Skelwith Bridge Walks

3 miles (4.6 km)

With the long distance Cumbria Way passing through the village and a series of beatiful waterfalls to visit, the village of Skelwith Bridge is a great place for walkers. The walk to Loughrigg Tarn and the delightful riverside stroll to Elterwater are especially popular.
This circular walk visits some of the highlights of the area including Colwith Force Waterfall, Skelwith Force waterfall, Elterwater, the River Brathay and Great Langdale Beck.
The walk starts from the bridge at Skelwith Bridge. Head west along the river passing the lovely riverside tea rooms before coming to the impressive Skelwith Force waterfall. Though small the falls are very powerful and can be seen up close from the viewing area. At the falls you pick up a section of the Cumbria Way to first take you along the Brathay and then Great Langdale Beck to Elterwater. It's a lovely area with peaceful woodland opening out to open countryside along the beck. There's great views of the Langdale Fells as you approach the little village of Elterwater where you can enjoy refreshments at the nice pub which has outdoor seating.
The route then climbs through Sawrey's Wood and Fletcher's Wood to Colwith Force Waterfall. The falls drop 40 feet over several stages and are a spectacular sight when in full spate.
At the falls you pick up the Cumbria Way again and descend back to Skelwith Bridge. There's lovely views here back down to the river and lake.
To extend the walk keep heading west along the Cumbria Way and you can enjoy a splendid climb up Dungeon Ghyll falls to Stickle Tarn.

Skelwith Bridge Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Skelwith Bridge Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Skelwith Bridge OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Skelwith Bridge Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Walks near Skelwith Bridge

Ambleside to Skelwith Bridge - This is a lovely walk taking you from the popular town of Ambleside to Skelwith Bridge via Loughrigg Tarn
Cumbria Way - Travel through the beautiful Lake District National Park on this stunning walk
Colwith Force - Visit this lovely waterfall on this short walk in Langdale in the Lake District
Elterwater - This is a particularly lovely riverside walk to Elter Water Lake and Skelwith Bridge from the village of Elterwater
Loughrigg Tarn - This circular walk takes you to the lovely Loughrigg Tarn from Skelwith Bridge
Dungeon Ghyll - This walk follows a popular path through Stickle Ghyll to Stickle Tarn in the Great Langdale area of the Lake District
Chapel Stile - This Lake District village is a nice place to start a walk with several nearby lakeland highlights and a nice old pub to relax in afterwards

Pubs/Cafes

The Britannia Inn in Elterwater is a pub of some note with an interesting history. It was built approximately 500 years ago as a gentleman's farm house and then converted to an Inn sometime during the 19th century. There's a cosy open fire for winter days and a nice beer garden for fine summer days. It's located in a very spot in the little village with a postcode of LA22 9HP.
Back at Skelwith Bridge you can enjoy refreshments at the lovely Chesters by the River cafe. Here you'll find a nice riverside deck where you can sit outside and enjoy lunch on finer days. There's delicious salads, specials, cakes and a shop where you can buy souvenirs. You can find it at postcode LA22 9NW for your sat navs.