Hayeswater Gill has a series of stunning cascade pools and waterfalls that lead up to a spectacular tarn. It’s a wild swimmers delight with endlessly stunning scenery, yet it’s every bit the hidden gem.
The walk reminded me a little of the Sour Milk Ghyll and Easedale Tarn track, yet few people have ever heard of it. This part of the Lakes is very quiet and despite the fact we visited several times in August, we barely saw another soul and no one at all at the waterfall pools.
If that sounds like your kind of place, here’s what to expect on the trail.
The walk to Hayeswater Gill and tarn
The stats
Distance: 2.8 mile (4.5km) loop
Elevation gain: 250m including the tarn
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
Trailhead: Hartsop car park
Summary: This walk has a significant amount of climbing if you want to visit the tarn as well as the waterfalls. It’s steep in places, but the track is mainly a gravel road, so the terrain is good. There is much less climbing involved if you only want to visit the waterfall pools.
There isn’t a maintained track for the waterfalls, you need to branch off the main path and then make your way along social trails and cut up and down grassy hills depending on which pools you want to visit.
Our favourite has a minor scramble involved to access it.
Starting the trail: up the gravel track
From the Hartsop car park (full parking details below) you head up the wide gravel road - it’s not open to the public so you don’t need to worry about cars. Whilst a farm track is not the most exciting of paths, the incredible scenery more than makes up for it.
The fells loom large and the picturesque dry stone walls add to the charm. It is pretty much uphill from the off, but the gradient is not too sharp at first.
You’ll reach a gate after 500m and this is where the path forks. If you were simply heading to the tarn via the well maintained gravel track you would head right here.
You can still head right to go to the waterfalls pools, but it’s a steeper route, so there’s no benefit to it unless you want to get a little more exercise!
Reaching the waterfall pools
To head along the easier route to the pools you would bear left, still heading uphill. After approximately 750m you will see a house and just before the house you need to take the path on the right. The next short section of track can get muddy, but for the most part there are stones you can use to avoid the worst of it.
Roughly 100m after you turned right you will come to a fun little stile, made of slate, and you need to climb it to reach the bridge, 50m further up the trail.
Once you have crossed the bridge you will see the first cascades and from here it’s a make your own adventure type of place.
There are mini cascade pools almost immediately, but some larger pools lie further upstream. For some of the way there is a dirt track leading uphill, which is rocky in places, but generally pretty decent.
Our favourite pool is around 400m from the bridge, most of which is uphill. You are aiming for these coordinates: 54.5086209, -2.8911349 and you can use the photos below to identify what the waterfall looks like from above (the trees hide your exact route down to the pool until you’re very close to it).
When you can see the falls you’ll need to leave the stony social path and cut across the grass. This is very steep in places so go carefully, especially if it’s wet.
There is a very minor amount of marshy land around, but it was avoidable for us visiting in August when it hadn’t been too wet.
To get to the pool you’ll need to navigate a minor scramble. It’s just a few steps, but it’s rocky and a bit eroded, however, there are some tree roots there to give extra stability.
Do go carefully if it’s wet and watch for loose soil which could give way. You’ll then arrive at a large rocky area in front of the waterfall.
The waterfall pool
It’s not the first pool you’ll see along the gill, but it is the largest up to this point and it’s entirely shrouded from view by the trees. This means you are highly unlikely to share it with anyone else. The waterfall is a decent size, but it’s the luminous emerald water that really steals the show. It’s crystal clear and utterly captivating on a sunny day.
Entering the pool is easy, the only slightly tricky bit is that mini scramble to get down to the rocks, so once on the rocks you can simply step down into the water. It gets deep almost immediately, but you won’t be out of your depth as you first step in.
The pool is small and made more so by the volume of water coming in from the waterfall, but there’s enough room to swim a few strokes and just enjoy being in the stunning surrounds.
As soon as you step away from the rocks in the shallower edge of the pool it becomes deep and there is some current from the force of the waterfall.
The water was fairly warm in summer and it was very special not to see another soul despite visiting on a busy August weekend.
Continuing to the tarn
The tarn is just 800m beyond the waterfall pool and it’s so worth the little bit of extra exertion. To get there you need to head back up to the main path. The climb back to the gravel track is very steep.
It’s basically straight up the grassy hill with no set path. I went up the steepest bit because I don’t like traversing on steep terrain, though the shallower route would be reached via traversing slightly right.
Either way, after just a few minutes you’ll reach the stony dirt path leading left and then you’re just a few metres away from the main gravel road again.
Keep following the road uphill and you will see many extra waterfalls. The first one is around 300m from the waterfall pool and has grassy access most of the way down.
It’s a very quick and easy descent along the grass and then there are a couple of rocks to climb down to access the pool. This pool is even smaller than the first one and visible from the trail, so it doesn’t have that secluded feel. It is still gorgeous though and worth a plunge.
Once back on the main track you’ll continue uphill. There are more falls and small pools, but most are more difficult to access, requiring some scrambling.
You’ll reach the shores of the tarn 800m after leaving the main waterfall pool.
Swimming at Hayeswater
Hayeswater is one of my favourite tarns in the Lakes, especially on a bright sunny day when the water shimmers a vibrant blue.
The surrounding fells and extensive ridge line of High Street encircle the lake, giving it a grand feel. It’s simply sensational, whether you’re looking for a proper swim, picnic on the grassy verge, or simply to sit and admire its timeless beauty.
I opted for the former and it didn’t disappoint. The only downside is you need to get over some very rocky ground in shallow water to reach the deeper water. It’s alway a bit of an awkward shuffle, but it’s a small price to pay for the chance to swim in deep uninterrupted water surrounded by such incredible mountain scenery.
After the rocky section there is some weedy water that you can pretty much swim through before it’s totally clear, so don’t be put off before you make it to the deep water because the pay off is great. We’d been visiting a lot of small waterfall pools and it was such a treat to be able to swim properly here.
Once you’re ready to leave the lake, if you don’t want to continue up to High Street, you simply retrace your steps back to the car park. It’s pretty much all downhill on the way back and the good terrain makes for an easy descent.
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 area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Parking for Hayeswater Gill
The car park for Hayeswater Gill is located in the village of Hartsop, postcode CA11 0NY, you can see it here on Google maps. The car park is currently free of charge and while not very big, we didn’t have trouble parking in August.
Hartsop is just over a 20 minute drive from Windermere, 55 minutes from Keswick and 35 minutes from Kendal.
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