WHY I LOVE A BUTTERMERE WALK IN THE LAKE DISTRICT
Buttermere is one of the Lake District’s most beautiful and unspoilt destinations, offering a landscape that feels almost untouched by time. Unlike many of the National Park’s more developed lakes, there are very few buildings around its shores, allowing the dramatic scenery to take centre stage. The fact Buttermere is not developed at all is why I love the place so much. Surrounded by some of the Lake District’s finest fells, including the iconic Haystacks, Fleetwith Pike and High Stile, Buttermere has a peaceful, timeless quality that makes it a favourite with walkers, photographers and anyone looking to experience the quieter side of the Lakes.
A Buttermere walk around the full shoreline is one of the very best ways to appreciate everything this spectacular valley has to offer. The relatively easy circular route takes you through ancient woodland, across charming bridges and along lakeside paths with constantly changing views of the surrounding mountains reflected in the crystal-clear water. Whether you’re visiting for a leisurely family stroll or using it as the starting point for hikes to Haystacks and the surrounding fells, a Buttermere walk is an unforgettable experience that perfectly captures the wild beauty and tranquillity of the Lake District.
BUTTERMERE WALK OVERVIEW:
DISTANCE: 4.51 miles
TIME: 2 hours
TOTAL ASCENT: 286ft
DIFFICULTY: EASY
Buttermere walk map route:
The circular walk around Buttermere is one of my favourite walks around the edge of a lake in the whole of the English Lake District – as it’s not too long and it has a lot of variety. The route below starts from Buttermere village where there is parking available and you could also start from the opposite end of Buttermere at the parking area near Gatesgarth Farm. You can also get a bus to Buttermere from Keswick.
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| The map shows the route I always take when walking around Buttermere – going anti-clockwise from Buttermere Village is what I recommend and doing the full circle as much as possible around Buttermere’s shores so you get all the best views of the lake (or mere 🙂 and surrounding fells ! It will only take 2 hours or so and can be done with kids as it’s pretty low level and there are also plenty of places to stop and enjoy some food. |
Photos of what to expect on this Buttermere walk:
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| You can park a 100m or so just outside of Buttermere village on the road leading towards Newlands Pass – it’s free here, but very limited space – there is a Pay & Display car park too in the village. |
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| The walk starts to blue skies (which will soon change) and looks rather warm but there’s a fresh breeze. This is looking down Buttermere towards Fleetwith Pike. A classic Lake District view. |
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| A band of rain starts moving in giving the place a whole different feel so we head to the woods for a bit of shelter. |
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| The weather was very erratic today and fortunately the rain (which turned into hail for a bit) passed quite quickly and the surrounding fells and Fleetwith Pike are visible once more |
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| One of the things I love about Buttermere is how undeveloped it is – not many buildings around here and the only residence you can really see is the white Hassness Country House |
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| We pass these walkers looking a bit wet & weary who look like the have just returned from either Haystacks or Fleetwith Pike – two excellent walks in their own right – but not today for us! |
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| We leave the south-eastern shores of Buttermere for a bit as there is no path around that part and head for the bridge over Warnscale Beck |
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| As we pass over the little bridge which spans Warnscale Beck – we get good view of Haystacks on the right and Fleetwith Pike on the left. We won’t be tackling these today and so are half way on our journey around Buttermere after an hours walking. |
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| Good views of the snow covered peaks of High Stile & Red Pike from this side of Buttermere |
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| A lot of photographers love this view of Butteremere with Haystacks in the background and the trees on the shore. |
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| Blue skies again! |
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| We get a bit shelter out the wind here so it was the perfect place to have the flask of soup – tastes so much better when its cold outside! |
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| There had been a load of rain in the 2 weeks preceding our February trip and flooding in many parts of the lakes. I’d never seen the level of water in Buttermere so high and this part of the path was fully under water so a bit tricky to navigate – all good fun though. |
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| The path takes an interesting turn when you leave Crag Wood on the Hassness Estate – where you don’t go over the land but straight through the rock. It’s quite dark in here so you can’t quite see your footing and there were quite a few puddles in here – fortunately my boots are waterproof 🙂 |
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| The last view of Buttermere for the day – and you can see how high the lake has risen with the tree on the left! From here it’s back into Buttermere Village |
CROFT HOUSE CAFE – BUTTERMERE VILLAGE
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| At the end of this walk we decide to grab a cofee and bite to eat. Buttermere Village is tiny – but the Craft House cafe is a perfect place to stop at the end of the walk for a drink and bite to eat and bit of a warm. |
BUTTERMERE WALK SUMMARY
The Buttermere lake walk is one of the finest easy walks in the Lake District, offering a stunning circular route around the entire shoreline of this peaceful mountain lake. Suitable for most abilities, the Buttermere lake walk is the perfect way to experience the lake’s unspoilt beauty, tranquil atmosphere and some of the most iconic scenery in the Lake District National Park.
As ever I hope you have enjoyed this little write up and photos and it inspires you to want to visit the area and give the route a go. If you have any questions about this route – just post a comment and I’ll try and answer.
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