Easedale Tarn

The walk up

From Grasmere village, the lane and path lead up Easedale to the foot of Sourmilk Gill, which tumbles down the fellside in a series of white falls — the walk climbs beside it, steepening over rougher, rockier ground, before levelling out at the tarn in its hollow. It's a there-and-back of about 7 km (4.5 miles) with a steady climb; allow a good 2½–3 hours with stops. Good boots help — the upper path is rocky and often wet. From the tarn you can extend onto the fells, or continue up to little Codale Tarn just above.

Wild swimming

Easedale is one of the classic Grasmere wild swims — a proper mountain tarn, deep and clear, in a wild bowl with the crags reflected. The shore gives reasonable entries, and the depth means it's a real swim rather than a paddle. It's also very cold, all year: get in slowly, never jump in, and watch for the gasp of cold-water shock in the first minute. There's no help nearby and the walk out is long, so swim well within yourself, keep an early-season dip short, and have warm layers ready. Follow Leave No Trace on this much-loved, busy path.

When to go

Time it for the water: after heavy rain or spring snowmelt, Sourmilk Gill is in full spate and the climb beside the thundering falls is a highlight of the day. Summer brings the swimming and the long evenings; autumn turns the valley gold and thins the crowds. It's a popular walk, so a weekday or an early start gives you the tarn far more to yourself than a fine summer weekend will.

The setting & wildlife

The tarn fills a classic glacial corrie — a deep, ice-scooped bowl ringed by the crags of Tarn Crag and the long ridge of Blea Rigg, draining out over the lip as Sourmilk Gill. It's wild, open fell: cropped grass, rock and bog, with upland birds overhead and the constant sound of falling water below. The low ruin by the shore is all that remains of the Victorian refreshment hut, a reminder of how long people have made this exact walk.

The name & its story

"Tarn" is the Old Norse tjörn, a small mountain lake. The falls below carry the better-known name: Sourmilk Gill, for the way the white, frothing water churns down the rock "like sour milk" — a name repeated at other tumbling Lakeland becks. The walk has been trodden for centuries from Grasmere: it was a favourite of Dorothy and William Wordsworth, whose home at Dove Cottage sat just down the valley, and a Victorian tourist objective complete with that lakeside hut.

Family, dogs & accessibility

This is a real fell walk, not a stroll: 4.5 miles there and back with a steady climb and a rocky, wet upper path, and no facilities at the tarn. It's a fine objective for fit, sure-footed children used to hills, but it's not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Dogs enjoy it, but it crosses open grazing fell, so keep them on a lead around stock — and remember the only water is the gill and the tarn.

The fells above

The tarn sits beneath Tarn Crag (Easedale), with Sergeant Man and the long ridge of Blea Rigg rising beyond — a natural continuation for a bigger day, looping back over the tops to Grasmere.

Getting there & parking

Without a car: The nearest stations as the crow flies are Windermere (15 km away) and Staveley (19 km away). The bus map has every stop we hold.

Start from Grasmere village (Easedale Road) and walk out past the green to the open valley. There's no parking at the tarn — it's walk-in only. Grasmere is well served by bus (the 555 and the open-top 599 in season), so it's an easy day without a car.

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking near Easedale Tarn

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat