Tarn Hows with its wooded islands and the fells beyond, near Hawkshead, Lake District
Southern Lakes · gentle & family-friendly

Hawkshead Walks

The gentlest of the great Lakeland walking villages — Beatrix Potter and Wordsworth country, with the famous Tarn Hows on its doorstep, the panoramic little fell of Latterbarrow above it and the sculpture-dotted trails of Grizedale Forest nearby. Distances, parking and dog info for each.

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Written and walked by Peter A Cumbrian family guide, written in Penrith

A hand-picked guide

The best walks from Hawkshead

Hawkshead is the gentlest of the great Lakeland walking villages — Beatrix Potter and Wordsworth country, where the walking is about lower fells, forest trails and accessible classics rather than big mountains. This is a hand-picked guide to the best walks from Hawkshead, with distance, time, parking, start points and dog-friendly info for each. The famous Tarn Hows circular is the easy headline; add the quiet Blelham Tarn near Wray Castle, the panoramic little fell of Latterbarrow with its stone monument, and the sculpture-dotted waymarked trails of Grizedale Forest. For the Old Man and the high fells, see the Coniston walks page.

Showing all 4 walks.

Easy

Easy walks from Hawkshead

Tarn Hows seen across the bracken with a fell rising behind, near Hawkshead, Lake District

Tarn Hows

The beauty-spot classic · easy, accessible circular

Easy

Distance

1¾–2 mi loop

Time

~45 min

Ascent

Mostly flat

Terrain

Surfaced, buggy-friendly

The classic Lakeland beauty spot — a man-made tarn (three natural tarns landscaped into one by the Victorian landowner James Garth Marshall) ringed by an easy, mostly-flat circular path with majestic mountain views. It's the most accessible great walk in the area: the main circuit is buggy- and wheelchair-friendly, and free all-terrain Tramper mobility scooters can be booked through the National Trust. Hugely popular with families, artists and photographers, with Arthur Ransome and Beatrix Potter associations. Tarn Hows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated in 1965, and the National Trust asks visitors not to swim here. Tarn Hows sits between Hawkshead and Coniston.

Free for NT members. Non-members pay & display — 0–2h £7, 2–4h £8.50, all day £10. Toilets at the car park; summer ice-cream van.

Start: Main Tarn Hows car park, postcode LA21 8DP (a rural postcode that also covers Glen Mary — use the grid reference or what3words) · grid SD 327996 · W3W ///crowns.spades.greet · 68 spaces (alt: Glen Mary car park, LA21 8DP, via the Tom Gill waterfall path)

Parking: NT pay & display (free for members). Road unsuitable for coaches, little phone signal, fills fast at peak — ~10 min drive from Coniston, ~16 min from Ambleside; bus 505 stops at Hawkshead Hill (~1.4km from the start)

Find it: Search "Tarn Hows car park" in Google Maps

Dog-friendly Tarn & mountain views Circular Accessible (Tramper)
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The square at Hawkshead, with the Honeypot and the whitewashed King's Arms, Lake District

Blelham Tarn

Quiet tarn · near Wray Castle

Easy

Distance

~3 mi (confirm)

Time

~1.5 hrs

Ascent

Low

Terrain

Lanes & field paths

A quiet little tarn between Hawkshead and the Windermere west shore, near Wray Castle — a gentle, peaceful National Trust alternative when Tarn Hows is busy. It links naturally to Latterbarrow and the Wray Castle walks, so it's easy to combine into a longer loop. A lovely easy half-day in a corner of the Lakes that stays calm even at peak times. The Wray Castle west-shore routes are covered in more depth on the Windermere walks page — this card is the Blelham Tarn loop. Dog-friendly.

Start: Wray Castle (National Trust) — a circular past Low Wray campsite and Blelham Beck. Paid parking at the castle (limited roadside nearby fills fast); some sections are genuinely marshy, so wear boots

Parking: Wray Castle car park (NT), or in Hawkshead and walk in (confirm)

Find it: Search "Blelham Tarn" in Google Maps

Dog-friendly Tarn views Loop possible Not a Wainwright
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Moderate

Moderate walks from Hawkshead

The stone cairn on the summit of Latterbarrow with the fells beyond, near Hawkshead, Lake District

Latterbarrow

The local "summit" · big views, stone monument

Moderate

Distance

~3–5 mi (route-dependent, confirm)

Time

2–3 hrs

Summit

Modest height

Terrain

Fell & forest paths

A standalone little fell above Hawkshead — modest in height, but with far-reaching views down to Hawkshead, Windermere, Ambleside and the Langdale fells, topped by a big, distinctive stone monument that makes a clear landmark from below. It's a short, rewarding climb that's perfect when you want a proper summit feeling without a full mountain day, and it's often combined with Wray Castle or Tarn Hows into a longer round. It is NOT a Wainwright — it's an outlying fell — but the views punch well above its height. Dog-friendly.

