Lake District

The valley of cinders walk

Explore this gently ambling route through Cinderdale in the Lake District with views of Crummock Water and the surrounding Cumbria countryside of Buttermere Valley, while also discovering important medieval archaeological sites.

Near to

Buttermere Valley

Start point

Cinderdale car park, grid ref: NY162194

Trail information

View route

Print trail

Difficulty*

Accessibility**

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 1.5 (km: 2.4)

Duration1 hour

Dog friendly***

*Steep drops and uphill paths. Take care on grassy tracks when the ground is wet. For further details, please see Terrain section.
**Steep drops and uphill paths. For further details, please see Access section.
***Dogs welcome under close control. For further details, please see Facilities section.

Total stages: 7
Total stages: 7
Start point
Cinderdale car park, grid ref: NY162194
Stage 1
From the start point cross the road and walk uphill for approximately 20yd (18m) to the gate in the wall. Go through the gate and turn right along the path parallel to the wall.
Crummock Water
Take in the views of Crummock Water and Melbreak along the way. Crummock Water is located between the two lakes of Buttermere and Loweswater, with the fells of Grasmoor to the east and Melbreak to the west. The lake, looked after by the National Trust, is fed by Scale Force that is the highest waterfall in the Lake District. It is home to the rare fish known as the Arctic char, as well as a variety of other fish such as perch, pike and brown trout. Views of Crummock Water and Melbreak can be seen throughout the walk.
Stage 2
Continue along the path as it rises and levels out.
Stage 3
Continue along the path to a wall and gate.
Stage 4
Continue until you approach another wall surrounding woodland. The route now drops steeply towards the lake shore. Care should be taken when wet as the ground may be slippery.
Stage 5
At the bottom of the slope turn left and continue along the lakeshore track.
Stage 6
Continue on the path for a short distance, where the path colour darkens to a blackish hue.
Medieval bloomery
A path with a blackish hue is a sign of being near the site of a bloomery, which is a type of furnace used for smelting iron from its oxides. Look to your right on the lake shore and there may be lumps of iron slag exposed. Cinderdale is pitted with numerous depressions in the ground, where iron ore was once smelted in bloomeries or primitive furnaces. These would have been in operation in the medieval period, from around 1066 to 1485. Large amounts of slag from the process can be found here.
Stage 7
A short distance from here the path turns uphill alongside a wall. Follow this to the gate and return to the start point and car park.
End point
Cinderdale car park, grid ref: NY162194
Trail map
The valley of cinders walk trail map, Cumbria | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
You made it
Share your experience

Backpacker sitting on ground looking over lake with trees in foreground and large hills beyond the water

Trail

Lanthwaite Wood and Crummock Water walk

Explore the hills and woodlands on the eastern side of Crummock Water on this circular walk near Buttermere, Lake District.

View from the ridge of Rannerdale Knotts

Trail

Buttermere to Rannerdale walk

This scenic and invigorating Lakeland ridge walk takes you from the Buttermere Valley up to the summit of Rannerdale Knotts, offering impressive views over lakes and high peaks.