winter walk for clearing out the cobwebs. As your lungs fill with that cool mountain air you can feel those wintry worries simply melt away.

We love walking in winter and here we’ve put together some of our favourite walks for getting out and about in the colder months. And because winter conditions on the fell tops can be unpredictable, all the walks featured below are lower-level routes which avoid the sometimes treacherous high summits, but still deliver on incredible views.

Duddon Valley via Wallowbarrow Crag and River Duddon

The 3.5 mile walk starts near Holy Trinity Church in Seathwaite in the Duddon Valley (not to be confused with Seathwaite in Borrowdale). There’s layby parking with additional paid parking at Seathwaite Parish Hall.

Opposite the church a stone stile leads into a field. Here, a small footbridge over Tarn Beck leads into Hollin House Wood. Over the bridge follow the path some old iron sluice gates, into Hollin House Wood before emerging at the River Duddon. The impressive, stone Memorial Footbridge crosses the river. There are also some stepping stones downstream which make for an adventurous crossing in dry weather. If the river is running high however we’d advise crossing the bridge then turning left to meet the stepping stones when safely on the other side. Take the path leading straight on from the stones and you’ll soon emerge out of wood onto open farmland. Head to Wallowbarrow Farm and take the signposted footpath on your right. The path now begins to gently climb up to the western flank of Wallowbarrow Fell before gradually bending right and to a rough mountain road. This unmade road makes it way behind Wallowbarrow Crag. (An optional diversion up to the summit makes for a worthy view point in fine weather.) The undulating track continuous up the Duddon valley with some spectacular scenery unfolding in front of you.

Through some deer gates the bridleway leads on to Grassguards Native Woodland, an area of naturally regenerating woodland. This restoration project features holly, willow, birch and rowan, plug natural bogland, all of which support rare mammals such as dormice and red squirrels, and birds including great spotted woodpeckers, jays, bullfinches and redstarts.

After some cottages a fjord crosses the gill (which can be avoided via the footbridge). Shortly afterwards a path on your right heads downhill alongside the gill and into a forest. Keep heading down and eventually you’ll emerge back at River Duddon in front of some rather impressive steppingstones. Admire the stones but don’t cross them. Turn right and follow the river which runs approximately alongside the river. Further downstream you’ll see some incredible, immense boulders – a perfect place to stop and spend a few moments soaking up this spectacular spot. You’ll once again find yourself at the stone Memorial Bridge. Cross the bridge and retrace your steps back to Holy Trinity Church

School Knott from Windermere

Gorgeous open views of Windermere and the Langdale Pikes beyond coupled with the varied opportunities for warming, post-walk refreshments in Windermere makes this a perfect winter walk. And at around 2.5 miles long it’s ideal for those with young families, with the added option for sledging should you be lucky enough for snow to be present during your visit.

The walk takes you past a small tarn, through peaceful woodland trails and offers lovely views from the top of this diminutive fell.

The walk starts from the Heathwaite area of the town, located just to the south east of the train station. From here you can pick up a trail heading south east up to School Knott. The summit stands at a height of 230m and from here you can enjoy views  down to Windermere below and fells beyond the lake.

After taking in the views the route heads east to School Knott Tarn and Grandsire Hill.

From the tarn head north to the School Knott Plantation. There’s some nice woodland trails to follow through hear before returning to Heathwaite.

Stanley Ghyll Falls from Birker Fell

This linear walk starts on Birker Fell, which in itself is unmissable on a visit to the Lakes due to the simply incredible views of the biggest and most impressive mountains in the National Park. Birker Fell spans the Lakeland valleys of Duddon & Eskdale and this walk has it all: stunning open views of spectacular scenery and a visit to the viewing platform at the breath-taking Stanley Ghylls Waterfall, which is often at its most thunderously impressive during the winter months.

The walk starts at the parking area for Devoke Water on Birker Fell. From the parking area take Stanley Ghyll road heading slightly downhill towards Eskdale ahead. At the T-juntion with the farm on your left take the lane leading right. Follow the lane as it crosses open moorland before approaching some cottages and farm buildings. Continue along the track inbetween the buildings, pass through a gate before emerging on am enclosed lane with drystone walls on each side. Go along this lane before another gate leads out into open countryside and then an area of woodland. Emerge from the woods and join the track heading straight on towards Low Ground. This track winds around a cottage and barn (Low Ground) on your right and for a time follows a wall also on your right. The path then leaves the wall as passes through an area of open fellside. You’ll see a wooded area ahead and to the right which marks the area start of the gorge into which the Stanley Ghyll falls. The path leading to the falls is on your right.

This takes you to the newly built viewing platform when you are treated to impressive views of the spectacular falls.

(Past the viewing platform there is also the option to take the steep steps down to the bottom of the falls for an even closer look, however these can be slippery, particular in the winter months, so extra care should be taken.)

Retrace your steps back to Birker Fell.

Tarn Hows

Tarn Hows sits at an altitude of around 600 feet so it’s not unusual to find snow here even when there is none down in the valleys. A circular walk of this popular beauty spot also treats you to unrivalled views of Coniston Old Man and its lofty neighbours – often to be seen during winter with a topping of sparkling white snow. Spectacular.

A straightforward circuit of the tarn begins at the National Trust’s Tarn Hows Car Park. The walk is perfect for those looking to get out and about in the fresh air with young families or those looking for a gentle introduction to walking in the Lakes, requiring little to no navigation skills or experience. Either clockwise or anticlockwise the choice is yours. Simply join the accessible path around the tarn and enjoy! Route Map

Derwentwater Circular

The scenery around Derwentwater is some of the prettiest in the Lakes. This walk roughly follows the entire circumference of the Lake and is the longest walk on this list at around 10 miles – so be sure to allow plenty of time if intending to do the full route. Alternatively, you can choose to walk just a section and catch the bus back to Keswick, or even better, hop onboard a Keswick Launch for delightful boat ride. Keswick Launch runs all year round but operates a weekend only service throughout winter so be sure to check sailing times before commencing your walk.

As this is a circular loop around the lake, where you start the walk is up to you, with starting and finishing places possible at various spots round the lake shore. You may prefer to hit Keswick at the midpoint of the walk for refreshments or you may prefer to end in this bustling market town when you can enjoy sampling some post-walk refreshments, liquid or otherwise, to your heart’s content. We started this walk at the car park next to the Theatre by the Lake close to Kewsick town centre.

This popular route is well waymarked with specific Derwentwater Walk signposts, so there’s no need to worry about losing your way – you can merely enjoy a beautiful walk in this incredible location.

From the car park head down to the lake towards Friars Crag, a famous viewpoint offering a beautiful, fairy-tale vista of Derwentwater, Castle Crag and Borrowdale. After pausing to admire the view, tear yourself away and continue along the footpath as it snakes and weaves its way down and then around the lake, sometimes diverting through woodland or open countryside before joining up with the lake shore once again. Keep the lake on your right and you can’t go wrong! A map of the full route can be found here: Route Map