Parking
Start at the northern end of Dunmallard Car Park in Pooley Bridge. Toilets and refreshments are available in the village.
Overview
About Dunmallard Wood, Pooley Bridge
Why go
- Flat surfaced path through woodland
- Benches beside the River Eamont
Heads up
- Very short out-and-back
- No summit visit or broad fell panorama
The path sits close to the water, so keep children and dogs in hand at the river edge. Because the walk is so short and fully surfaced, it works well as an add-on to a visit to Pooley Bridge or Ullswater rather than a day's outing on its own.
Parkwolf’s verdictWorth knowingMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation157–169 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 Dunmallard Wood, Pooley Bridge, 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
Ullswater Walks from Pooley Bridge0:00 / 1:06
“You're nearing Pooley Bridge at the northern end of Ullswater, a good place to stop for a short walk beside the lake.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Dacre: The Puzzle of the Stone Bears
- Grey Wagtails: A Flash of Yellow
- Mayburgh: A Monument of River Pebbles
- Daffodils: Dorothy Was There Too
- 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 Dunmallard Wood, Pooley Bridge
The short versionThis is an out-and-back walk of about 0.
This is an out-and-back walk of about 0.30 miles, and that figure is the complete return trip from the car park to the riverside benches and back again. Allow around half an hour if you want to sit a while. It is level and surfaced throughout, so it suits walkers who want woodland and river without any climbing.
How the walk goesStart at Dunmallard Car Park and follow the level path into Dunmallard Wood.
Start at Dunmallard Car Park and follow the level path into Dunmallard Wood. The route runs through ancient woodland with the River Eamont alongside, on level surfaced ground that stays compacted and even. At the far end of the surfaced path there is a seating area beside the river, which is the destination and the payoff: benches, tree cover, and the sound of the Eamont. Then you simply turn around and walk back the way you came.
What it is notDunmallard Hill carries the remains of an Iron Age fort at its summit, but this route does not…
Dunmallard Hill carries the remains of an Iron Age fort at its summit, but this route does not climb to it. There is no summit visit and no open fell panorama here. If you want the hill itself, that is a separate, longer and steeper walk. Take this one for what it is: a very short, accessible riverside stroll.
Wildlife and watchingKeep an eye out for herons along the river and deer in the woodland.
Keep an eye out for herons along the river and deer in the woodland. Sitting quietly on the benches is your best chance of seeing either, so build in a few minutes rather than turning straight back.
Access, dogs and scootersMobility scooters on this route must be class 2 or 3.
- Mobility scooters on this route must be class 2 or 3.
- Dogs are welcome and may be brought along under close control, which matters on a public bridleway shared with horses, wildlife, and other visitors.
- Families with buggies will find the surfaced, level path straightforward.
Parking and facilitiesUse Dunmallard Car Park at Pooley Bridge.
Use Dunmallard Car Park at Pooley Bridge. Toilets and refreshments are in Pooley Bridge itself, a short walk away. If you are coming without a car, bus service 508 runs daily all year between Penrith, Pooley Bridge, Glenridding and Patterdale.
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.
