After visiting the sensational turquoise waters of the Coniston Coppermines Waterfall we were on the hunt for more of Coniston’s beautiful blue pools; It turns out we didn’t have to look far. Church Beck (which is about half a mile downstream of the Coppermines Waterfall) has a series of its own spectacular blue falls.
The two waterfalls we’re covering in this guide both have stunning blue pools and a wild vibe. Though the walk to reach the top of both falls is easy, accessing the pools does require a bit of a scramble, more on that below.
Here’s how to find the hidden waterfalls of Church Beck.
The walk to the Church Beck Waterfalls
The stats
Distance: 0.5 miles (800m) each way
Elevation gain: 80m
Difficulty: Easy walk, but some scrambling to access the pools
Summary: The walk to reach both waterfalls (which are only minutes apart) is on a well maintained gravel path until the last few metres. There is a very gentle uphill climb on the way.
Accessing the first pool involves a short scramble which has decent sized ledges and excellent handholds. The second spot has a slightly more challenging scramble. It’s very short, but steep and the rock is usually wet. We’ll have full details and photos in the notes below.
It’s worth noting there are more pools in the area, most are accessed via ghyll scrambling, which requires ropes and helmets. Please don’t attempt ghyll scrambling without the right gear etc. There are companies that organise ghyll scrambling tours which explore Church Beck if you want to give it a go.
The trail
The walk to the Church Beck Waterfalls starts from a different area to the Coniston Coppermines waterfall, as it’s easiest to access them from the western side of the creek. However, you can easily add the Coppermines waterfall onto this walk.
This trail starts at the Old Station car park in Coniston (full details below). From the car park head left onto the road. At the junction turn right and then left, and you’ll see the The Sun pub (200m from the car park).
Head up the path to the left of the pub and continue on the trail, which leads you past more buildings. Just 200m later you’ll cross a small concrete bridge over a stream.
The trail continues uphill (you’ll see a public footpath sign) and passes the Coniston Stonecraft workshop.
The path continues gently uphill and you can hear, though rarely see, the river below. Just 380m beyond the bridge (780m from the car park) you’ll see a narrow stony path heading downhill on the right (co-ordinates 54.3718662, -3.0855526 or you can find it on Google Maps by clicking here).
It’s stony but not that steep. The gravel path will soon become a gully, and as you follow the gully downhill you’ll quickly see a gravelled area on the left, with three stone slabs and the waterfall below.
At first glance it may look like it’s impossible to get down to the waterfall, but head to the tree at the bottom of the gully and you’ll see a path of tree roots and rocks leading down to the falls.
Accessing waterfall one
At the point at which you see the path heading down from the stony gully, you are now just 20m from the waterfall.
Reaching it involves walking for perhaps six steps or so along a narrow tiered path.
There are generous footholds and excellent handholds in the form of sturdy tree roots. It is narrow, but very easy by scrambling standards due to the good holds.
There is then a short rocky patch which can be slippery when wet, so go carefully.
This will take you right to the edge of the pool. Of the two waterfalls we’ve visited so far on Church Beck, this is the easier spot to reach. The first waterfall’s co-ordinates are 54.3721693, -3.0855734.
Wild swimming at the first Church Beck Waterfall
The waterfall is gorgeous, with the same blue water as you’ll find at Coniston Coppermines. The only downside is that any time other than winter, the leaves on the surrounding trees create full shade. This stops the light shining on the water and prevents it bringing out the best of that stunning blue colour.
This means it won’t appear as blue as it actually is, though it looks bluer in real life than it does in photos. The water is crystal clear and the pool is not huge by any means, but big enough for a few strokes.
It’s more like a large plunge pool and the setting within the gorge, surrounded by woodland, is stunning. The water is shallow at the edge and then deep as you get into the middle of the pool.
It’s a fantastic spot and as we were lucky enough to visit on a hot day, the water actually felt warm. If it’s a cold day and water levels are higher, it will feel pretty chilly, but if you luck out like us, it’s perfect.
Accessing waterfall number two
The second waterfall is a 30m walk upstream and another great spot, but it has a trickier entry than the first. To get to the next waterfall, you’ll need to head back onto the gravelled area with the three stone slabs again.
At this point, don’t head up to the path you originally came from, but follow the path that runs parallel to the beck and goes below a few tree branches.
The path will eventually lead to a gravelled patch by a tree that sits directly above the falls you were just at - it’s at the point where you’d head uphill if you were to continue on the path.
There is a very short, but steep scramble down to reach the falls. The first few steps are tiered nicely, with good tree branches to assist.
The last few steps are on wet rock and though there are footholds, the dampness makes them feel less secure. This will not be for everyone and I was glad to have Joe waiting below to point out the best holds. I’m talking from the perspective of a walker not a scrambler, as I have no doubt this is very easy for gorge scramblers!
Happily, getting back up this section is easy as you don’t have the forwards momentum that makes you feel like you might slip.
Once you’ve got down this rocky patch you can walk straight onto a large rock slab. This will get you halfway to the bottom of the falls, which are a few more metres away.
Personally I just got straight in the water because I was going to swim anyway. The small stones inside the water weren’t slippery, but would be more comfortable to walk on with water shoes.
You’ll then arrive at the base of the falls. This whole section only takes a few minutes, but I am describing it in lots of detail for those that might be less sure about it. The co-ordinates for these falls are 54.3723547, -3.0861966.
Wild swimming at the boulder falls
The boulder falls - as we’ve taken to calling it - has a wild feel. The waterfall is powerful and the giant wedged boulder gives it lots of atmosphere. The gorge walls and woodland keep it shaded, as with waterfall one.
This also adds to the feeling of seclusion as you are just below the gravel path, yet most people don’t know about the falls a few metres below them.
The water is a darker blue in the pool close to the falls, but when you see the colour of the shallow water beside the gorge walls, you’ll see it’s almost turquoise and this is without any sunlight on it! The clarity is incredible.
There is a huge rock inside the pool, so the area for swimming is not as big as it looks. Again you can really only do a few strokes, but the boulder makes for a fun place to sit and relax in the water.
It is pretty deep to the right of the boulder and in the middle of the pool - though there are rocks beside the cascades which you can stand up on. It’s another beautiful spot and hard to believe how close it is to the town centre!
You’ll exit the second waterfall the same way you came in. Once you’re back onto the main trail, you can either head back to the car park, or up to the Coppermines waterfall by continuing upstream and crossing the miner’s bridge.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Parking for the Church Beck Waterfalls
There is a little bit of free roadside parking just beside the Old Station car park, but it does fill up quickly. We didn’t get a spot and we visited in September, so I imagine unless you get lucky, or go early or late, it would be hard to snag one. The postcode is LA21 8HU.
The Old Station car park however, doesn’t seem to get too busy! The charges are: £4 for 2 hours, £6.50 for 4 hours or £8 for the whole day.
This car park can also be used for a longer walk up to the Old Man of Coniston, so all day parking is not that bad value if you’re planning a full day.
You can visit both the waterfalls on Church Beck in two hours, but you may want more time if you like to linger.
Getting to the Church Beck trailhead
Church Beck is located in Coniston, roughly a 20 minute drive from Ambleside, 50 minutes to Keswick and 10 minutes from Hawkshead.
You can also get here by public transport, and the easiest way is to hop on the 505 bus from Ambleside. This leaves every hour and takes about 45 minutes.
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