Lodore Falls Waterfall

A popular Lake District destination since Victorian times, this waterfall on Watendlath Beck is located at the southern tip of Derwentwater. Take the B5289 from Keswick signposted Borrowdale and Buttermere. The falls are located directly behind the Lodore Hotel, which offers parking only to guests, so your best bet is to park in the National Trust Kettlewell parking area at the southern end of Derwentwater. Warning! This parking area can be extremely crowded in summer, so plan on getting here early or late in the day. Free parking for National Truist members.

Cross the road from the parking area and take the signposted trail to the south, runnning parallel to the road. The way is clear, and the walk passes through some lovely woodland before climbing very slightly to reach the falls.

There is a park bench on a clear hillock which allows easy viewing of the falls, or you can opt to get much closer if you choose. There is no fencing, so visitors can get as close to the falls as they wish. All the obvious warnings apply - the rocks at the base of the falls can be slippery, so please take care. Your reward, however, is a wonderful view of the falls, which are spectacular after a period of wet weather.

The falls were made famous by poet Robert Southey, whose poem 'The Cataract at Lodore' gave us the modern spelling of the fall's name. Perhaps a line or two will suffice to give you a flavour ...

... dashing and flashing and splashing and clashing;
And so never ending, but always descending,
Sounds and motions for ever and ever are blending
All at once and all o'er, with a mighty uproar, -
And this way the water comes down at Lodore.