Parking
Use one of Grasmere's public pay-and-display car parks, including the facilities on Stock Lane or College Street, then walk to St Oswald's Church on Church Stile. The church is the route start, not a trail car park.
Overview
About Alcock Tarn Walk
A circular walk of 3.7 miles (5.92 km), usually taking 2 to 3 hours at a steady pace, with around 306 m of ascent. It starts and finishes at St Oswald's Church on Church Stile in Grasmere, and it is graded moderate. Dogs are welcome, and no permit is needed.
Why go
- A genuine loop with a mountain tarn and varied terrain
- Historic landmarks give the return extra interest
Heads up
- Steep, rough ground and wet sections demand sure footing
- Parking is separate from the church start
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation65–367 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Lake District alerts
- ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
- ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake District Tour Guide
Your drive to Alcock Tarn Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Grasmere: Riverside, Gingerbread and Lake0:00 / 1:20
“You're nearing Grasmere village, where you can combine a walk beside the River Rothay with a stop for the local gingerbread.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Wordsworth Grasmere: Inside Dove Cottage
- Easedale Tarn: Waterfalls from Grasmere
- Rydal Water and Cave from White Moss
- Mill Bridge: Seat Sandal and the Grasmere View
- 298 audio storiesacross Lake District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Eurasian Otter, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 265 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Alcock Tarn Walk
The ClimbFrom the church you walk out through the village, cross the A591 with care, then follow a minor…
From the church you walk out through the village, cross the A591 with care, then follow a minor road and path toward Greenhead Gill. The climbing begins in earnest here: steep in places, with rocky and uneven fellside and a set of zigzags to gain height. A bench part way up makes a good excuse to stop and look back over Grasmere and its lake.
Alcock Tarn and the ReturnThe last stretch to the top is rugged, and the ground around the tarn can be wet or boggy after…
The last stretch to the top is rugged, and the ground around the tarn can be wet or boggy after rain. Alcock Tarn itself is a small mountain tarn set in open fell, with wide views out across the valley. The return keeps to the far side of the water, then drops on rough ground past a gate and gap, another bench, a small manmade pond and into woodland. A little stone bridge leads back down past Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth house and museum area before the village.
Stories Along the WayGreenhead Ghyll was worked as a lead mine in Elizabethan times.
- Greenhead Ghyll was worked as a lead mine in Elizabethan times.
- The Thirlmere aqueduct beneath this landscape carries Lakeland water south toward Manchester.
- A coffin stone in the village marks the old funeral route walked from Ambleside to Grasmere.
Getting There and ParkingThere is no car park at the church, which is simply the start point.
There is no car park at the church, which is simply the start point. Use the pay-and-display public car parks around Grasmere, including those at Stock Lane and College Street, then walk into the village centre. Public toilets are available in the village and at Allan Bank.
Good to KnowThis is a proper fell walk rather than a village stroll.
This is a proper fell walk rather than a village stroll. Expect steep gradients, loose rock, uneven footing and damp ground near the tarn, and wear boots with grip. It is not suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs or anyone with limited mobility. Take a windproof layer, as the top is open and exposed even on calm days in the valley.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake District
81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
