Waterfalls- Stock Ghyll Force, Ambleside ++

by Neil Tanner
10 months ago
Near Waterhead, GB

18 views

This walk to the waterfalls is the closest and shortest, as it is straight out of Ambleside centr. Just to the top of Stock Ghyll Force waterfall and back is less than 2 miles & probably only 1.5 I reckon.
However, I have plotted this as an overal bigger easy hike of just over 3 miles In total from Ambleside Mannor, where we often stay.
Ideal short one on the last morning before heading home,

You start on Cheapside lane just behind the ‘Grain cafe. And a steap-ish lane for only 500 mtrs and then turn off left on to the wooded track..
This start is the same as the start for the big Wansfell Pike, which is a very steap tough bugger of over 8 miles we did 2024 with F&E.
See other route saved.
There are fabulous viewing points on this falls route, on the way up, 2 in fact that look right up into the main falls, which drop over 75 feet in 3 stages ( fab, if you catch it after good rainfall, as we did. There is a little bit of mud and water in places, but no real problems.
The first half to the Falls are all up of course, but not wildly hard, as it tracks up along the side of Wansfell pike, along Stock Ghyll lane at first. There are signs to the falls as well.

So I have plotted this hike as 2 in one. The basic 1.5 miles of Falls is via the short loop, crossing over the Ghyll at the top falls and then the lower bridge, effectively completing a short loop and then heading back down on Stock Ghyll Lane However, the extended hike means you loop back to the top bridge across the Ghyll and approx 50’ before the bridge, there is a wall to the right that you cross via a step ladder and then the stepping stones across the small field to the track, which is end of Stock Ghyll Lane and follow the track on the rest of the route.
We have done the short waterfalls route, but not the extended route yet.