Sitting under the shadow of Crinkle Crags, in one of the Lake District’s most spectacular valleys, you’ll find a secluded waterfall. The setting is dramatic and the crystal clear swimming hole at the base is easily one of my favourite places to take a dip in the Lakes. However, you don’t have to be a fan of wild swimming to enjoy a visit. It’s a beautiful place simply to sit and relax by the water.
You can reach Whorneyside Force via a strenuous circuit hike taking in the fabulous Crinkle Crags, or using a direct route, which is a pretty easy walk.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Whorneyside Force, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Lake District.
The walk to Whorneyside Force (Whorneyside Falls)
The stats
Distance: 3.7 miles (6km) return
Elevation gain: 180m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
Although we’ve previously hiked the stunning Crinkle Crags (it’s actually one of our favourite walks in the Lake District), this article focuses on the easy route to Whorneyside Force. This time we were visiting the area on a very hot summer’s day and all we wanted to do was cool off in the crystal clear water!
The easy route to the falls is flat for the majority of the way. The path is excellent up until the last couple of hundred metres when it becomes more rustic.
There are no signposts for the trail, but we’re sharing exact directions below.
Starting the trail
The walk begins at the Old Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale (details below) and heads west, following the road that continues on from the B5343.
You can either walk towards the main road from Old Dungeon Ghyll and turn right, or you can take the walkers path. This path starts from the Old Dungeon Ghyll, through the gate, crossing the field and straight through the gate on the other side.
You’ll then see a large metal gate on the right after less than a minute. Pass through this gate and you’re on the right track, (this whole section takes just a few minutes).
You’re now walking on a flat tarmac path, which might not sound overly appealing, but the scenery is just breathtaking.
You’re surrounded on all sides by Langdale Valley’s majestic fells and it’s easily one of the most beautiful areas in the Lake District.
The flat easy path means you never need to look at your feet and can instead soak up all those incredible views. After just over 1km you will reach a cattle grid. Cross over the grid and continue towards the farm.
This next section will take you directly through the farm yard itself - which feels wrong - but there are several footpath signs to reassure you you’re on the right track.
Through the valley
After passing through the final farm gate, the track heads briefly uphill and switches from tarmac to gravel.
After just a couple of minutes the path levels out, and you need to keep straight when a side trail appears leading off to the right.
The scenery gets more and more dramatic, and having walked this section in brilliant sunshine and gloomy grey cloud, we can tell you it’s stunning in both.
Roughly 2km after leaving the car park you’ll pass through two kissing gates in quick succession and then you’ll come to a wooden bridge.
Don’t cross it, unless you want to take the longer loop via Crinkle Crags.
The direct route to Whorneyside Force runs parallel to Oxendale Beck, along the grassy path on the right side of the bridge, following the drystone wall.
Climbing up to the falls
Up to this point, the walk has basically all been flat. From here the trail begins to ascend, but it’s very gradual. The track is in good condition and it’s now a narrower, more natural path.
The views continue to be sensational and you feel like you’re walking into the fells as opposed to beneath them.
At the 2.3km mark, you need to take a right, following the grassy path slightly uphill. At this junction, it feels like continuing straight would be the correct route, but if you look out for it you will see a worn down grassy path on the right.
From here the walk gets a little steeper for 50m, before you make a sharp left, and it levels out again.
The next 350m are a lovely stretch of bracken lined track, leading you to a wooden bridge at the 2.7km mark.
Cross the bridge over the pretty cascades and look for the immediate path on the right.
This path is much more rustic than it’s been up to now, following the water the whole way. It’s narrow and stony and there are a couple of very short patches of erosion.
I wouldn’t say it’s difficult, but you need to watch your step, which you haven’t done to this point. However, it’s only 250m until you reach the waterfall. You can’t see the falls from the path, which adds to the feeling you’re getting closer to a wonderful hidden spot.
After 250m - just under 3km from the car park - you’ll reach the base of Whorneyside Force.
Swimming at Whorneyside Force
Co-ordinates: 54.4382245, -3.1401110
What3Words: others.shadowing.wide
As you’ll see from the photos, we visited Whorneyside Force after a significant dry spell, so the flow was really low. Whorneyside Force is happily one of those rare waterfalls, where even when it’s more like a trickle, it’s still an absolute beauty.
It’s something about the tall rock walls and the way the water flows over them that’s just so picturesque.
The pool at the base of the falls is also exceptionally clear. We visited in the afternoon on a sunny day, when unfortunately the falls were in shadow, which doesn’t show the water colour off at its best.
It was still sensational, but the best time to come is earlier in the day, when the pool is in full sun and the water colour is even more spectacular.
There is plenty of grassy hillside to sit and relax beside the pool, but there’s nothing like taking a dip! The water is cold, but not absolutely freezing. Personally, on a hot day in summer, I found it pretty close to perfect!
It’s easy to get into the water - you only have to climb over a few rocks and then there are a few rocks at the very beginning of the pool in the shallow area, before it deepens considerably and you can have a proper swim.
I could see all the way to the bottom of the pool and the water was a brilliant emerald. Looking up at the falls and then back at the surrounding mountains all feels like a bit of a dream. It’s a very special place.
When you’re ready to leave the falls you simply retrace your steps.
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.
Parking for Whorneyside Force
The closest car park to Whorneyside Force is at the National Trust car park at Old Dungeon Ghyll, postcode LA22 9JY (part of the car park belongs to the pub, so make sure you park in the right place). Fees apply if you’re not a member.
The car park is quite small and plenty of walks leave from here, so it can often fill up on sunny weekends and school holidays. If you can’t get a space you can park 850m away at the Stickle Ghyll car park, also run by the National Trust which is much larger. It’s actually a pretty walk between the two, and is both easy and totally flat. It takes you through farmland, but the views are fantastic.
I’m sorry to say I forgot to note the price for the Old Dungeon Ghyll car park, but to give you some indication, the parking fee at Stickle Ghyll is £4.50 for 2 hours, £6.50 for 2-4 hours and £7.50 all day. You can pay by phone but signal is weak, so it’s better to bring cash.
If you can’t park at either of these, there is another car park just a few minutes further along the road from Stickle Ghyll, this is called the New Dungeon Ghyll car park and is not run by the NT.
Getting to Whorneyside Force
By Car
The Old Dungeon Ghyll car park is located in Great Langdale. It’s a 15 minute drive from Ambleside, 15 minutes from Coniston and 40 minutes from Keswick.
By Public Transport
The best way to get to Whorneyside Force by public transport is to get the 516 bus from Ambleside. The most central bus stop is stand 1 on Kelsick Road.
The bus should take about 30 minutes and you can hop off at the stop by the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.
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