Dock Tarn

Car to lake: 1.75 miles - from Watendlath

Round the lake: 0.5 miles

Time taken: 2 hours - Watendlath to Dock Tarn. Whole walk - Ashness to Dock Tarn, around it and back, 5 hours approx.

I have to admit, until today, despite living within 20 miles for 56 years, I had never heard of this place. Walking round Watendlath Tarn, however, led us along a path which, a sign indicated, would take us to Dock Tarn. It was unthinkable that we wouldn't follow it.

The path to dock Tarn - a 30 minute walk ahead with a short stretch of stiff climbing

After leaving Watendlath, the path leads out onto open fell and gives a choice of keeping right for Rosthwaite or left for Dock Tarn. I can't imagine why I've never heard of it.

Although the route is well indicated, there's nothing to tell you how far away it is and we were prepared for the possibility that it might be three or for miles away and therefore difficult to do in time to get us back down before dark. Fortunately, we met a couple returning from it who assured us it was about half an hour further, and so we pressed on. The ground up here is generally quite wet but a path has been formed with large stones, one in front of the other; they can be a bit awkward but with just a little care all will be well.

The path eventually leads to a small gate, beyond which there is a steep climb for several hundred yards before it levels off to meander between rocky outcrops for maybe a quarter of a mile before reaching the tarn. Shortly after the end of the climb, remember to bear left where the path forks to go either side of a hill.

Our first view of Dock Tarn begged the question; was it worth it?

It's really not much of  a tarn, very small, very calm and rather weedy looking. Following the path around it, such that it is, involves climbing over sometimes quite large boulders and the path is non existent for much of the way. For some reason, we arrived just as a party of a dozen or more walkers were finishing their sandwiches - quite bizarre it was, to see so many people in such a desolate looking spot.

Our second view failed to answer the question!

Frankly, the walk home was the best part of our trip to Dock Tarn, the views being more open and the downhill stretches being very welcome. By now the earlier sunshine was long gone and the day had taken on a greyish aspect. It was, however, reasonably mild and there was no wind so walking conditions were really quite pleasant.

Nice open views from the rocky downhill path back to Watendlath

Debatably not worth going to in its own right, Dock Tarn is probably better visited as part of a circular walk from Rosthwaite.

Watendlath Tarn

Car to lake: 2.75 miles - from the car park at Ashness Bridge

Round the lake: 0.5 miles

Time taken: 2.5 hours 

As it is a relatively small body of water, the walk to Watendlath Tarn was always going to be more important than the walk around it. You can drive right up to it, but it makes more sense to park two, or even three miles away, and walk.

Driving south out of Keswick on the Borrowdale road, you soon come to a left turn which quickly brings you to what is likely the most photographed single structure in the Lake District; Ashness Bridge.

Calendars, tea towels, place mats - this view has adorned them all since time immemorial.
Ashness Bridge, Derwentwater and Skiddaw.

Just a few yards further, among the trees on the right, is a National Trust car park where we  left the car and began the walk along the single track road. The road soon begins to climb and, after a brief period with open fields on one side, it re-enters an area with trees on both sides of the road and, on the right, what appears to be a cliff edge just a few yards into the wood. Shortly, another car park indicates a point of interest and a short walk through the trees brings you to another well photographed point; Surprise View.

Now I don't know about you, but, out for a walk near Keswick, high on a hill with an obvious open view about to appear, I would never have been surprised to find myself looking down on Derwentwater and across to  Bassenthwaite Lake and Skiddaw. Had I found myself looking down on the Isle of Wight, or downtown Los Angeles and its freeway system, then I'd have been surprised! But lakes and mountains? in Cumbria? No.

That is to take nothing away from the splendid nature of the view; it is quite magnificent and well worth walking over to see. Some Malaysian visitors we spoke to were most impressed and very proud to have discovered, we assured  them, one of the best views around!

The entirely predictable, "Surprise View"

Continuing the walk, we shortly turned off the road to follow a signposted path to Watendlath which led us through the trees and along the opposite side of the river. In bright, late autumn sunlight it was a beautiful walk along a well defined path and a better alternative than following the road which ran parallel on our left.

A better option than the road, even when traffic is light.

The path continued in this vein for almost two miles until we arrived at a small hump backed bridge over the beck which flowed out of Watendlath Tarn. Wandering round the small hamlet we discovered a house that claimed to belong to Judith Paris and a tea shop that was closed. Judith Paris, I learned, is a character from the Herries chronicles; a well known piece of literature set in these parts.

