Walks in the Lake District - The Windermere and Bowness Area
Windermere is forever identified with the romance of the Lake District. The lake is the most well known of all the districts lakes and it draws in visitors all year round. In Windermere and neighbouring Bowness there are plenty of activities to keep visitors occupied even in times of inclement weather but perhaps less known are the wonderful range of walks which can be accessed locally. It was near Windermere that Alfred Wainwright, the famous fellwalker and writer of the Pictorial Guides to the Lake District discovered the Lake District when he viewed Lake Windermere from Orrest Head. It is simply and wonderful place with wonderful walks in the surrounding district, some of which can be found on this page.
Interactive map of Lake District walks
| Walk | Miles | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Loughrigg Tarn | 1.7 | I think Loughrigg Tarn is in the best setting of all. See if you agree on this easy stroll. |
| Tarn Hows | 2.6 | A family friendly walk to the most visited Tarn in the Lake District, one of Victorian design. |
| Ambleside to Skelwith Bridge | 3.4 | Loughrigg Fell and Loughrigg Tarn are just two of the highlights of this short walk. |
| Elterwater, Loughrigg Tarn, Skelwith Bridge and Elter Water | 3.7 | A short Lakeland walk that visits two very different lakes. |
| Elterwater Waterfalls Walk | 4.8 | Skelwith Force and Colwith Force star in this brilliant spectacular walk. |
| Loughrigg Fell and Rydal Water | 5.0 | A walk with much variety. It begins with one of Wainwright's fells before a lakeside finish. |
| Hawkshead to Lake Windermere | 5.5 | A pleasant walk with breathtaking views over Windermere. |
| Elterwater, Skelwith Force, Colwith Force, Cathedral Cave and Slater Bridge | 5.6 | A low level walk featuring a lake, some waterfalls, a cave and a remarkable stone bridge. |
| Jack's Rake, Pavey Ark and Thunacar Knott | 6.6 | A fantastic scramble is the highlight of this popular Langdale walk. |
| Helvellyn, Lower Man and Browncove Crags | 6.6 | A walk with a tough start to great views worth looking forward to. |
| Steel Fell, Calf Crag, Gibson Knott and Helm Crag | 6.9 | A popular walk with some brilliant moments along the way. |
| The Langdale Pikes | 8.2 | One of the Lake Districts iconic walks with many outstanding moments. |
| Crinkle Crags, Bowfell & Esk Pike | 9.2 | A walk over the Crinkle Crags, Bowfell & Esk Pike from Great Langdale. |
| Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Cold Pike & Pike of Blisco | 9.2 | An adventure walk of much variety with precipitous paths, rock buttresses, scrambles and wide open uplands. |
| Holme Fell, Cathedral Cave, Black Fell and Tarn Hows | 9.4 | A walk with lots of interest including two fells, quarries, a cave and beautiful Tarn Hows. |
| Old Man Of Coniston, Black Crag, Swirl How and Wetherlam | 9.5 | The Old Man of Coniston is just one highlight of this thrilling exploration. |
| Raise, Helvellyn and Striding Edge | 9.8 | Probably the most popular walk in the Lakes, but not the way we did it! |
| Tilberthwaite, Old Man of Coniston, Levers Hawse, Swirl How and Wetherlam | 10.0 | A circuit of the Coniston Fells starting out from one of the prettiest and remote Lakeland locations. |
| Fairfield, Great Rigg and Heron Pike | 10.3 | A spectacular walk linking Bowfell to the fabulous Langdale Pikes. |
| Fairfield, Great Rigg and Heron Pike | 10.4 | Breathtaking views can be found on the high ridges of this walk. |
| Yoke, Ill Bell, Frostwick, Mardale Ill Bell, Harter Fell, Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts | 12.3 | A brilliant walk in the Far Eastern Fells with seven of Alfred Wainwright's Fells encountered on the route. |
| Bowfell, Esk Pike, Scafell Pike and Scafell | 14.0 | A challenging 14 mile walk from Langdale to the highest mountains in England. |
Feedback and Suggestions:
I am always pleased to received feedback on the structure and content of the website. I also welcome suggestions on how I can improve the website which may include new areas to cover, new walks or route alterations to existing walks. To contact me with feedback and/ or suggestions please complete the Walking Englishman Feedback Form. Thank you.
(Note: Walking without proper preparation can be dangerous. Information and downloads on this website are provided free of charge; it is each walker's responsibility to check the material and use accordingly. Postscript: My walk reports are not route guides and should not be treated as such. They are written with personal reflections of my walks)
