Stockley Bridge is a gorgeous 18th century packhorse bridge with possibly the most beautiful setting of any we’ve seen so far. It’s surrounded by rugged mountains, with Seathwaite Fell in particular providing an incredibly dramatic backdrop.
The bridge takes you over Grains Gill, which has beautiful blue green water and makes for a refreshing little plunge pool on a hot day. Using our route below, the walk is short and easy, so it’s a great option when you’re looking for something leisurely.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Stockley Bridge.
The walk to Stockley Bridge
The stats
Distance: 1 mile (1.6km) each way
Elevation gain: 65m
Difficulty: Easy
The trail
The trail begins in Seathwaite (parking details below) and heads south through Seathwaite Farm. As you head through the farm you’ll come to a fork and keep right (which is more like straight on).
Just 220m later, you’ll come to a wooden gate and pass through it. The stony path is flat and the scenery is absolutely stunning.
There are large fells either side of you, as well as the river, which provides a relaxing backdrop to the walk. There are a few little creek crossings along the path, the first of which is 50m after the gate.
They are easy in times when the water level is low, as you can use the rocks as stepping stones, but if there’s been a lot of recent rainfall you might have to slosh through.
After another 200m you’ll come to a larger creek crossing, but this one has a bridge, so no chance of wet boots. After the bridge the path heads a little more sharply uphill, but it’s still by no means steep and the gradient soon slackens again. One short section of the track becomes cobbled and there is also the odd rocky patch as you get closer to the bridge.
It’s not difficult by any means, but if you don’t like uneven terrain you’ll have to watch your footing.
After 0.7 miles (1.1 km) you’ll reach a creek which will involve a little rock hopping or getting your boots wet.
The gradual uphill track will continue alongside the river and up to the bridge. The scenery gets better and better and you’ll pass the majestic Taylor Gill Force in the distance.
After just under 1.6km you’ll reach Stockley Bridge. Although we ended our walk here, if you were in the mood to continue, there are plenty of fells to climb, including Scafell Pike, the biggest of them all.
Stockley Bridge wild swimming
The bridge is so picturesque and as you cross over it you can see lots of little cascades on the lefthand side. Cascades also run under the bridge and directly into the plunge pool beneath it.
Unfortunately we visited on a really overcast day, so the pictures don’t do justice to the water colour, which is a beautiful shade of blue/green in the sunshine.
Whatever the weather you can see how clean and clear it is though.
The pool itself is quite small, so this is not somewhere to swim, but a nice spot for a quick plunge. The water is extremely cold, possibly the coldest pool I’ve tried so far in this area, so be prepared for an icy dip. For this reason unless you are a big fan of ice baths, I’d only recommend it on a warm sunny day.
The pool does get deep in the middle and the cascades give it quite a current, another reason it’s a plunge pool rather than somewhere to get some strokes in.
Although very few people swim here, the path over the bridge does get busy because it offers access to major fells such as Scafell Pike and Great Gable. It’s not secluded, but it is lovely nevertheless!
Please remember to take any rubbish with you and keep it pristine for everyone to enjoy.
When you’re ready to leave the pool, simply retrace your steps back to the car park.
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 park, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Getting to the trailhead
By car and parking for the Stockley Bridge walk
The shortest route to Stockley Bridge begins in Seathwaite, postcode CA12 5XJ. There is some free off road parking available and if that fills up you can park at Seathwaite Farm for £5 for the day. You can also camp here for a very reasonable fee and the setting under the fells and beside the river is sublime.
Seathwaite is only 2 miles (6 mins) from Borrowdale, 9 miles (25 minutes) from Keswick and 25 miles (1 hour) from Ambleside.
By public transport
The closest you can get to the trailhead by public transport is Seatoller, which is 1.3 miles away from Seathwaite Farm.
To get here, take the Borrowdale Bus (78) or the 77A from Keswick. These leave regularly from Booths in the centre of town.
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