Lodore Falls
Getting there, parking, where to stay and the fells you can walk straight from Lodore Falls.
Lodore Falls at a glance
Lodore Falls is one of the Lake District's most celebrated waterfalls — not the biggest, but the one the poets wrote about. Tucked in woodland at the head of Derwentwater, beside the Lodore Falls Hotel in Borrowdale, it's where Watendlath Beck tumbles down a jumble of mossy boulders. Robert Southey immortalised it in his tongue-twisting poem "The Cataract of Lodore." One honest caveat up front: it needs rain — in full spate it's magnificent, but after a dry spell it can shrink to a trickle.
Quick facts
| What it is | A wooded boulder cascade on Watendlath Beck at the head of Derwentwater, in Borrowdale |
| The walk | Very short — a few minutes from the road/hotel into the woods; steps and rocky ground at the fall |
| Can you swim? | No — it's a rocky woodland cascade, not a bathing spot |
| Dogs | Welcome on leads (it's a short, enclosed woodland spot) |
| Pushchair / family | Short and good for families, but not pushchair-friendly (steps, rocks and roots) |
| Getting there | The Borrowdale (B5289) road by the Lodore Falls Hotel; or the Keswick–Borrowdale bus / Derwentwater launch |
| Best time | After heavy rain — essential; feeble in a dry spell |
| Nearby | Derwentwater, Ashness Bridge and Surprise View |
Where is Lodore Falls?
Lodore Falls near Borrowdale, in the Lake District. Zoom and pan to explore — or see every Lake District waterfall on one map.
The walk to the falls
There's barely a walk — which is the appeal for a quick stop. From the Borrowdale road by the Lodore Falls Hotel, a short path leads into the wooded ravine and up to the fall over steps and rocky, rooty ground in a few minutes. It's an easy add-on to a day around Derwentwater, and it pairs beautifully with the nearby Ashness Bridge and Surprise View, or a walk along the lake's wooded southern shore. Note that access has traditionally been via the hotel grounds (often with a small honesty-box contribution), so check the current arrangement locally.
Swimming
Lodore isn't a swimming spot — it's a rocky woodland cascade dropping through boulders, not a pool to bathe in. For open-water swimming, Derwentwater itself is right below, with several shore access points (cold all year — get in slowly and know the signs of cold-water shock). Treat the beck and its rocks with care, especially after rain when the water is fast and the boulders slick.
When to go
More than almost any other Lakeland fall, Lodore is a creature of the weather: go after heavy rain and it's a genuine cataract, filling the woods with noise exactly as Southey described; go in a dry spell and you may wonder where it went. So time it with a wet spell — ideally the clearing day after one. It's a popular, easily-reached spot at the head of a busy lake, so an early or off-season visit is quieter.
The setting & its poem
The falls sit in oak woodland at the very head of Derwentwater, framed by the crags of Shepherd's Crag (a famous rock-climbing cliff) and King's How, where the Jaws of Borrowdale begin. Their fame is literary: the Keswick poet Robert Southey — a friend of Wordsworth and Coleridge — wrote ***"The Cataract of Lodore"* (1820)**, a cascade of rhyming, tumbling words written to describe the water to his children. That poem, and the Picturesque tourists who came to see the "cataract," made Lodore one of the most visited natural sights in Georgian and Victorian Lakeland.
The name & its story
The name Lodore is genuinely old and its origin uncertain — it likely predates the Norse names around it, and has been read as a "low door," the gateway into upper Borrowdale where the valley narrows at the Jaws. What's certain is its literary afterlife: for two centuries "Lodore" has been shorthand for a Lakeland waterfall in full, roaring spate, thanks to Southey's verse.
Family, dogs & accessibility
It's a short, family-friendly stop rather than a walk — children enjoy scrambling to the viewpoints among the boulders — but it is not pushchair- or wheelchair-friendly, with steps, rocks and tree roots underfoot. Dogs are welcome on leads in the enclosed woodland. There are hotel facilities close by and everything of Keswick and Borrowdale within easy reach, which makes it an easy add-on to a lake day rather than a destination in itself.
Nearby
Lodore sits at the heart of the classic Borrowdale round: the Surprise View and Ashness Bridge viewpoints are just up the hill, Derwentwater and its launch piers are on the doorstep, and King's How rises above the Jaws of Borrowdale for a short, view-packed fell. It's one of the easiest waterfalls in the Lakes to fold into a bigger day out.
Getting there & parking
Lodore Falls is on the B5289 Borrowdale road about three miles south of Keswick, by the Lodore Falls Hotel; roadside and nearby parking is limited and busy, so arrive early. It's an easy car-free visit: the Keswick–Borrowdale (78) bus stops close by, and the Keswick Launch calls at the Lodore pier on Derwentwater, so you can arrive by boat and walk up.
Fells & walks near Lodore Falls
Straight-line distances from the centre of Lodore Falls — the nearest summits with a full guide on this site.
All walks from Lodore Falls → — every route and fell within about 5 km, ranked, with today’s conditions.
Events & festivals
Planning a trip around a show or festival? See our Lake District events & festivals guide for what's on near Lodore Falls — traditional Lakeland sports, agricultural shows and seasonal events, month by month.
Frequently asked questions about Lodore Falls
How do you get to Lodore Falls?
Lodore Falls is at the head of Derwentwater, on the B5289 Borrowdale road about three miles south of Keswick, beside the Lodore Falls Hotel. A short path leads from the road into the wooded ravine to the fall. Access has traditionally been through the hotel grounds (often with a small honesty-box contribution), so check the current arrangement. It's easy without a car: the Keswick–Borrowdale (78) bus stops close by and the Keswick Launch calls at the Lodore pier.
Can you walk from Surprise View to Lodore Falls?
Yes — they're close neighbours above the head of Derwentwater, and a walk links the Ashness Bridge and Surprise View viewpoints with Lodore and the lakeshore. It's a classic Borrowdale outing combining the two most-photographed viewpoints above Derwentwater with the famous falls below.
Is Lodore Falls worth visiting, and when is it best?
It's worth it — but time it with the weather. Lodore is famously weather-dependent: after heavy rain it's a genuine cataract, roaring through the woods as Southey's poem describes; in a dry spell it can dwindle to a trickle. So go on or just after a wet spell for the full effect, and enjoy it as a short, easy add-on to a day around Derwentwater and Borrowdale.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Lodore Falls
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