An easy waterside walk (around eight miles) through Elterwater & Chapel Stile following the River Brathay and the Great Langdale Beck.
Park up at Skelwith Bridge. You may choose to pick up a few snacks and supplies at the wonderful Chesters by the River bakery and café but don’t feel you have to. There are plenty of other eating options further down your route.
Skirt the right hand side of the café and follow the signposted path toward Elterwater.
You soon pass the impressive Skelwith Force Waterfall and the bridge over the River Brathay. Keep on the path though. It soon opens out and follows the contour of the river until it reaches the right hand side of Elterwater itself.
The fantastic views ahead of the Langdales give you a taste of what’s to come on your walk.
The path continues along the right side of Elterwater. Soon you walk through a wooded area which separates you from the side of the lake.
The path is often busy as it’s fully accessible for wheel chairs and children’s buggies. But there’s plenty of views and fresh air to share as you make your way into Elterwater village.
When you reach the village you’ll see The Britainnia Inn where can grab a snack or drink.
Slightly to the left you’ll see a bridge over the river. Cross over and then turn right immediately.
This road climbs and then peters out into a pathway. You are still following the river (from the other side) which now flows quickly and, in places, quite dramatically.
After a short distance the path splits. You need to take the bridge that crosses the river, rather than follow the path that bends to the left.
Almost immediately you meet up with the road on the edge of Chapel Stile village.
Immediately after you pass The Wainwrights’ Inn take the signposted path to your left. You walk around the back of the village school and then through some farm buildings.
The path then turns sharply left as it crosses a bridge over Great Langdale Beck.
You now follow the path heading down the famous Langdale Valley.
After about half a mile you are faced with a choice. Either turn left away from the Beck or turn right, taking the bridge over the water.
It doesn’t really matter because from this point you are going to follow a loop: whichever way you go you’ll end up at this point again.
We turned right, over the bridge and followed the path away from water. Before reaching the road the path turns left and head down the valley again.
You follow the path for around a mile as it crosses fields and pastures.
The path rejoins the roads at the site of the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. The National Trust runs an information point here at Sticklebarn which also serves as a café.
Walk through the car park and you’ll pick up the path across open fields which heads further down the valley.
After fifteen minutes you’ll reach the last refreshment point in the valley which is The Old Dungeon Ghyll which is famous for its atmospheric Walkers’ Bar.
At this point in our walk we decided to walk along the road back towards the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. Just before reaching the hotel we turned right, following the signs to the National Trust’s Great Langdale campsite.
Before reaching the campsite take the path to the left which shadows the main path you’ve used previously, albeit from a higher position
This footpath skirts the bottom of Lingmoor Fell before veering right to reach the point you started the looped section of your walk.
You now follow your footsteps back through Chapel Stile and Elterwater before reuniting with your car at Skelwith Bridge.
For other walks and places to visit nearby, see the links below
A summer walk from Ambelside in the Lake District
Windermere YHA
The Langdale Horseshoe from the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Lake District
A six mile circular walk around Elterwater, Lake District.
A circular walk up and around the Pike of Blisco from Great Langale
Vegetarian Lake District