Start: From Hawkshead village, or from Wray Castle (the popular Wray Castle to Latterbarrow circular)

Parking: Hawkshead main car park, or Wray Castle (NT) for the lakeside approach

Find it: Search "Latterbarrow, Hawkshead" in Google Maps

Dog-friendly Lake views Circular options Not a Wainwright
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A gravel forest track through the conifers at Grizedale Forest, near Hawkshead, Lake District

Grizedale Forest walks

Waymarked trails · sculpture trail · all-weather

Moderate

Distance

1–9 mi (trail choice)

Time

1 hr–all day

Ascent

Gentle–moderate

Terrain

Forest tracks, waymarked

The forest between Hawkshead and Coniston, threaded with a network of waymarked walking trails — the short Ridding Wood loop, the longer Silurian Way and more — all dotted with the famous outdoor sculpture trail of 90+ artworks hidden among the trees. It's family-friendly, dog-friendly and genuinely all-weather thanks to the forest cover, and you can extend into an all-day Hawkshead–Grizedale–Tarn Hows loop. The visitor centre, café, Go Ape and mountain-bike trails are the attraction side — see the Hawkshead hub for those. This card is the walking trails.

Start: Grizedale Forest visitor centre, between Hawkshead and Coniston — trails are waymarked from the centre

Parking: Visitor centre car park (charged)

Find it: Search "Grizedale Forest visitor centre" in Google Maps

Dog-friendly Sculpture trail · all-weather Circular loops Not a Wainwright
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Difficult

Difficult fells & mountain days from Hawkshead

No high fells from Hawkshead — and that's the point

Hawkshead is a gentle, family base — there are no high fells directly from the village. Latterbarrow is the "summit" here, and it's a rewarding little climb with big views. For the Old Man of Coniston and the surrounding tops, see the Coniston walks page; for the big mountain rounds like the Fairfield Horseshoe, see the Ambleside walks page. Lean into what Hawkshead does best: accessible, family-friendly classics like Tarn Hows and the Grizedale Forest trails.

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Keep exploring

More walks & nearby guides

Hawkshead connects to the best of the southern Lakes — Coniston's fells next door, the Windermere west shore, and the region's caves and swims.

Next door

Coniston walks

The Old Man of Coniston and the fells — and Tarn Hows from the Coniston side.

Coniston walks
West shore

Windermere walks

The Wray Castle west-shore routes near Blelham Tarn and Latterbarrow.

Windermere walks
Cool off

Wild swimming

The best swims near Hawkshead — note the National Trust asks visitors not to swim at Tarn Hows.

Wild swimming guide
The full guide

All Lake District walks

Browse the best walks across the region by difficulty, type and area.

Lake District walks hub

Plan your whole Hawkshead day around a walk

Free, no sign-up. Tell the planner which walk you fancy, your transport and the weather — it builds a timed day around it, with parking, lunch and bus times sorted.

Open the free Lakes Planner

Common questions

Hawkshead walks, answered

How long does it take to walk Tarn Hows?
The main Tarn Hows circular is about 1¾ miles and takes roughly 45 minutes at an easy pace. It's mostly flat and well-surfaced, and the main circuit is buggy- and wheelchair-friendly, so it suits families and all abilities.
Is there free parking at Tarn Hows?
Parking is free for National Trust members at the main Tarn Hows car park. Non-members pay on a tiered scale by duration, by app or machine depending on which system is installed — check the National Trust's page for current rates. The main car park is at postcode LA21 8DP, which also covers Glen Mary — use the grid reference or what3words.
Is Tarn Hows worth visiting?
Yes — Tarn Hows is one of the most loved beauty spots in the Lake District. It's an accessible, mostly-flat circular with majestic mountain views, hugely popular with families, artists and photographers, and one of the easiest great walks in the area.
Can you swim in Tarn Hows?
Tarn Hows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated in 1965, and the National Trust asks visitors not to swim here — check the Trust's own page for the current position. For places to swim, see the Lake District wild swimming guide.
Is Latterbarrow a Wainwright?
No — Latterbarrow is an outlying fell rather than one of Wainwright's 214. Despite its modest height it gives far-reaching views over Hawkshead, Windermere, Ambleside and the Langdale fells, topped by a distinctive tall stone monument.
What are the best Grizedale Forest walks?
Grizedale has a network of waymarked walking trails — Ridding Wood, the Silurian Way and others — threaded with the famous outdoor sculpture trail of 90+ artworks. They're family-friendly, dog-friendly and sheltered by forest in poor weather, starting from the visitor centre (parking charged).
Are there easy family walks from Hawkshead?
Yes — Hawkshead is a gentle, family base. Tarn Hows is the easy classic, the Grizedale Forest trails are sheltered and waymarked, and Blelham Tarn near Wray Castle is a quiet, gentle alternative.