The tarn itself is pretty enough and today was exceptionally calm, the white-washed farm house reflecting perfectly in the still water. There being neither tea nor entertainment of any other sort, we set off back over the little bridge in an anti clockwise direction around the tarn. Then we hit upon a problem. On only my third lake in this project it became clear that walking right round Watendlath Tarn wasn't possible without breaking my own rule of not entering farmland where walkers were clearly not expected to be.

Not a ripple

The track around the right hand side of the tarn was a broad cart track but, as it faded into a footpath, it led away from the water and up onto the fell leading over to Rosthwaite at the head of Borrowdale. Only by climbing over a wall or two, walking across walled fields and risking an encounter with a possibly unhappy farmer were we going to circumnavigate this tarn.

Then we saw a sign which altered our plans for the remainder of the walk; the path, it seemed, led to "Dock Tarn". We had reached Watendlath Tarn, we could see all round it and we'd walked half way round it, there was little to be gained by going where we shouldn't just to complete the job. Instead, we would carry on and visit Dock Tarn.

A good track round one side of the tarn, but none round the other

By the time we'd done Dock Tarn (see next post) and returned to Watendlath, it was late afternoon and we chose to walk back to Ashness along the road rather than the footpath. This was fine, as there was little traffic and we reached our car in almost exactly an hour.

Evening comes early at the end of November and by 3pm light is already fading

Ennerdale Water

Car to lake: 0.3 miles - from the car park at Bleach Green

Round the lake: 6.80 miles

Time taken: 3 hours (including stops for refreshments and to take photos!)


Despite yesterday's sunny skies having reverted to a uniform grey, today's walk around the lake I'm most familiar with, was its usual pleasure. Ennerdale Water is almost unique amongst the larger lakes of Cumbria in that it does not have a paved road running alongside any of its shoreline. From Bowness Knott to the head of the Lake, a little over a mile, there's a gravel road but it's open only to those visiting the Youth Hostel, farmers and forestry workers - so there's little more than the occasional car to disturb the hiker. Walking around Ennerdale Water is guaranteed to be a relatively quiet experience if not always a solitary one. 

There are two points at which you can get close to the lake by car; Bleach Green where the River Ehen begins and Bowness Knott further along the northern side of the lake. A third possibility is the site of the old Anglers Hotel half way between the other two but it is not signposted and access, down a very rough gated road, isn't encouraged. I started today at Bleach Green which involves driving through Ennerdale Bridge towards Croasdale and taking a right turn after about a mile. Both Bleach Green and Bowness Knott car parks are signposted at this point.

From this starting point, I would always choose to go anti clockwise; not only because I think the views are generally better anyway but because it gets the roughest part of the walk out of the way before the legs begin to tire. The rough, stony path goes along the bottom of Crag Fell, almost at water level, and around the rocky outcrop of Angling Crag. It's here that the path is at its roughest and at one or two points a degree of minor scrambling may be required. However, it really isn't so bad and although care is required, and you wouldn't take your disabled Granny, only the most timid will find it at all daunting.

The lakeside path at the beginning of my walk. Herdus and Bowness Knott lie ahead, across the lake, while Angling Crag is to the right.

Once round Angling Crag, a more dramatic view opens up as the upper portion of the lake leads the eye towards the dominating presence of Pillar on the right and the Red Pike, High Stile ridge on the left. Rather than walking around the Crag, however, if you are feeling energetic, a worthwhile detour can be taken by branching to the right a little further into the picture above and climbing up to the top of Angling Crag. On a clear, calm, day the views from the top are spectacular and the grassy summit is a perfect place to sit and ponder or just let your mind go blank and enjoy the beauty of it all. A quick trot down the other side allows you to rejoin the path along the lake shore. 

The short but steep climb up onto Angling Crag is well worth it as this picture from April 2010 illustrates. Be honest, can you imagine a nicer place to eat your sandwiches, or just to sit and feel smug at your good fortune in being here?

The path continues along the lakeside eventually entering a very old natural forest before re-emerging a few yards short of the head of the lake. The land immediately at the top of the lake, where the River Liza enters, is low lying and boggy looking but it soon rises rather suddenly, as if up a man made embankment to become pastureland grazed by herdwick sheep. If you cut diagonally across here to the left, you can pretty soon reach, across a short boggy stretch, the bank of the river. Follow it upstream until you reach the "Irish Bridge" (don't ask me what's Irish about it - perhaps it's called Dermot) which you can cross and join the forest road to begin the return journey along the northern side of the lake.

