One waterfall with two names, in a steep wooded gorge above Boot. The signs on the ground say Dalegarth, the maps say Stanley Ghyll, and the people at the viewing platform argue about which one they have reached. This page settles it, and gets you there.
The naming problem
Stanley Ghyll Force and Dalegarth Falls are the same waterfall. It drops through a narrow gorge on Stanley Gill Beck above Boot, and which name you know it by depends on where you first read about it. The Lake District National Park's own Walk 3 interpretation board labels the falls Dalegarth Falls on its map, while the introduction panel on the same board calls it "the dramatic waterfall in Stanley Gill". Older sources say Dalegarth Force. Google Maps has it as Stanley Ghyll.
On the ground it gets simpler and more confusing at once: every waymarker points to "Waterfalls" or "Dalegarth". None of them say Stanley Ghyll. If you arrived looking for Stanley Ghyll Force, nothing on a fingerpost will confirm you are heading the right way.
We know this because we got lost. On our visit we met two other walkers who were also lost, and when we finally reached the viewing platform, two people were standing on it arguing about whether they were at Stanley Ghyll or Dalegarth. They were at both.
A third name gets mixed into this. Gill Force is a deep, clear pool on the River Esk, enclosed by rock and woodland, about 20 yards from the girder bridge below St Catherine's Church — a pool, not a waterfall, and the two are often confused. On our visit the approach path to it was blocked by fallen trees about 15 yards short. It is not Stanley Ghyll Force, and neither of them is Tom Gill Force, which is at Tarn Hows near Coniston and has nothing to do with Eskdale.
Before you set off
The Lake District National Park Authority has closed footpath 408037, Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls, between grid references SD 1740 9960 and SD 1743 9953, under a Traffic Regulation Order 2025 dated 22 May 2025 and in force from 28 May 2025. The reason given on the notice is that the path has been severely damaged and made unstable by rockfall, with a continuing danger of further falls.
The order is described as non-temporary but revocable. In plain terms it stays in force indefinitely, until the path can be made safe, and there is no reopening date. The notice is explicit on two points: the viewing platform for the upper falls is open, and you should not cross the beck.
What you are walking to
With the lower path closed, the upper falls viewing platform is where the walk ends, and it is a better vantage point than it sounds. It is built out over the gorge, and the floor is in two parts: an open metal grid you can see straight down through, and a solid section.
That second part matters. If you're not a huge fan of heights, like me, you can stay on the solid section and still see the falls. You do not have to stand on the grid to get the view. Nobody tells you that on a sign, so we are telling you here.
Heights and drops: third-party sources commonly quote a main drop of around 60ft within a longer series of falls. We have not measured it, so treat that as the figure that gets repeated rather than one we can stand behind. The 150ft sheer drop sign at the gorge is a warning about the drop beside the path, not a measurement of the waterfall.
Getting there and parking
There is no phone signal in the valley. Download the map before you set off. Once you are in Boot you will not be able to load it, and this is a walk where people get lost.
Three places to start, each with a what3words address. Which one you pick decides which route below you follow.
The terminus of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, with parking, a café and a small shop. The start of the recommended circular, and the easiest place to find.
About 100 yards from the main road. The road down from the memorial runs along the River Esk, and there is parking up there signed for the Dalegarth waterfalls.
Where we parked for the shorter St Catherine's loop. Go in and ask about parking first. The lonning to the church starts opposite.
The lonning opposite The Boot Inn runs about 660 yards down to St Catherine's Church. It starts as a road, but about 400 yards past the houses it becomes very narrow. A small car got through while we were there; nothing larger is recommended. We parked at the pub and walked. If you do drive down, there is free parking just past the church.
The St Catherine's loop itself starts at ///sadly.mutual.bolsters, right beside the church.
Interactive map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark the four what3words points above. Pin positions are approximate — navigate by the what3words address and always follow the on-the-ground path and signage. No route line is drawn because the route has not been GPX-logged.
Route 1 · Recommended · 2 to 3 hours
This is the route the signs are built for, and the one to follow if you have not been before. It uses the well-made main path all the way to the viewing platform and returns past St Catherine's Church. No phone signal: have the map downloaded before you leave the station.
Start at Dalegarth Station, ///indeed.gazes.agrees. Head up to the main road and turn into Boot.
Walk through Boot to the war memorial, ///forecast.candidate.students, about 100 yards from the main road.
Take the road down from the war memorial along the River Esk. There is parking up here signed for the Dalegarth waterfalls, so this is also where you join if you drove to the memorial rather than the station.
Follow the well-made main path up into the gorge to the upper falls viewing platform. The path to the lower falls is closed; the platform is where the route ends.
Return via St Catherine's Church to complete the circular back to the station.
Route 2 · Shorter, more confusing
This is the route we walked. It is shorter than the station circular, and it is the one people get lost on, because the final stretch to the main path is a faint route rather than a made one. No phone signal: download the map first. Park at The Boot Inn, ///chestnuts.pedicure.obstinate, and ask inside before you leave the car.
From The Boot Inn, the lonning opposite runs about 660 yards down to St Catherine's Church. The route proper starts at ///sadly.mutual.bolsters, right beside the church. Read the lonning warning above if you are thinking of driving it.
Stepping stones cross the Esk by the church. If they are not passable, there is a signed alternative: turn left, go down the lonning about 300 yards, and cross the girder bridge instead.
Gill Force is about 20 yards from the girder bridge: a deep pool on the Esk, not a waterfall. On our visit the path to it was blocked by fallen trees about 15 yards short, so check the way through is passable before you count on it.
After the girder bridge, turn right and walk back along the river the way you came, through the gate and across the field to a new-looking sign. Turn right at that sign, not left.
Follow the path down to a five-bar gate, go through it, and cross the bridge over the Esk. Continue to a sign and a second five-bar gate. Do not go through the second gate. Turn left and head up the hill.
This is where people get lost, including us. From that second five-bar gate, head 50 to 70 yards up along the wall on a faint path, past a pub-style bench, until you hit the obviously well-made main path. Turn left. That is the main path up from the Dalegarth waterfalls car park; follow it up to the viewing platform.
Safety
Stanley Ghyll is a gorge, and the signs on the way in are not decoration. The warning post reads: steep drops, loose rock and deep water. At the gorge itself a second sign reads 150ft sheer drop. The gorge paths are steep and slippery, and the drops beside them are unfenced. The lower falls path is closed because of rockfall, and the closure notice tells you not to cross the beck.
There is no phone signal in the valley, so nobody is calling for help from the gorge. Download the map before you set off, stay on the made path and the platform, and keep dogs on a lead near the edge.
Around Boot
Boot is small, and everything here is within a few minutes' walk of the route. Hours and prices change, so check with each place directly.
The village shop and gift shop, with the post box outside. Most people assume it is ice cream and drinks only, but the owner makes a limited number of sandwiches to order. Worth knowing before you set off up the gorge.
The pub at the top of the lonning, and where we left the car for the St Catherine's loop. Ask inside about parking before you walk off.
The Boot Inn websiteThe terminus of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. The café at Dalegarth Station does food, and there is a small shop, so it works as the start and the finish of the circular.
Ravenglass & Eskdale RailwayA 1500s water mill about a ten-minute walk from Boot, run by the Eskdale Mill & Heritage Trust. Family and dog friendly in our experience; hours are on the board at the mill and on their site.
Eskdale Mill website
Common questions