Slater's Bridge – Colwith Force Waterfall loop from Little Langdale

Hiking trails & Routes

Slater's Bridge – Colwith Force Waterfall loop from Little Langdale

Moderate

4.9

(458)

2,545

hikers

Slater's Bridge – Colwith Force Waterfall loop from Little Langdale

02:54

10.3km

210m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

Last updated: August 21, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Lake District National Park

Waypoints

Start point

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177 m

River Brathay Wooden Bridge

Highlight • Bridge

To cross the river via the bridge, you also have to climb a number of steps to reach the bridge. This can cause problems with the bicycle when it is heavy.

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675 m

Slater's Bridge

Highlight • Historical Site

A picturesque very old bridge over the river Brathay. This is one of the old footbridges of the Lake District, connecting the hamlet of Little Langdale with the many slate …

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2.65 km

Sawrey's Wood

Forest

3.73 km

Elterwater

Highlight • Settlement

Elterwater is a gorgeous village and an excellent basecamp for all manner of adventures in the Lakes, particularly for likes of Loughrigg and the iconic fells above Langdale. It's also …

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4.74 km

Elter Water

Highlight • Viewpoint

Cumbria Way 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

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5.26 km

View of Elterwater

Highlight • Viewpoint

From this location you have a beautiful view of the Elterwater lake

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5.98 km

River Brathay

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Brathay is a river in North West England. The name comes from the Old Norse and means broad river. The river rises at an elevation of 393 metres above …

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6.09 km

Skelwith Force

Highlight • Waterfall

Skelwith Force is one of the smaller waterfalls in the Lake District but is still impressive. You can walk up a boardwalk to a viewpoint on large rocks.

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8.54 km

Colwith Force is a stunning waterfall on the River Brathay that drops roughly 40 feet (12 m) in several stages. The falls are in a very picturesque woodland setting and are close to another waterfall, Skelwith Force.

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8.85 km

High Park Coppice

Forest

10.3 km

End point

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

7.07 km

1.50 km

568 m

555 m

443 m

176 m

Surfaces

4.75 km

1.69 km

1.51 km

1.19 km

977 m

193 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (160 m)

Lowest point (50 m)

Weather

Monday 5 October

14°C

8°C

60 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 10.0 km/h

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Comments

June 16, 2022,Skelwith Force – Colwith Force Loop from Elterwater

Excellent walk - much less on roads than it appears when you read the description. Just a few 100m on roads with cars.

February 21, 2023,Colwith Force, Little Langdale and Elterwater loop

Great low-level/fairly flat (for the Lakes anyway!) walk, ideal for less optimal weather days. Option to stop off at the Three Shires Inn in Little Langdale for a halfway pitstop and then you can go to Chester's By The River in Skelwith Bridge afterwards for lunch or cake.

May 30, 2024,Elterwater circular. The Lake District.

A moderate, circular baby-carrying walk with beautiful views of the Langdales and Coniston fells. A mixture of gravel paths, rocky paths, woodland paths and quiet country roads. Several stiles to negotiate. Comfortable walking shoes recommend. Parking at the national trust carpark in Elterwater. Toilets and baby change al fresco unless visiting the pub or cafe in Elterwater. There are two …

September 3, 2023,Langdale, Cathedral cavern

Forgot to stop it when we got back to the car park

July 15, 2023,Low level walk from Skelwith Bridge

Plans for a big mountain day were tharted by some fairly torrential rain so we opted for a low level alternative. Started from Chester's, stopped in Elterwater for chips and then finished back at Chester's for cake.