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Walks from Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary)

18 routes and 5 fells within about 5 km of Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary), nearest first. Each fell carries today’s conditions and the bus where there is one. Planning the trip? See the full Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary) guide for parking, buses and where to stay.

Walking routes near Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary)

Effort is the size of the day, from the distance and the climb; each route’s own page grades the steepness, navigation, exposure and ground underfoot, and names the hardest.

• Tarn Hows circuit →Start 0.5 km away2.92 km~61 m~½–1 hModerate: navigation🏞️ Easy & familyWalked in partPark: Tarn Hows (NT, paid) · Bus: 505, 1.4 km walk from Holling Brow (near)A gentle circuit of one of the Lake District's prettiest tarns, ringed by pines with the Coniston and Langdale fells beyond. Easy underfoot, with National Trust parking, toilets and a seasonal refreshment van.
• Holme Fell and Black Fell →Start 0.6 km away13.74 km~614 m~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Moderate: distance and steepnessWalked June 2023Park: Tarn Hows (NT, paid) · Bus: 505, 1.2 km walk from Holling Brow (near)Two low wooded tops between Coniston and Tarn Hows, and a fine half-day when the high fells are under cloud — nothing above 323 m, though 50 path junctions near the line mean it pays to keep track of which one you are on.
• Holme Fell and Black Crag from Tarn Hows →Start 0.6 km away12.91 km~785 m~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Hard: steepnessPlannedPark: Tarn Hows (NT, paid) · Bus: 505, 1.2 km walk from Holling Brow (near)
• Wetherlam by Birk Fell →Start 1.9 km away8.22 km~633 m~2½–3¾ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessPlannedPark: Tilberthwaite (paid) · Bus: 505, 3.5 km walk from Monk Coniston, at HallA loop of about 8.2 km from Low Tilberthwaite, with about 630 m of climbing: on to Birk Fell, steeply up beside Wetherlam Edge to the top of Wetherlam, down the broad ridge to the south, and back to Low Tilberthwaite by the path beside Tilberthwaite Gill.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 39%.
• The Tilberthwaite Birketts →Start 1.9 km away5.26 km~307 m~1½–2¼ hEasy effort Hard: steepness and navigationPlannedPark: Tilberthwaite (paid) · Bus: 505, 3.5 km walk from Monk Coniston, at HallA short loop of about 5.3 km from Low Tilberthwaite, with about 310 m of climbing: up the public footpath beside Tilberthwaite Gill, across open ground over four Birketts, Blake Rigg, Haystacks, Hawk Rigg and High Fell, then round below Great Intake and down by Blake Rigg Gill.
• The Old Man of Coniston, up and down from Coniston →Start 3 km away8.81 km~759 m~3–4¼ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessWalked in partPark: Coniston, Ruskin Avenue (paid) · Bus: 505 at the startA loop of about 8.8 km from the middle of Coniston to the top of the Old Man of Coniston (802 m) and back, with about 760 m of climbing: out along the Walna Scar Road and up the fell's south side by Little Arrow Edge, then down the main path past Low Water Quarry and Coniston Waterfall into the village.
• The Sun Pub Walk (Coniston) →Start 3 km away6.42 km~202 m~1½–2¼ hModerate: terrain🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedPark: Coniston, Ruskin Avenue (paid) · Bus: 505 at the startA short circuit from the door of The Sun in Coniston: 6.4 km with around 200 m of climbing, on the east side of the village. Our description of the way round is being rewritten to match the track; until then, follow the map and the GPX.
• West Side of Coniston →Start 3.2 km away5.8 km~27 m~1–1¾ hModerate: navigation🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedOut and back · Park: Coniston (layby) · Bus: 505, 660 m walk from Coniston, outside John Ruskin SchoolAn out-and-back of about 5.8 km from the lake end of Lake Road in Coniston, with a short loop where it turns, on permissive cycle paths, surfaced and compacted tracks and lanes, with almost no climbing (about 30 m).
• Coniston Old Man Round →Start 3.3 km away16.1 km~1155 m~5–7 hHard effort Severe: steepnessWalked August 2024Park: Coniston Station car park (paid) · Bus: 505, 520 m walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin CentreA satisfying round of the Coniston fells, and a simpler approach to the Old Man than my longer outing. From Coniston it climbs to the Old Man itself, then follows the high ridge over Brim Fell and Swirl How and back over Wetherlam, with an out-and-back to Grey Friar along the way, which the distance and climb include. You can extend it further by adding Dow Crag. Big views over the southern fells and the sea, old copper-mine history underfoot, and a proper mountain feel without the biggest mileage.Measured from the GPX track: the distance.
• North of Coniston Birketts →Start 3.3 km away7.96 km~494 m~2¼–3¼ hModerate effort Hard: steepness and navigationWalked in partPark: Coniston Station car park (paid) · Bus: 505, 500 m walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin CentreThree Birketts on the Yewdale fells north of Coniston — Long Crag, High Wythow and Low Wythow — on a short but steep loop. Steep for the legs (one descent of about 34% over 250 m), harder for the map: faint paths and a clear-day-only navigation challenge, rewarded with rarely-trodden tops and a fine view over Coniston Water.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest descent, about 34% over 250 m. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
• Slater Bridge & Cathedral Cave →Start 3.5 km away2.2 km~92 m~½–1 hModerate: navigation🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedBus: 516, 2.2 km walk from Elterwater, opposite The Britannia InnA short loop from Little Langdale over the slate Slater Bridge and up to Cathedral Quarry, a disused slate quarry on National Trust land. The Trust warns of unprotected sheer drops, deep water and a chance of rockfall at the quarry, and asks visitors to bring a torch. The Trust says there is no parking at the quarry itself; this walk starts beside the Three Shires Inn, whose car park is for its customers. Uneven, rocky ground in places.
• Hawkshead into the woods →Start 3.6 km away7.54 km~283 m~1¾–2¾ hModerate: steepness, terrain and navigation🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedPark: Hawkshead Car & Coach Park (paid) · Bus: 505 at the startA woodland circuit from Beatrix Potter’s Hawkshead that climbs to the great cairn on Latterbarrow — a little fell with a big reward, looking clean down Windermere and across to the Coniston fells — then drops back through the trees. Dappled and dog-friendly, with a proper viewpoint in the middle.
• The Coniston Horseshoe →Start 4.4 km away20.8 km~1333 m~6¼–8½ hSevere effort Severe: distanceWalked in partPark: Walna Scar Road, Coniston (paid, rough track) · Bus: 505, 1.8 km walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin CentreThe full Coniston Horseshoe — the grand ~21 km, ~1,330 m round of seven Wainwrights above Coniston: Wetherlam, the steep Prison Band onto Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, the Old Man of Coniston and Dow Crag. The big day out; for the shorter version see the <a href="/routes/coniston-old-man-round.html">Coniston Old Man round</a>.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 31%.
• Dow Crag without the Old Man →Start 4.4 km away11.88 km~630 m~3¼–4¾ hModerate effort Hard: steepness and navigationPlannedPark: Walna Scar Road, Coniston (paid, rough track) · Bus: 505, 1.8 km walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin CentreA loop of about 11.9 km from the Walna Scar Road car park above Coniston, with about 630 m of climbing: out along the Walna Scar Road, up a public footpath past Goat's Water to Goat's Hawse and the top of Dow Crag, along the ridge over Buck Pike and Brown Pike, out over Walna Scar to White Maiden and back, and down the Walna Scar Road.
• Elterwater riverside loop →Start 4.9 km away4.25 km~91 m~1–1½ hModerate: terrain🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedPark: Elterwater (NT, paid) · Bus: 516 at the startA short loop from Elterwater village, partly beside Great Langdale Beck — easy, pretty and quick, with the Langdale Pikes ahead. A gentle leg-stretch or a lazy family afternoon.
• Loughrigg Tarn & Loughrigg Fell →Start 4.9 km away9.75 km~382 m~2½–3½ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessPlannedPark: Elterwater (NT, paid) · Bus: 516 at the startA big little walk: the classic loop taking in reed-fringed Loughrigg Tarn and the knobbly top of Loughrigg Fell, with one of the finest low-level views in the Lakes — Windermere, Grasmere and the Langdale Pikes all at once. Under 400 m of climb but one short, steep descent of about 46% over 250 m, endlessly varied, and grand for dogs.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest descent, about 46% over 250 m.
• Lingmoor Fell from Elterwater →Start 4.9 km away11.51 km~489 m~3–4¼ hModerate effort Moderate: distance, steepness, terrain, navigation and exposurePlannedPark: Elterwater (NT, paid) · Bus: 516 at the startThe best low fell in Langdale, and the one that shows you the valley properly. Lingmoor sits between Great and Little Langdale, so the Pikes rear up across the dale in front of you the whole way along the ridge. Side Pike at the far end throws in a famous rock squeeze. Half the effort of the big Langdale rounds and arguably a better view of them.
• Elterwater & Skelwith Force →Start 4.9 km away7.6 km~164 m~1¾–2½ hModerate: navigation🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedPark: Elterwater (NT, paid) · Bus: 516 at the startA riverside walk from pretty Elterwater past Skelwith Force to the reedy shores of Elter Water, with the Langdale Pikes filling the skyline — gentle, varied and largely level.

