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| Ullswater Way | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ullswater Way |
| Location | Lake District National Park, Cumbria |
| Length | 20 miles (approx.) |
| Use | Walking, hiking |
| Highest | Place Fell (approx. 657 m) |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
Ullswater Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath encircling Ullswater in the Lake District National Park, England. The route links a network of historic villages, upland fells and lakeshore landscapes, providing access to cultural sites associated with William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Beatrix Potter. It is promoted by local authorities and trusts including Cumbria County Council, National Trust, and Lake District National Park Authority.
The Ullswater circuit connects settlements such as Pooley Bridge, Glenridding, Patterdale, and Howtown with upland summits like Helvellyn, Place Fell, and Arthur's Pike, offering views over Ullswater and toward Derwentwater, Windermere, and Scafell Pike. The trail is waymarked and designed to be walked in sections or as a continuous route, intersecting with established paths including the Pennine Way, Cumbria Way, and Coast to Coast Walk. Management involves partners such as Ullswater Association, Friends of the Lake District, and local parish councils working alongside conservation bodies like Natural England and Historic England.
The route typically starts and finishes at Pooley Bridge or Glenridding and follows approximately 20 miles around the lake, with alternative low-level and high-level variants that cross ridges such as Bampton Common and traverse valleys like the Glenridding Valley. Key waypoints include Askham, Matterdale, How Town, and the hamlet of Sandwick. The Trail connects to transport nodes at Penrith railway station, Oxenholme (for Kendal), and local bus services run by operators including Stagecoach Group and Arriva. Boat connections on Ullswater Steamers provide river links between Glenridding, Pooley Bridge, and Howtown, enabling linear walks incorporating historic steamer piers and jetties.
The landscape around Ullswater has been shaped by human activity since prehistoric times, with archaeological sites linked to Bronze Age and Iron Age periods found on surrounding fells and valleys near Dacre and Brougham. In the 18th and 19th centuries, writers such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Thomas de Quincey, and artists of the Romanticism movement popularised the valley, inspiring routes and promenades used by Victorian tourists arriving via railway expansions to Penrith and Kendal. Conservation efforts by the National Trust and the establishment of the Lake District National Park in 1951 established protections that enabled modern waymarking and path restoration projects funded by entities including the Heritage Lottery Fund and coordinated by organisations such as Lake District Foundation.
Ullswater sits in a glacial valley carved during the Last Glacial Maximum within the Cumbrian Mountains and features moraines, ribbon lakes, and crags such as Dollywaggon Pike and St Sunday Crag. The area supports habitats ranging from upland heath and acid grassland to riparian woodlands containing sessile oak and ash (noting disease pressures like ash dieback). Fauna includes species of conservation interest such as red squirrel, peregrine falcon, oystercatcher, and Atlantic salmon in tributary streams. Environmental management involves agencies including Forestry Commission and RSPB working with local landowners and grazing regimes influenced by organisations like National Farmers Union.
Primary access is via the A591 road and minor roads connecting to Penrith and Kendal, with rail access at Penrith North Lakes railway station and Oxenholme Lake District railway station. Bus services by operators such as Stagecoach Group provide links to villages on the route, and seasonal boat services operated by Ullswater Steamers and private operators enable shore-to-shore travel. Parking and visitor hubs are located at Glenridding car park, Pooley Bridge car park, and National Trust car parks near Howtown, regulated under local parking schemes administered by Eden District Council.
Villages along the circuit offer accommodation including bed and breakfast establishments, inns like Sharrow Bay Hotel (historic hotel context), youth hostels run by YHA England and Wales, and campsites managed by local operators. Dining and provisioning are available in Pooley Bridge, Glenridding, and Patterdale, with outdoor and equipment shops stocking brands found in national retailers such as Cotswold Outdoor and Rohan. Visitor facilities include information centres operated by Lake District National Park Authority, interpretive signage by Historic England, and public conveniences maintained by parish councils.
Recreational uses include hillwalking, fell running, birdwatching, and boating; the route is used in organised events promoted by organisations such as Lakeland Trails and local running clubs. Mountain rescue and safety provision is delivered by teams including Penrith Mountain Rescue Team, Cumbria Search and Rescue Association, and Mountain Rescue England and Wales, while emergency services coordinate with NHS ambulance provision for serious incidents. Walkers are advised to prepare for rapid weather changes typical of the Lake District, consult Met Office forecasts, carry appropriate maps from Ordnance Survey, and follow guidance from the Ramblers and the Mountain Training organisations for safe navigation and equipment.
Category:Long-distance footpaths in England Category:Lake District