Corpse road and tumuli walk
Get under the skin of the Cumbrian landscape on this trail through a patchwork of natural and archaeological features.
Near to
Buttermere ValleyStart point
Maggie's Bridge car park, grid ref: NY134210Trail information
Discover layers of history
See a traditional farm, walk along an ancient corpse road and discover evidence of human activity dating from the Bronze Age to the Second World War.
Total stages: 7
Total stages: 7
Start point
Maggie's Bridge car park, grid ref: NY134210
Stage 1
Start at Maggie's Bridge car park in Loweswater. Go through the gate opposite and follow the track up to High Nook farm, where you will see fine examples of traditional Cumbrian farm buildings.
Stage 2
Leave the farmyard through the gate and bear slightly left. Follow this wide gravel track up towards High Nook Tarn and take the path veering right.
Stage 3
You are now on part of the corpse road that leads from Buttermere to Lamplugh church, and onwards to St Bees Priory. Follow this parallel to the wall and be sure to take in the great views when a gap in the woodland appears.
Stage 4
Go through a small gate in the woodland wall and follow the steep, narrow downhill track. When you reach a wider forestry track, turn left.
Stage 5
It's worth pausing here to look at Holme Force waterfall and the single span stone bridge that crosses Holme Beck. Follow the forest track downwards until you meet another intersecting track.
Stage 6
Follow the narrow track towards the lakeshore and turn right. You will come across a rectangular platform on your left. This dates from the Second World War, when cables were stretched across the lake, with the intention of thwarting any German sea-planes attempting to land here.
Stage 7
As you near the Bothy (our camping barn) you may notice two burial mounds near the path. Continue out of the woods and across the hay meadows back to the car park.
End point
Maggie's Bridge car park, grid ref: NY134210
Trail map
Map route for Corpse Road and tumuli walk | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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