Lake District walks: Elterwater circle
We had one completely dry day on our recent Lake District holiday and we used it to do a beautiful circular walk starting in Elterwater village. First, we walked alongside Elterwater itself, with views across it to the Langdale Pikes.
The route then took us through fields and woodlands via two beautiful waterfalls, Skelwith Force –
– and Colwith Force.
Next to Colwith is this wishing tree, studded with small coins. Is this a peculiarly British practice? I know I’ve seen it before, but can’t remember if it was at home or abroad.
Continuing through more fields, our next discovery was the oasis that is High Park Farm. We were not expecting to come across a tea garden on our walk, but we were glad to enjoy a delicious lunch overlooking Little Langdale and the company of fellow hikers – and some beautiful Dutch Bantams. The farm is also a B&B and right on the Cumbria Way for anyone (not me!) considering a long-distance footpath.
After lunch, the walk descended past the spoil heaps of the disused Little Langdale Quarry. A pair of tunnels allows you to access part of it – Cathedral Cavern.
On the final part of the walk, we crossed the River Brathay by the 17th century pack-horse bridge – Slater Bridge – before climbing up the other side of Little Langdale from where we took a bridle path back down into Elterwater.
The walk is 7.8 miles with about 1200 feet of ascent – the route is on the excellent WalkLakes site – and I’m linking it to Jo’s Monday Walks. Why not pop along there to see where everyone else has been walking this week?
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
Hi Anabel, just been perusing your lovely blog – the pictures are gorgeous – and noticed the coin tree. Only other one I’ve seen was in the Fairy Glen at Rosemarkie.
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Thanks Jen! I know I have seen one somewhere else but can’t remember where. I’ve never been to Rosemarkie so it can’t be there!
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A lovely walk with so much to see, I can handle the 8 miles but not so sure about the steepness!
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It was reasonably gentle! More up and down than a continuous slog upwards. I’m not keen on steepness either.
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What beautiful photos! A wonderful location for walking!
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Thank you! The Lakes are always beautiful.
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My boyfriend is always trying to get me to go on walking holidays, but I remain unconvinced…I’m just not that keen on nature, and 4 miles is about my limit before I start whining about my feet hurting! I do like the looks of that cavern though!
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As a total couch-potato otherwise, I need to keep walking as my only form of exercise!
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Those are beautiful pictures, I am glad that you had a rain free day. I have never seen or heard of such a wishing tree before.
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It seems to be new to a lot of people – will now make it my mission to find more!
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Love the waterfalls, but – my goodness! – the cave is just breathtaking!
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Yes – and it’s the remains of a quarry! Not your average industrial landscape.
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Oh this looks like such a beautiful walk with the waterfalls and I love that cave! I have never seen coins in a tree-that is different.
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The cave was amazing, though I didn’t like the tunnels much. The short one was ok, but the other one was too dark – I let John explore that on his own!
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This is a delightful walk. Lovely scenery, a nice place for lunch, chickens, pretty bridge and sunshine!
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Yes, a fabulous day. If only the weather could behave all the time!
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Fabulous Anabel, this is right up my street! The views are just beautiful and those waterfalls! The wishing trees, I have never seen them before in Scotland however in Wales they are everywhere. A very peculiar practice.
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Thanks, Paul! So they are more Welsh, we see narrowing in….
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Had a read online, apparently very common in Wales, Scotland and Northern England, especially Cumbria.
http://all-that-is-interesting.com/great-britain-wishing-trees
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That ties in with Joy’s experience at Portmeirion – sounds as though they have several there. I’ve seen trees with ribbons and objects hung on them (have you been to Doon Hill in Aberfoyle?) reasonably frequently, but I’ll be looking out for the coin ones now.
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Never been to Doon Hill however I have been to Portmeirion, a truly beautiful little gem on the Welsh coast. There are loads all along the coastal path there. I’ll need to Google Doon Hill, find out about it.
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Funnily enough, I just happen to have blogged about it!
https://anabelsblog.wordpress.com/tag/doon-hill/
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I’ve seen them too, Anabel, but equally useless at remembering where 🙂 Or why! Those bridges look very precarious but really beautiful, and I always love to be beside rushing water. Many thanks for another lovely walk. (and a tea stop 🙂 )
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The tea stop was wonderful! All the better for being unexpected. As for the coin trees, next time I see one I will have to write it down.
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Gorgeous walk – I’m noting this one down for future reference.We’ve seen those coin trees in a few different places including Portmeirion most recently. No idea what it’s all about but they’re very intriguing.
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Aha, someone else who has seen one. They intrigue me. It doesn’t help me remember where I saw one before though – not been to Portmeirion since the 1980s!
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Can’t help with the tree- I have never seen anything like that before and Mr Google can’t shed any light??
Your opening line made my grimace though- one dry day! Sounds and looks lovely.
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Mr Google took me to Wikipedia and a few newspaper articles which suggest it is probably a specifically British thing – but I just can’t remember where I saw one before. It had many more coins in.
One “completely” dry day! Others were dry in parts….
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Sounds like a beautiful walk – lovely scenery and lots to see along the way. The photos of the waterfalls are stunning 🙂
Debbie
http://www.myrandommusings.blogspot.com
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Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I do have a disclaimer about the photos somewhere; I should really make it more prominent. Anything good is probably by my husband and anything rubbish is by me 🙂 ! So those are his.
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A coin-wishing tree! That is a totally new concept that I have never come across. Any idea of where it comes from?
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I don’t! I’m hoping someone else might know. I’ve seen one before but just can’t remember where. Thanks for visiting!
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Maybe it’s because there isn’t a well nearby! 🙂
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Hi Anabel,
Thanks for taking me on that walk and allowing me to re-live my stays in the Lake District in the early 1980s. 🙂
I’ve never seen a wishing tree with coins in it, btw, neither in GB nor elsewhere: interesting.
Have a great week,
Pit
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Thanks Pit. One more Lakes post to go, then I’m done. For now!
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Am egaerly awaiting that post – and wherever you’ll take us after that.
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Now this is my kind of walk! A gorgeous lake, stunning scenery, odd things (the coins in the tree) and even a place to eat, that is so quaint. I think this ranks as the perfect walk.
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It was actually! It was even better than I expected thanks to the sunshine.
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