Skip to content
Stagshaw Garden
Pause for a rest with a view of Windermere at Stagshaw Gardens | © National Trust / Jenny Sutton
Lake District

Explore from Waterhead walk

Do you like exploring? If so, a short walk from Waterhead will bring you to Skelghyll Woods and Jenkins Field where you can explore ancient woodlands, walk among some of the tallest trees in Cumbria, visit a fantastic early summer garden, take in the views from Jenkins Crag, or paddle in Windermere.

Total steps: 11

Total steps: 11

Start point

Waterhead Pier, grid ref: SY376031

Step 1

Head off from Waterhead along the main A591 road in the direction of Windermere for about 200yd (180m) until you reach Waterhead Marine (looks like a garage) and take care crossing the road.

Step 2

Walk up this wooded lane for 300yd (270m) until you reach a tarmac lane and turn left up the hill towards a small car parking area at Stagshaw Gardens. During spring this is a great time to take a short detour around the gardens before heading on with the rest of the trail.

Step 3

Walk through a wooden gate and follow the steep track up through the wood that borders the fence of Stagshaw Gardens until you reach a triangle of very large Douglas fir trees. This is a good place for a breather.

Step 4

Take the right-hand track up by the river until you reach the bridge over Stencher Beck. Take either of the two paths that lead uphill and continue until it flattens out and you reach a sign identifying Jenkins Crag. This is all the hard climbing work completed and you can now stop and take in the views.

Step 5

Retrace your steps back down to the conifers at the triangle and take a level track on the left through the woodland. Stop and admire the large conifers below the path.

Step 6

Carry on along this path and pass by some broken down walls where you leave the conifers behind and move into an area of oak woodland. Follow this path downhill and watch out for a couple of slippery outcrops. This is one of the best places for bluebells.

Step 7

At the foot of this footpath, turn right and walk back alongside a high dry-stone wall back to the car park at Stagshaw Gardens. Look out for the large conifers on the top side of the path, it is well worth a short detour to stand underneath them.

Step 8

Follow the road back down the hill and turn right to go down the wooded lane.

Step 9

Recross the road to Waterhead Marine and look for a stile in the low wall to the left, which marks the entrance onto Jenkins Field.

Step 10

There is about 500yd (450m) of lakeshore access with the best beach at the far end.

Step 11

Retrace your steps back to Waterhead Marine and follow the road back to Waterhead.

End point

Waterhead pier, grid ref: SY376031

Trail map

Map route for Explore from Waterhead walk
Map route for Explore from Waterhead walk | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

You made it

Share your experience

More near here

The view of Wray Castle across lake Windermere
Trail
Trail

Post Knott, Windermere views walk 

Enjoy a relaxing walk that meanders through the central fells of the Lake District and offers impressive views of Windermere, along with a choice of picnic sites and resting places

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 1.5 (km: 2.4)
View from the ground up to the towering canopy of several tall fir trees, some with square labels on their trunks
Trail
Trail

Ambleside Champion Tree Trail 

Wander among some of England's tallest trees on this easy waymarked trail through Skelghyll Woods. With benches along the way, it's the perfect route for a picnic.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 0.8 (km: 1.28)
A hiker wearing an insulated jacket and a backpack watches the sunset over snowy mountain peaks
Trail
Trail

Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park trail 

Explore Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park on a circular walk passing through woodland and open glades all accompanied with the roaring sounds from the waterfall in the gorge. Enjoy expansive views over Ullswater from the summit of Gowbarrow.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 4.5 (km: 7.2)

Get in touch

Our partners

Cotswold Outdoor

We’ve partnered with Cotswold Outdoor to help everyone make the most of their time outdoors in the places we care for.

Visit website 

You might also be interested in

View from the ground up to the towering canopy of several tall fir trees, some with square labels on their trunks
Article
Article

Things to do at Stagshaw Garden and Ambleside 

Make the most of the lakeshore paths, lofty peaks and ancient woodlands in Ambleside with these recommended walks. Step back in time at the Roman fort and 17th-century Bridge House.

View over Derwent Water looking towards Skiddaw in the Lake District in spring

Walking in the Lake District 

From gentle ambles to more challenging hikes, these are some of the best walks to explore the heart of the Lake District.

An aerial view of an adult and baby walking a dog along a path at Baggy Point, Devon
Article
Article

Staying safe at National Trust places 

The special places in National Trust care sometimes come with a few risks for visitors, be it coastline or countryside. Find out how to keep safe throughout your visits.

A visitor carrying a backpack and walking along a footpath at Divis and the Black Mountain with stone walls either side, the countryside visible in the background.
Article
Article

Follow the Countryside Code 

Help to look after National Trust places by observing a few simple guidelines during your visit and following the Countryside Code.

Walkers climbing rocks against a bright blue sky with the mountains in the distance at Sugarloaf, Monmouthshire

Walking 

Explore some of the finest landscapes in our care on coastal paths, accessible trails, woodland walks and everything in between. Find the best places to walk near you.

A group of people in a hiking group are being guided on a hike by rangers at Marsden Moor, West Yorkshire
Article
Article

Cotswold Outdoor: our exclusive walking partner 

Find out more about the National Trust’s ongoing partnership with Cotswold Outdoor as our exclusive walking partner.

Two children in wetsuits playing with a paddle board in the lake

Outdoor activities in the Lake District 

Discover what the Lake District has to offer if you love getting outside – from walking and cycling trails for all abilities, canoeing and sailing, to relaxing pleasure boat rides.