Towards the top of the lake the path goes through ancient woodland. At this point today, Pillar was shrouded in wispy clouds which disguised the fact that it had donned its winter coat of white.

The upper part of Ennerdale valley extends for another five or six miles to Black Sail youth hostel, and the source of the River Liza and the foot of Great Gable. Much of the valley has been given over to forestry since the second world war but, as the trees are being removed, the land is left to its own devices. The Wild Ennerdale project is behind all this and, as a result, the valley beyond the lake is becoming more natural and inviting, enhancing its unique isolated feel. In my opinion, one of the very best places in the Lake District. Click here to go to their website Wild Ennerdale

My wife says "it's just like Canada". Well, it's not on the scale of British Columbia, but I sort of know what she means!

Crag Fell and Angling Crag from the forest road

My walk continued along the river Liza and eventually along the lakeside towards Bowness Knott. Just as the road begins to climb and veer away from the lake, I kept to the left and followed a rough path which climbed slightly above the water and skirted the rocky outcrop which separates the car park from the lake. There then follows a more level path which keeps to the lakeside, all the way along as the Lake again widens out into the broad section at its western end. (I think I've seen references to Ennerdale Water once being known as Broad Water - but can't remember where!). Along the whole northern shore, and particularly this section, it pays to stop and look at the view behind you. Bowness Knott from this side looks quite dramatic and, in the right light, is a gift to any landscape photographer.

Today wasn't ideal for photos so, in the tradition of the best TV chefs, here's one I took earlier!

After a while the farmland on the right gives way to a flat area among trees where, a keen observer would suspect, a building once stood. By the lakeside are the remains of a concrete ramp from which boats were once launched. This is the site of the Angler's Hotel, demolished in the late 1960's to make way for a rise in the level of the lake which never took place. How Ennerdale would be if this Hotel had survived we can only guess; it seems certain however, given the splendid view above, that it would have been a very popular place.

The Anglers Hotel, not long before its demolition.

One of the pleasures of a round the lake walk is that you do tend to meet other people doing the same thing. Usually there's someone you meet twice; someone doing your walk the other way round, and there are others you overtake and are then overtaken by, perhaps when you stop for a breather.

Today this happened two or three times with the same couple; I overtook them early in the walk, they passed me while I was taking pictures and I caught up to them again as they rejoined the lake path after being temporarily lost. I last saw them sitting on a concrete block admiring the view once admired by Angler's hotel guests. 

The remainder of the route continues along the lakeside path and eventually crosses the river Ehen just below the weir. It's then but a two or three minute stroll, retracing your steps from the beginning of the walk, back to the car.

A really great walk among some of the best scenery in England!

For sheer beauty, Ennerdale takes beating! In late spring of 1973, former president of the USA Bill Clinton visited. In his biography "My Life" he described the Lake District as "beautiful and romantic" and, somewhere on the shores of Ennerdale water, he proposed to Hilary.

The bright idea............

A typical Autumn Saturday, a week ago, saw me walking to the the top of Blake in West Cumbria to blow away the cobwebs of a busy working week and to exercise my legs. I need to do more of this, I thought, and I need some sort of objective to encourage me to do so.

Looking down to Buttermere and Crummock Water on one side, Ennerdale Water and Cogra Moss on the other, it struck me that virtually every body of water in the county can be circumnavigated on foot in a day or less. Maybe Windermere and Ullswater, and one or two others, would present a challenge - but I decided, with a blustery wind battering my face, that I would give it a go, and document my efforts.

Stormy skies over Knock Murton, Dent and the Irish Sea beyond. An objective of walking around every lake and tarn would at least give me some sheltered options for windy and showery days like this.

For each lake, tarn, pond or puddle, I will give details of how far it is from the nearest car parking place to the water's edge, and how far it is around the lake itself. For those that involve a climb, I'll give an indication of the height difference between car and lake.

Every piece of water, of course, presents at least two walks; clockwise and anti clockwise. Add the fact that many have a variety of starting points, and that the Lake District has literally dozens of Lakes and Tarns, and you have a wealth of walking possibilities following this theme. Depending on the landscape, the choice of where to start and which way round to go can make each walk a very different experience. In many cases the walk to the lake will be much further than the walk around the lake itself, but hiking out to the more remote bodies of water will rarely be an unrewarding experience - I hope.

I'll give my thoughts and observations on each walk and try to be informative and interesting. I hope to keep at it until I've walked around every lake and tarn in the Lake District - there are over seventy of them; it may take years!!!

National park website