A long, deep channel of dark water walled by rock, hidden up the Langstrath valley above Stonethwaite — one of the finest wild swims in the Lakes, and one that deserves real respect.
The pot
Black Moss Pot is a deep rock pool — a "pot" — on Langstrath Beck, in the long, quiet Langstrath valley that runs south from Stonethwaite in Borrowdale. The beck has cut a narrow, steep-sided channel here, so instead of a shallow bathing pool you get a proper length of dark, deep water walled by rock, with ledges standing above it. That combination — deep water, clean rock, a real sense of being deep in the fells — is why it's become one of the best-known wild swims in the Lake District.
It's a place people come to swim the length of the channel and, for some, to jump from the ledges. It is genuinely beautiful and genuinely serious water — the sides drop straight in and the pot stays cold. This page is the honest version: how to walk in, where to park, and the safety facts that actually matter before you get in.
Getting there on foot
The pot is walked in from Stonethwaite, following Langstrath Beck up the valley. It's not a hard hill day, but the ground is rough and often wet — this is honest fell walking, not a stroll.
From the phone box at Stonethwaite, the route heads into the Langstrath valley and follows the beck upstream to the pot. Expect rough, boggy ground in places, with stream crossings that can become awkward after heavy rain — one in particular is worth checking before you commit to it in spate. Wear boots you don't mind getting wet, and carry water shoes for the pot itself.
Two ways up the valley exist — a more direct line along the east bank, and a variant that crosses the beck by the footbridge below Bleak How. We'll add the drawn route and a printable card once we've walked and confirmed the line on the ground; until then, plan from OS Explorer OL4 rather than following an invented line here.
Dogs: take care at the pot — the rock sides are near-vertical with a real drop straight into deep water. Keep dogs (and children) well back from the edges.
Route map & printable card — coming after the field walk
Two route variants exist up Langstrath, so we won't draw a line until we've walked it and confirmed the one we recommend. The map and PDF land here after the Stonethwaite trip — no invented route until then.
Getting there
Stonethwaite is tiny and parking is limited, so the bus is genuinely the best option on a busy day.
The 78 (Keswick–Seatoller) runs the length of Borrowdale, daily and year-round, and stops at the Stonethwaite road end — a short walk from the village and the start of the valley path. It's a real car-free way in. Check Stagecoach for current times.
There's room for roughly half a dozen cars by the phone box, plus considerate verge parking before the village — no blocking lanes, gateways or passing places. It fills early on fine days, so arrive first thing or plan the bus.
The reliable fallback is the National Trust car park at Rosthwaite, about half a mile back down the valley — free for members, pay & display otherwise. Walk through to Stonethwaite from there.
Black Moss Pot sits within the wider Borrowdale valley, and it's about 0.7 mi from Castle Crag — an easy pair for one day out.
Read this before you get in
Black Moss Pot is deep, cold and walled by rock. Most people swim it without any trouble — but the things that go wrong here go wrong fast, so a few honest facts are worth more than any warning sign.
The ledges on the east side are commonly described as around 20 ft — but treat that as folklore, not a measurement, and never assume the water below is clear or the same depth as last time. Before any jump: get in first and check the depth and the landing yourself; never jump first thing, before your body has adjusted to the cold; and know that cold-water shock can make anyone gasp and lose control on entry. If in doubt, don't — the swim is the reward, the jump is optional.
Where water pours over rock into the pot — here and at nearby Galleny Force — it can dig out a recirculating current beneath the surface, a "stopper". Submerged rocks send the falling water back on itself in a loop, so instead of washing you clear it can hold you and pull you back under the falls. Children and weaker swimmers can be pinned in it. And because the churned, white water is full of air, everything floats less — you, and anyone you're trying to reach. Stay out of the water directly under any fall, keep children away from it entirely, and never swim into the tow to "test" it.
The pot's shaded, rocky bowl stays cold on the warmest days. Get out before you shiver, and pack warm layers and a hot drink for afterwards — the after-drop hits once you're on the bank.
The bed and the entry rocks are slippery, and you'll be clambering in and out and crossing the beck on the way. Water shoes save bruised feet and bad slips.
Halfway, and family-friendly
Not everyone needs to go all the way to the pot. Galleny Force — the string of little falls and pools sometimes called the Fairy Pools — sits lower down near Stonethwaite, and it's a gentler, more family-friendly spot for a paddle and a shallow dip. Many people happily stop here and never go further, and on a warm day that's a lovely afternoon in its own right.
The same caution applies, though: keep out of the water directly under the falls, where a stopper current can form, and keep small children away from the fall itself. Paddle and swim in the calm pools, not the churn.
Black Moss Pot in pictures
Our own photos from the valley — more landing after the next Stonethwaite trip.
Photo coming soon
Photo coming soon
Photo coming soonStaying nearby
The straightforward, legal option is Stonethwaite Farm & Campsite, right at the start of the walk in the village — a proper working-farm campsite that puts you a few minutes from the valley path. Book direct and check current availability.
People do search for wild camping up the valley, so here's the honest reality: wild camping isn't a blanket right in England, and Langstrath is grazed fellside. If you're set on it, read our Lake District wild camping guide for where it's tolerated and how to do it responsibly — and either way, no fires, and don't move the rocks to build dams or windbreaks. This is Herdwick grazing ground; leave it exactly as you found it.
Common questions
The whole valley — Stonethwaite, Rosthwaite, Grange and the Jaws of Borrowdale.
The best places to swim across the Lake District, safely.
The little Wainwright 0.7 mi away — pair it with the pot for one day out.
The legal reality and how to do it responsibly in the Lakes.
Fancy a pint or a bed at the end of the valley? The Langstrath Country Inn at Stonethwaite is the local, a few minutes from the start of the walk.