Elterwater
Getting there, parking, where to stay and the fells you can walk straight from Elterwater.
Wetherlam today: Save it · Too windy for the tops
13°C at the summit, gusts 44 mph
Scored for 12 September by the site’s own scorer · all 214 todayThe sun reaches the Elterwater Village start about 07:24 in September · sunrise 06:45
From the terrain around the start (Copernicus GLO-30), mid-month · how we work it outFrom Elterwater, opposite The Britannia Inn: 19:52 towards Dungeon Ghyll Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (516) Monday to Friday; Saturday and Sunday differ
Signed off per direction against the operator’s timetable, 12 September · the bus mapElterwater at a glance
Elterwater is the village at the foot of Great Langdale, a green with a pub on it, a hostel, a bridge over the Brathay and the lake it is named for a few hundred yards downstream. It is the gentlest end of the valley: the fells here are Loughrigg, Silver How and Lingmoor rather than the Pikes, the walks are riverside and low-level as often as they are high, and the 516 bus stops on the green.
Quick facts
| Where | The foot of Great Langdale, a mile west of Skelwith Bridge on the B5343, four miles from Ambleside |
| Getting there | The 516 Langdale Rambler from Ambleside stops opposite the Britannia Inn; no railway |
| Parking | The National Trust car park on the edge of the village (paid); the lay-bys on the Loughrigg road above |
| The walking | Elter Water and Skelwith Force on the flat; Loughrigg Fell and Silver How for the views; Lingmoor Fell for the Pikes across the valley |
| Weather | Low and sheltered; a good village for a day the tops are out |
Where is Elterwater?
The district’s layer · every place page carries this
Elterwater near Ambleside, in the Lake District. Zoom and pan to explore.
Getting there and parking
Without a car: The nearest stations as the crow flies are Windermere (10 km away) and Staveley (16 km away); the 516 stops at opposite The Britannia Inn, 0.6 km from here. The bus map has every stop we hold.
The 516 from Ambleside stops opposite the Britannia Inn on its way up the valley to the Dungeon Ghyll hotels, and the last bus each way is on the fell pages that use the stop, checked against the operator. If you drive, the car parks nearest the village are listed below with what we know about each. The National Trust's car park on the Ambleside side of the village is the one that matters and it fills on a fine day; the lay-bys on the road up towards Loughrigg take the overflow for Loughrigg and Silver How.
Fells & walks near Elterwater
Straight-line distances from the centre of Elterwater — the nearest summits with a full guide on this site.
All walks from Elterwater → — every route and fell within about 5 km, ranked, with today’s conditions.
Parking near Elterwater
All the car parks around Elterwater on the parking map →
Straight-line distances from the centre of Elterwater. We publish whether a car park charges, and who runs it, but never the price — tariffs change and a stale one is worse than none, so check the sign or the operator’s own site on the day.
Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.
Can you stay overnight?
- Elterwater (NT, paid) — run by National Trust, which does not permit overnight parking. “We don't allow overnight parking due to the impact on nature and wildlife, staff resource and visitors.” (checked 2026-08-05)
These are the land managers’ own published positions, quoted. Where a car park is not listed here we have found no published rule for it, which is not the same as permission.
How long from Elterwater?
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elterwater riverside loop | 4.3 km | 91 m | 1.0 hrs |
| Loughrigg Tarn & Loughrigg Fell | 9.8 km | 382 m | 2.6 hrs |
| Lingmoor Fell from Elterwater | 11.5 km | 487 m | 3.1 hrs |
| Elterwater & Skelwith Force | 7.6 km | 164 m | 1.8 hrs |
| Slater Bridge & Cathedral Cave | 2.2 km | 92 m | 0.6 hrs |
Routes starting within about 2 km of Elterwater, or on its doorstep at one of the car parks above. Estimates are moving time for a steady walker and take no account of stops, conditions or daylight — they are a guide, not a schedule.
What to see
- The green and the Brathay bridge, the middle of the village and the start of the riverside path.
- Elter Water, the small lake half a mile downstream, with the Langdale Pikes in the view from its shore.
- Skelwith Force, a mile down the river, small and loud.
- The slate: the village was a quarrying village, the quarries above it are still worked, and the old gunpowder works is now the Langdale Estate.
Pubs and food
The Britannia Inn on the green is the village pub, with rooms; Chesters by the River at Skelwith Bridge is the cafe a mile down the road. Chapel Stile, a mile up the valley, has the Wainwrights' Inn and the Co-op.
The walks
Every route and fell within reach of the village is ranked nearest first, with live conditions, on this page's walks list once it is published. The ones that start at the door:
- Elterwater and Skelwith Force — the riverside loop, flat, an hour and a half.
- Loughrigg Tarn and Loughrigg Fell — the little fell with the big view, from the village.
- Lingmoor Fell from Elterwater — the ridge that faces the Pikes.
- Slater Bridge and Cathedral Cave — over the hill into Little Langdale.
Frequently asked questions about Elterwater
Where do I park in Elterwater?
Can I get to Elterwater by bus?
Is Elterwater the lake or the village?
What is the easiest walk from Elterwater?
Events across the Lake District
The district’s layer · every place page carries this
Planning a trip around a show or festival? See our Lake District events & festivals guide for what's on near Elterwater — traditional Lakeland sports, agricultural shows and seasonal events, month by month.