Parking
From Braithwaite, follow the Whinlatter Pass (B5292) to the signed Noble Knott car park on the left, just after a lay-by on the right. The trail starts by the picnic area and information board.
Overview
About Masmill Beck Trail
Why go
- Short loop with a genuine Bassenthwaite viewpoint
- Ancient oak woodland beside the beck
Heads up
- Steps and uneven ground limit mobility access
- Much of the return uses a forest road
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation198–273 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Masmill Beck Trail, 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
Noble Knott: Two Short Woodland Loops0:00 / 0:53
“You're getting close to Noble Knott, a quieter woodland starting point for the Heavy Sides and Masmill Beck trails.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Braithwaite: Coledale Ridge or Mine Walk
- Whinlatter: Beck Walk or Summit View
- Barf and Lord's Seat from Powter How
- Causey Pike: Scramble and Ridge Loop
- 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 Masmill Beck Trail
The BasicsA closed loop of 2 km (1.25 miles) total, usually walked in about 45 minutes.
A closed loop of 2 km (1.25 miles) total, usually walked in about 45 minutes. It is graded Moderate officially, and sits around 3/10 for overall effort here because it is so short, though the climbing is genuinely steep in places. Nothing here is technical, but shoes with grip make the descent more comfortable.
How It GoesStart at the Noble Knott car park and picnic site, a quiet spot compared with the main forest…
- Start at the Noble Knott car park and picnic site, a quiet spot compared with the main forest hub.
- Follow the waymarked route through ancient oak woodland around Masmill Beck and Noble Knott.
- Meet the forest road, then curve back toward the car park.
- The payoff comes near the end: views over Bassenthwaite Lake on the return leg.
Footing and DifficultyThe surface is a mix of forest roads and surfaced footpaths.
The surface is a mix of forest roads and surfaced footpaths. Expect sections that are steep, narrow and uneven, with steps. It is not recommended for Trampers or off-road scooters.
WildlifeThe wider forest is home to red squirrels, so it is worth watching the canopy, though sightings…
The wider forest is home to red squirrels, so it is worth watching the canopy, though sightings are never a given.
Access, Parking and DogsTrailhead is the Noble Knott car park just off the Whinlatter Pass (B5292), with a signed…
- Trailhead is the Noble Knott car park just off the Whinlatter Pass (B5292), with a signed entrance.
- Coming from Braithwaite, the car park is on the left, marked by a green signpost, shortly after a lay-by on the right.
- It is a public forest walking trail with no permit needed.
- Dogs are welcome under the forest code: keep them under control and clean up after them.
If You Want MoreThe Heavy Sides Trail leaves the same car park and runs a little longer at 2.
The Heavy Sides Trail leaves the same car park and runs a little longer at 2.5 km, climbing through conifers along the forest boundary. There is also a 2.5 km Words in the Woods circular, but it is not waymarked, so bring the map for that one.
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.
