Best of the Westmorland Way: Pooley Bridge to Ambleside

Pooley Bridge to Grasmere

From Pooley Bridge the walk gently climbs on to the slopes of Barton Fell, where easy routes lead past an impressive stone circle before commencing a classic descent towards Howtown, with tremendous views down to the Lake.

The route then takes in isolated and scattered communities of farmsteads and churches before heading to the lakeshore for a fine walk to Patterdale.

The villages of Patterdale and Grasmere are split by a high mountain range, the longest high level range in Lakeland. The initial miles are through the side valley of Grisedale which penetrates deep into the folds of the Helvellyn range, before a climb to Grisedale Tarn. From here it is a short descent to Grasmere, directly below you, the home of William Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage.

Grasmere to Ambleside

Between Grasmere and Troutbeck you will walk through central Lakeland and two popular valleys, finishing in a third. Three separate climbs will be encountered, all on easy paths and enjoying amazing views.

From Elterwater in the beautiful Langdale valley, you will follow the river Brathay into bustling Ambleside, for your overnight accommodation and where this trip finishes.

Moderate

Terrain: Rolling hills and moorland, Lakeland fells, then the lowlands of South Cumbria.

What’s it like underfoot? Generally good tracks and paths, but some of the early sections not as well maintained as other routes. The section through the Lake District is a bit rougher, but good paths for the hills.

How much up & down? Rolling countryside for much of the route, with more ascent and descent in the central section through the Lakes. The biggest climb is 450m up to Grisedale tarn from Patterdale.

Signposting: None.

Navigation: You will need to use your map and guidebook – no signposts and less well defined tracks in the early part, but well defined paths from Pooley Bridge onwards. You might encounter hill fog going over Grisedale – but the path is good.

Weather: You may be lucky enough to encounter warm, dry weather over the whole route and enjoy dry paths and tremendous views, but you must be prepared because the weather can change quickly. Good clothing and waterproofs essential!

Good accommodation and friendly hosts are an essential part of any holiday. We understand this and go out of our way to find the best. We put a great deal of effort into hand picking our accommodation and matching it to individual customer requirements. As well as visiting the accommodation ourselves, we ask all our customers to complete a short evaluation on each night’s accommodation, which then gives us an insight into the day-to-day operation and lets us spot any potential issues before they become a problem.

We use a variety of accommodation. Over the course of your trip you might stay in a village inn, a bed and breakfast in a converted barn, a Victorian guest house, or on a working farm. In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. Occasionally we may use a chain hotel.

We always try to arrange en suite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.

We are happy to book single rooms on our holidays but cannot normally book more than two for any one group. Single room bookings include a supplement.

General travel information on the Westmorland Way area will be in your holiday pack including train and bus timetables where available.

Detailed instructions on getting to your first night’s accommodation by car, or on foot from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.

To view train times please visit trainline where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit traveline

If you require secure car parking whilst walking this route, please contact us for information.

Getting There: Pooley Bridge
By Air: The nearest international airports are Manchester (MAN) or Newcastle (NCL). You can then travel by train to Penrith (approx 2 hours from both), and then bus or taxi to Pooley Bridge (6 miles).
By Public Transport: Pooley Bridge’s nearest railway station is Penrith (PNR). You can then either travel by bus or taxi to Pooley Bridge (6 miles).
By Road: Travel to Penrith in the county of Cumbria, then the A66 west and the A592 to Pooley Bridge.

Returning from Ambleside:
By Public Transport: Travel by bus or taxi to Windermere (4 miles) for rail travel connecting with the west coast main line.
By Road: From Ambleside take the A591 to Kendal (13 miles), then the A684 to Killington Lake for the M6 motorway.

Patterdale

Patterdale offers spectacular scenery in a peaceful location. This tiny village in the heart of the English Lake District will give you a well earned rest before heading onwards on your walking route. Boat trips can be taken on the Ullswater Steamers to Pooley Bridge, with several opportunities to disembark and explore the lakeshore attractions along the way.

Grasmere

Grasmere is a charming village right in the heart of the Lake District National Park and a great location to spend a well earned rest day. It was once the home of the famous poet William Wordsworth and today you can visit two of his former homes - Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount. In the centre of Grasmere is St. Oswald’s Church, which contains the Wordsworth family graves. The village itself has narrow bustling streets with cafes, shops and pubs. The frequent local bus service connects Grasmere with Keswick and Ambleside if you want to explore further into the Lakes.

Ambleside

Ambleside is a bustling Lakeland town, with charming shops and a wide choice of good cafes and restaurants. The small town is known for its landmark Bridge House and its connections with writers, poets and artists including Beatrix Potter. There are many short walks that can be enjoyed from here, or you can wander down to Waterhead and take a ride on one of the Windermere “Steamers” on the lake.