Gill Force is a pretty little wild swimming spot located in a secluded woodland gorge. It’s a short and very easy walk to get there, yet it remains a quiet and peaceful spot for a dip. The water is crystal clear and when the occasional shaft of light penetrates the forest canopy it takes on a beautiful emerald hue. On a hot day the short walk and guaranteed shade are a winning combination.
Although there are a few different ways of reaching Gill Force, in this guide we’re sharing the quickest route.
The walk to Gill Force
The stats
Distance: 0.8 miles each way
Elevation gain: Flat
Difficulty: Easy
The trail to Gill Force
The best place to park to start the walk is the Dalegarth train station (more details below). From here there are two possible routes to get there, which form a nice little circuit. There is less than 200m difference in length between the two, so you may as well form a loop and see something a little different on the way back.
To start, head left out of the station car park and you’ll have a brief 250m stretch of road walking, but it tends to be quiet and the views are pretty.
You’ll come to a pub - The Brook House Inn - and opposite you’ll see a right hand turn onto a narrow road.
There’s no parking along this road, which is why it’s best to park at the train station. You’ll head along the quiet lane for 500m, it might sound dull, but the surrounds are very scenic and it’s completely flat.
The lane will curve right beside some holiday cottages, and just beyond this there is a wooden gate on the left, where you’ll see a signpost for Gill Force.
Head through the gate and along the gravel path between two stone walls. The craggy fells ahead make this a lovely stretch of track.
You’ll soon pass through a second gate and if you’re walking in summer there are plenty of foxgloves dotted amongst the bracken lined path.
Once you’ve been walking for 1.1km you’ll see a small wooden bridge. Just before this bridge is where you’ll find Gill Force - co-ordinates: 54.3902288, -3.2668263 (or you can click here to find it on Google Maps).
We did continue a little further along the path to see if there was anything else to see and whilst there’s nothing of special note, you can walk for another 200m before hitting a dry stone wall.
Along the way you’ll see two abandoned mine entrances (150m from the bridge) and otherwise it’s just a little stroll along the river and through some nice woodland.
There are three trees down over this section of the trail, so if they haven’t been moved you will have to climb over them.
Swimming at Gill Force
Gill Force is a lovely quiet spot simply to sit and relax, so you definitely don’t have to be planning a swim to enjoy a visit, but if you are keen for a dip you won’t be disappointed. To get down to the pool is the only bit of the walk that isn’t a nice level path.
You will need to scramble down the river bank, which isn’t difficult, but is rocky and uneven. There are plenty of footholds and when dry, it’s not slippery.
There is one ‘path’ which is more trodden down than others, but really you can make your own way down however you think is best.
It only takes a couple of minutes and then you’ll be on a little stony ‘beach’. I assume after a lot of rain this section could be under water, but for us visiting in a dry spell, there was lots of room.
Accessing the pool involves climbing over a few slippery rocks inside the water, so it’s best to take it slowly.
The pool is not overly deep, although the river level was really low on our visit, so it could be deeper in normal times.
There are quite a few rocks in the water to watch out for, so you can’t swim the whole length of the pool, which would actually be pretty big without obstructions. You can get quite a few strokes in though, and I loved the fairytale-like woodland setting. It reminded me a lot of the lower gorge pool at Galleny Force - another must do if you hadn’t visited yet!
The waterfall itself is more like a little cascade, especially when it’s been very dry, the special thing about this spot is definitely the gorge rather than the ‘falls’.
As the pool is very shady the water will feel colder than the exposed pools at places like Tongue Pot, so brace yourself if you’re not used to cold water swimming.
The walk back: completing the circuit
Start by heading back along the same path you came in on, but when you see the wooden gate on the left (200m after Gill Force) take this path.
After 180m along the pretty trail through the woodland you’ll come to the small St Catherine’s Church. It’s in the most gorgeous setting, surrounded by rugged fells.
You can pop inside for a visit, it’s a simple church with some beautiful stained glass windows.
The walk then heads alongside the church on the gravel lane before taking a left towards Dalegarth station (which is signposted). This is a narrow tree covered path which is very scenic and will take you to the road after 320m.
You’ll walk for 100m along this road before heading right, on the road back to the station. After 150m you’ll see a little path on the left leading down a few steps and into the station car park. This whole return route from Gill Force is just 950m.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the park, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Parking for Gill Force
The best place to park for this particular route to Gill Force is Dalegarth train station, postcode CA19 1TG. The car park is large and they have toilets inside the main building, as well as food and drink if needed.
Parking costs £2.50 for two hours, which is more than enough time to enjoy Gill Force. You can pay £5 for all day parking, but that’s not really necessary here.
Getting to Gill Force
By Car
Gill Force is located in Eskdale and to reach the parking area takes around 1 hour 15 from Ambleside, the same for Keswick and an hour from Cockermouth. It’s easy to combine a trip here with a visit to nearby Stanley Ghyll Waterfall as the car park for this walk is only a few minutes away.
By Public Transport
Getting to Gill Force by public transport requires a lot of changes if you are based in the main towns in the Lake District (Ambleside, Windermere etc) and it isn’t cheap.
The only way to visit by public transport is to get the train from Ravenglass to Dalegarth station and costs £20 for a return ticket. The timetable changes throughout the year, so click here to find out the departure times for your visit.
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