Grasmere to Alcock Tarn

This walk is a circular route that begins and ends in Grasmere. The high number of cafés in the village make this walk an ideal choice for those who like to encourage their younger walkers with the promise of a treat at the end. The walk will take you past William Wordsworth’s old home and into the fells above it, possibly retracing the steps taken by the poet himself 200 years ago.

Sadly, when this guide was produced, the weather was not so kind, but on a clear day the ascent up to the tarn offers up sweeping views of Grasmere village and lake, along with the surrounding fells, including Helm Crag and a glimpse of the Langdale Pikes in the distance. Alcock Tarn is a lovely picnic spot, tucked behind some crags around half way up Heron Pike, making it relatively sheltered.

The Start of the Walk

The easiest car park to use for this walk is the pay and display car park at Stock Lane, but there are a number of alternatives available. The walk begins at Dove Cottage, so from Stock Lane car park you will need to head out of the car park and turn left, heading back towards the A591 and out of Grasmere.

Cross over the A591 and take the road that runs along the back of Dove Cottage (signposted for pedestrians to access the cottage). Walk up this road, passing several cottages as you do. Ignore the first turning on the left, and take the second, signposted as “No Through Road”. Walk along here and you will see a bench on your left and a path with signpost marking the way to Alcock Tarn. Take this path off the road.

Through Woodland

Follow the path as it gently ascends and you will come to a point where two walls almost meet ahead of you. On your left there is a gate in the wall with the name “Wood Close”. The path leads you through the gap where the walls meet and just beyond the walls on the left there is a gate with a National Trust sign for Brackenfell.

Go through the gate. The path leads up through woodland before reaching another gate. Beyond this there is further woodland to ascend through and you will start to get glimpses of Grasmere through the trees as you climb.

The Gentleman’s Pond

The woodland path eventually comes to a junction with the option to turn right or left. There is a small waypost with two arrows. The arrow pointing left marks a permitted route, whilst the arrow pointing right marks the public right of way. Turn right here.

After a short distance you will come to what will initially seem to be an unusual feature. A manmade pond seemingly sits randomly alongside the path. However, at one point in the past, this area was, according to the National Trust, a gentleman’s landscaped garden, complete with pond. The path continues to wind up the hill, and from this point it does start to get steep at times.

Climbing Up the Fell

You will now begin a reasonably arduous stretch up the fell side, with a mixture of gravel and pitched paths. As you climb, more and more of Grasmere becomes visible, along with Helm Crag and the other fells. There are stone walls to your right and the path takes you through another National Trust gate. Thankfully, there are benches available to grab a quick rest. Keep following the public right of way signs on the main path.

Grey Crag

As you climb up, Grey Crag, a rocky outcrop, will be ahead of you. You will arrive at the base of the crag and there is a small stone bridge over the stream to cross. Go over the bridge and the path leads off to your left, going around the left hand side of the crag as you look at it. There is an alternative path to your right that ascends steeply up the right hand side of the crag. You can take either, but the left hand route is easier for smaller legs.

The Gap in the Wall

The path leads up and around the crag. At the top of this section, before you start to descend towards the tarn, you will find some of the best views of the lake and fells. Keep following the path as it veers round to the right. At this point, the path is less clear and is little more than a muddy track that descends gently, but if you head towards the stone wall you will notice a gap in the wall ahead, and this is where you need to head to. Go through the gap and continue to follow the path straight ahead, where you will see the southern end of the tarn in front of you.

Alcock Tarn

Alcock Tarn is a pleasant place to stop and have a picnic, particularly as it offers a little shelter, being in a slight dip. During the summer months, you can paddle here. The path leads along the western shore of the tarn with a wall to the left of the path.

At the far end of the tarn there is another wall with a gate to go through. Take this gate to begin the ascent back down to Grasmere. The path follows a stream to your right before it begins to drop more steeply, winding down the fell side. Children may need to be supervised here in case of tripping, though there are no drops to worry about.

Forestside Plantation

Keep following the path as it winds down and you will see a patch of mature coniferous woodland ahead of you, identified as Forestside Plantation on OS maps. If you lose the path at any point, just keep heading towards the woodland. Eventually you will reach the edge of the woodland and will need to turn right along its boundary, and then left, to go around the edge of the woodland and continue descending down.

After you have turned left you will notice Greenhead Gill, a stream on your right, running down the fellside. Ahead, crossing the stream, part of the Thirlmere pipeline is visible. This impressive piece of engineering brings water from Thirlmere to Manchester using gravity alone, and was completed in 1894.

Returning to Grasmere

Pass a bench on your right and the path then meets a wall before dropping down to the right, towards the stream. There is a footbridge to cross over and once over the bridge you will need to turn left. Go through a gate and head left onto the very narrow lane. At the end of this lane, turn left, and this will take you to the back of the Macdonald Swan hotel which lies just north of Grasmere village centre.

The best way to return to the village centre is to cross over the A591 and turn left, heading south. Take the second footpath on your right and follow it through fields back to Stock Lane car park. This route avoids walking along the roads into the village with no pavements.