Haweswater to Small Water Tarn

Haweswater is a reservoir that lies on the eastern edge of the Lake District. It’s one of the national park’s least visited lakes. It’s hard to get to, there’s very little parking, and no café or public toilets. However, for the people who do make the long journey to get to Haweswater, its isolation is part of its charm. During the peak tourist season, this is a great spot to go to in order to avoid the crowds.

This walk begins at the southern end of Haweswater where there is a small, free car park. It follows a gravel and rocky path to Small Water Tarn, a splendid and tranquil place where children can paddle and everyone can enjoy a picnic. The path isn’t suitable for pushchairs, but a three-year-old should be able to manage the walk with no problem, with younger children being able to go in a carrier. The route is easy to follow but there are several small streams to cross, so good boots or wellies are recommended.

Getting to Mardale Head

Haweswater can be accessed via a narrow road from the village of Bampton, with access to Bampton possible either from Shap or Askham, depending on your starting location. The lake is signposted in Bampton, but if you prefer to use a sat nav then the post code for the Haweswater Hotel is CA10 2RP. This will get you to the hotel that sits around half way along the lake.

To get to Mardale Head, where the car park is located, simply follow the lake road until its end at the car park. Parking is limited here to around 20 cars. If parking on the road, do be careful to keep passing places clear. The car park has views of the lake and, in the distance, if the water levels are particularly low, the remains of the flooded village of Mardale can be seen.

The Start of the Walk

Once parked, turn away from the lake and you will see a gate ahead, signposted for Gatescarth Pass. Head through the gate and after a few metres you will see that the path splits into three. The left hand path is signposted for Gatescarth, the right hand path is signposted for Riggindale, and the middle path is signposted for Nan Bield Pass.

It is this middle path that you need to take. Follow the path as it leads gradually up and you will come to the first stream to cross. It is fairly shallow and flat (akin to a deep puddle), but be aware that rocks may be slippery underfoot.

Through the Farmland

The path now leads gently upwards and at this stage is remains a fairly well maintained track. Do look back at times to admire the view of Haweswater this extra height now gives you. You will shortly come to a gate to go through. If you have a dog, do check for the presence of any grazing livestock once you enter the gate.

A little beyond the gate there is another small stream to cross, this one slightly trickier than the first as there are stepping stones that can be slippery. The path now becomes considerably narrower and more uneven. There is a second stream to cross, again with stepping stones. Waterfalls become visible in the distance.

The Waterfalls

The path becomes quite steep shortly before a gate. Smaller children may need help to scramble over the rocks here. Go through the gate and the path now straddles a series of waterfalls that plunge down the hillside. If the weather has been particularly wet then much of the path will be under very shallow water, and its here that wellies and walking boots will really help. The path zig zags up the hill side and again, if you turn around you are rewarded with delightful views of Haweswater.

Small Water Tarn

The path leads up over a mound and on the other side of the mound you will see Small Water Tarn directly ahead. The tarn is encircled by steep craggy fells on the opposite side. Drop down to the tarn and where the path ends there is a small beach on the left hand side that is ideal for picnics. On the right hand side, there are a series of stepping stones to take you across the top of the beck that fed the waterfalls you passed.

Although the way back is to simply retrace your steps, it’s worth crossing the stepping stones to explore the area above the waterfall, as this gives the best views of the tarn and the surrounding landscape.