The Ambleside waterfall walk( Stock Ghyll Force) is an easy yet incredible short walk in the Lake District National Park. From the centre of the town you can discover a dramatic and striking 70ft waterfall. It is easily one of the best waterfalls in the national park and one of the easiest to get to too. There are brilliant viewing platforms with rails from many different parts of the falls and you can see them from both sides due to the useful foot bridges. Stock Ghyll is a tributary of the River Rothay and eventually ends up in Windermere.
It used to be known as Rattle Ghyll and in the 14th century Stock Ghyll’s power drove 12 watermills and although they are all closed today, you can get an understanding of what it was once like from walking around the town. The mills used to produce bobbins for silk and cotton thread to process wool. The river also passes under the Bridge House, which is an extremely popular attraction. There used to be a charge (in the Victorian era) to visit the falls, but don’t worry, they are free today.
Undeniably the Ambleside Waterfall Walk is one of the best walks from Ambleside. However, one of the drawbacks for some is that it is quite short, therefore you can combine it with a longer route up to Wansfell Pike. It is not too far away from this spot and offers fantastic views over Windermere and beyond. .
Our guide offers key information, parking information and route directions, as well as our favourite time to complete the Stock Ghyll Force Waterfall walk.
Ambleside Waterfall Walk Key Information
Distance: 1.6km/ 0.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 72m
Time: 30-minutes – 1 hour ( depending on photo stops and speed)
Trail Type: Out and Back
Difficulty: Easy (but there are steps and uneven terrain)
Stock Ghyll Force Parking
There is very limited free parking in Ambleside. However, you can park in the Rydal Road car park for a fee, which is one of the main car parks in Ambleside with 171 spaces.
The car park charges from 8am-8pm every day of the week. As you do not need long, you can park for 1 hour (£1.80) or 1 to 2 hours (£3.20) and this can be paid by card, coins or by phone.
The Google Maps Directions to Rydal Road Car Park can be found here.
Best Time to do the Ambleside Waterfall Walk
The best time to go depends on numerous factors. For example, if you visit after heavy rainfall, then you will be in for a treat and you will see the waterfalls tumbling at their best. In early Spring you will be able to see a blanket of daffodils and there are also beautiful bluebells in May.
In Autumn the woodland is beautiful. We have visited in bluebell season and in Autumn and loved it both times.
Top Tips for the Ambleside Waterfall Walk
- Wear suitable shoes (preferably walking boots) that you do not mind getting muddy – especially after heavy rainfall. There are also many tree routes, so watch your footing.
- Wear appropriate clothing, you might need a waterproof coat, check the weather before you go.
- Take your camera, the Ambleside waterfalls are truly brilliant and fun to capture.
- Although we do not have children, we are pretty confident that it is a child-friendly walk. There are some steep steps, but we saw children enjoying themselves on the route! Please watch them on the road though, we didn’t see many cars but part of this route could be dangerous!
- The Ambleside waterfall walk is a dog friendly route, and is extremely popular with dog walkers. Remember to pick up after your dog!
- There are no toilets on this route but there are some at the start in the town.
- There are benches if you need to stop on the route.
Ambleside Waterfall Walk Directions
These are easy 4 step directions from Ambleside to Stock Ghyll Force Waterfall, that take you on a circular route once you are inside the woodland. There are signposts that will guide you, so it is not very difficult.
However, follow the directions to make sure you do not miss the best lookouts! Some say that this waterfall is ‘hidden’ but if you walk from the town you can see the old signposts and you can follow the Google Maps Directions too (if signal permits).
Step One – From the Town Centre to Stock Ghyll Woods
Start at the Market Hall next to the Salutation Hotel (where Rydal road and Lake Road meet) and follow the road from the town centre, turn left up Stock Ghyll Lane by the public toilets.
Follow the road as it curves in the direction of the waterfall signs. Walk up the road for 0.4km, walking past the white houses on your right. Be careful of cars, although we did not see any when we were there.
Step Two: Stock Ghyll Woods to the Waterfall
Follow the direction of the white sign that says “this way to the waterfalls” and take the trail on your left. Walking through the woodlands next to the rapids!
Be sure to check out some of the impressive falls on your left as you walk up the hill.
There are some helpful red arrows to follow so you do not get lost. The best tip is that you should be heading up and not down towards the river. The terrain is quite rocky and after rainfall can be extremely slippery, so be careful as you walk!
Step Three- The Woodlands to the Lookouts
After roughly 900m into the walk, there is an impressive lookout for the falls which can be found off the main path walking through black metal arches. There are some locks where people have expressed their love!
Walk back on the main path, in the direction of the falls, walking up the steps and curving round towards the top of the falls. Walk up the steps and go past the large picnic bench.
From here walk over the wooden bridge to go on the opposite side of the falls. Listen to the amount of water here. It’s impressive! Lots of people just walk back from here but it’s definitely worth heading to the other side.
There is another lookout to your right as you head down the steps! You can easily find it by following the metal fence.
Step Four – Lookouts, Down to the Bridge and Back to the Town
Head back into the main path and walk down the steps all the way to the wooden bridge at the bottom. From here, Cross the river and walk along the other side. It is an obvious route back and eventually you will join the path you started on and get back to the road.
Walk back along the road until you reach the town centre again!
Ambleside waterfall walk completed!
It might be one of the easy walks around Ambleside, but it is certainly one of the most beautiful. What do you think? We think it is one of the best things to do in Ambleside. Ambleside may be a small town but there are plenty of things to do, including walking to the magnificent Lake Windermere and sampling all the wonderful food in the restaurants and pubs!
If you are in the area, you can also visit Skelwith Force, which is another beautiful and mighty falls (yet much smaller) and can be reached very quickly from the car park.
We only recommend things that we have personally tried and love using on our travels and hikes.
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