Tarn Hows Circular Walk

From the car park you cross the road onto a track and follow the tarn clockwise. At a junction you can either stay on the level surfaced path or take the gate on the left, which climbs to an upper track and a short-stay viewing car park with a wider outlook over the water. The route then crosses a road through a gate and follows a field with the tarn on your right before descending to the main car park. The reward is spread through the walk rather than saved for the end: open water on one side, planted conifers and broadleaves framing the views, and rising fell ground beyond.

• Mostly wide, firm, well-maintained gravel, easy underfoot.
• Gradual inclines and declines with a few short steeper ascents and descents.
• Occasional tree roots and larger stones, so watch your feet on the rougher stretches.
• Heights along the way sit roughly between 195 and 230 m, so nothing is sustained, though the circuit is not flat throughout.
• The field section can be muddy in bad weather, and the road is the alternative if it is churned up.

• A National Trust walk, signposted from the B5285 between Coniston and Hawkshead Hill. The approach road is unsuitable for large coaches.
• The main lakeside path is suitable for wheelchairs, and Tramper mobility vehicles can be arranged in advance.
• Toilets at the car park, including an accessible toilet and baby changing.
• Dogs are welcome on short leads. Livestock graze year-round, especially sheep, so keep dogs close and use the gates properly.
• No overnight camping.

What looks natural here is a designed landscape, shaped in 1865 from three separate tarns into one sheet of water, with trees planted around it. The site has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1965. Its nutrient-poor water supports a diverse aquatic flora and the margins hold rare mire habitats, which is a good reason to keep to the made paths. Belted Galloway cattle and Herdwick sheep graze nearby ground, so expect gates and stock along the way.

Easy footing and a well-known view mean this circuit is busy at popular times, and parking pressure is the main practical constraint. The field crossing is the weak link after rain. If you want more effort, tree cover and moving water, the Tom Gill approach is a more challenging woodland and waterfall route to the same tarn.