Fells within about 5 km

• Holme Fell →1 km away316 m~2–2½ h🚌 BusDecent · 66 · rated on 27 OctoberDry, firm underfootHolme Fell at 316m (1,036ft) is a delightful, craggy little summit above Yewdale near Coniston, its rocky outcrops of Uskdale Gap and Ivy Crag providing surprisingly varied and interesting walking for such a modest height.
• Black Fell →2.5 km away323 m~2–2½ h🚌 BusDecent · 68 · rated on 27 OctoberDry, firm underfootBlack Fell at 323m (1,060ft) is a small, heathery summit above Tarn Hows, its top giving fine views of this most popular of Lakeland beauty spots.
• Wetherlam →3.6 km away763 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsWetherlam at 763m (2,503ft) is the eastern buttress of the Coniston Fells, a broad, craggy summit that Wainwright described as giving some of the best views of the Helvellyn range of any southern fell.
• Latterbarrow →4.6 km away244 mLatterbarrow at 244m (801ft) is a delightful, craggy little summit above Hawkshead, its rocky top — marked by a tall stone obelisk — giving outstanding views of Esthwaite Water and the surrounding wooded country.
• Swirl How →4.9 km away802 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsSwirl How at 802m (2,633ft) is the central hub of the Coniston Fells, from whose summit the ridges radiate like spokes to the Old Man, Wetherlam, Grey Friar and Great Carrs.

2 of the fells here are rated good to climb on 27 October — see live conditions →
A prediction from our daily fell score, not a guarantee — always check the mountain forecast before you go. Our daily score covers the Wainwrights only, so the one Outlying fell here has no rating. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab).

Distances are straight-line from the centre of Tom Gill waterfalls (Glen Mary) — ‘within ~5 km’ means as the crow flies, not that the walk necessarily starts there. Always plan your own route and check the bus before you travel.