Fisherplace Gill waterfalls, above Thirlmere are absolutely beautiful.  And make for a perfect family walk starting from The King’s Head Hotel (or the layby just up the road).  The walk is less than 1.5 miles in total, out and back.

You can park for free in the layby at GR 316168 on OS map OL5.  Alternatively you can park at The King’s Head Hotel.  They take a £5 deposit, which you can redeem against food/drinks when you get back.

Walk past the outdoor tables and go through a gate to the side of the hotel.  From here, turn left and walk through the farm, following the bridleway signs up the hill.

The terrain is rocky, and can be slippy when wet, but is lots of fun for the kids to scramble on!  Keep going up, through a couple of gates until you reach this sign:

From here, turn left towards Sticks Pass, going through a gate and after a few metres you’ll come to a fork.  If you want to walk up to the top waterfalls, take the right fork (through bracken…)   Follow the path across and up until you finally can hear the falls.  Just a little bit further and you’ll be treated to this spectacular view:

If you want to do a much easier walk, you can take the left fork (the main path) and this will lead you along a mostly flat footpath to the bottom of the gill.  The views aren’t as good as from the top, but you can still see Thirlmere and the fells in the distance, plus without the green foliage, you can see up the gill to multiple cascades.  It’s still a nice family walk.

Once you’ve seen the falls, turn back and return the way you came, back to the pub.  Each walk is 1.2 miles in total, so perfect for little legs!

For more family walks, great picnic spots and pubs, stay up to date and “like” our facebook page Family Walks and Pubs in the Lake District and follow us on Twitter @familywalklakes