Wordsworth's favourite lake — heritage Steamers, the Ullswater Way around the shore, Aira Force and Howtown. Everything you need to plan the perfect day on Ullswater.
The eastern Lakes' great lake
"The happiest combination of beauty and grandeur which any of the Lakes affords." — William Wordsworth on Ullswater
Ullswater is the second-largest lake in the Lake District and, for many, the most beautiful — a 7.5-mile ribbon of water curling between high fells in the eastern Lakes. Is it worth going to Ullswater? Without question. It is quieter than Windermere or Keswick, but it has the lot: year-round heritage Steamers, the 20-mile Ullswater Way around the shore, Aira Force waterfall, and Helvellyn via Striding Edge rising above the southern end.
Does Ullswater have a town? No — it is a valley of villages. Pooley Bridge sits at the foot of the lake (the northern end, nearest the M6); Glenridding and Patterdale are the walking villages at the head (southern end); and Howtown is a tiny hamlet on the quiet eastern shore, reached best by Steamer. The nearest proper town, with supermarkets and the railway, is Penrith.
The classic Ullswater day pairs the water and the shore: Steamer one way, walk back the other. Catch the boat from Glenridding or Pooley Bridge to Howtown, climb little Hallin Fell for the best view on the lake, then walk the eastern-shore path back. The free Lakes Planner times it all around the Steamer schedule and the weather.
Year-round · three piers
The headline attraction. Heritage Victorian and Edwardian vessels connect three piers along the lake. Here is the planning detail — route, current prices, sailing times, toilets and booking. When you are ready, book on the official Ullswater Steamers site.
Three piers: Glenridding (southern end) → Howtown (mid-lake, eastern shore) → Pooley Bridge (northern end), all connected by year-round scheduled services. The full Glenridding → Pooley Bridge route takes around 50 minutes one way.
Best use: the all-day rover. Steamer to Howtown, walk the Ullswater Way along the eastern shore, Steamer back — see the Ullswater Way below.
Adult / child shown. National Railcard holders get one-third off qualifying journeys. Check ullswater-steamers.co.uk for blue-light and seasonal rates.
Book ahead in peak season, school holidays and summer weekends — sailings sell out. Off-peak you can usually turn up at the pier. Toilets: on board every vessel, and at all three piers.
Ullswater ferry?
No car ferry — these are the Steamers
Live timetable
ullswater-steamers.co.uk
Boat trips
Round-the-lake cruises & rovers
Are they running?
Reduced winter timetable — check first
The signature route
The Ullswater Way is a 20-mile circular route right around the lake, linking Pooley Bridge, Howtown, Patterdale, Glenridding and Aira Force. Most people walk it over two days, or — better still — cheat with the Steamer: walk one of the great shoreline sections and ride the boat the other way.
The finest single section is Howtown to Patterdale along the eastern shore (often walked as Howtown back to Glenridding or Pooley Bridge) — a roughly 7–9 mile path through Sandwick and along the wildest, quietest side of the lake, with Hallin Fell as an easy add-on at the start. It is widely rated one of the best low-level walks in England.
Step-by-step route: the full turn-by-turn Ullswater Way walk card — distances, terrain, the Aira Force link and the lakeshore section — lives on our Glenridding walks page, the canonical home for the route.
See the Ullswater Way walk on the Glenridding walks pageThe quiet eastern shore
Howtown is barely a hamlet — a pier, a hotel and a farm or two on the lake's wild eastern shore. There is no through road worth driving; the joy of Howtown is arriving by Steamer and walking out. It is the launch point for the best shoreline walk on the lake and the little fell with the biggest view.
The mid-lake Steamer stop, around 35 minutes from Glenridding or 20 minutes from Pooley Bridge. Toilets at the pier. This is where you step off to walk back along the shore — no car needed, and arguably the most scenic arrival in the Lakes.
At just 388m, Hallin Fell is one of the shortest, sharpest big-view climbs in the Lakes — about 30–40 minutes up from the church at Howtown, and the finest panorama over Ullswater you can earn so cheaply. Perfect with kids and dogs.
See the Hallin Fell walkThe famous lakeside country house on the shore between Pooley Bridge and Howtown — the original home of British "country-house" hospitality and, by legend, the birthplace of sticky toffee pudding. A landmark of the eastern shore.
Closed since 2020 — under restoration by the Askham Hall group for a planned future reopening. Not currently open to visitors.
On foot
From a 30-minute viewpoint to England's most famous ridge. The canonical step-by-step routes live on our Glenridding walks page — here is the pick of the lake.
388m · ~1 hr. The best big view on Ullswater for the least effort, straight up from Howtown.
Howtown to Patterdale/Glenridding · 7–9 mi. The classic Steamer-and-walk day.
657m · the Wainwright that looks straight down the lake from the eastern shore.
The waterfall and the fell above it, on the northern shore near Glenridding.
950m · England's most famous ridge scramble. Good weather only. From Glenridding.
~5.5 mi from the village to Heughscar Hill and the Cockpit stone circle, with big lake views.
Travel styles
Tap a style for hand-picked ideas around the lake.
All-day rover, boat to Howtown, walk the eastern shore back. The definitive Ullswater day out.
The big one — 950m, 8 miles, a genuine scramble from Glenridding. Good weather only.
Route detailsUllswater is a superb open-water swim and SUP lake. Quiet bays on the eastern shore near Howtown.
Wild swimming guideGetting there & parking
The lake's car parks fill early on summer weekends. Arrive before 9.30am, or use the Steamer and the 508 bus to skip the squeeze.
Main pay & display by the pier (CA11 0PD). £3–£6/day. Closest to the Steamers and Helvellyn.
Village pay & display at the foot of the lake — see the Pooley Bridge guide.
National Trust car park, CA11 0JS. Around £5; free to NT members. For the waterfall and Gowbarrow.
The 508 bus runs Penrith–Pooley Bridge–Glenridding; Penrith has the nearest railway station and the M6 (Junction 40).
Eat, drink & shops
There is no supermarket on the lake — but both ends have good pubs, cafés and village shops. For a big shop, Penrith is the nearest town.
Does Ullswater have shops? There is no supermarket on the lake — Glenridding and Pooley Bridge each have a village store and outdoor shops, and the nearest big shop is Penrith (Booths, Morrisons), about 6 miles from Pooley Bridge. Here are the places to eat, drink and stock up around the lake.
Classic walkers' pub above Glenridding with the best beer-garden view straight down the lake. Dog-friendly.
Café and restaurant in Glenridding by the pier — coffee, breakfasts and hot meals, perfect at the start or end of a walk.
Family-run gastro-pub at Pooley Bridge — open fires, hearty food and a big garden at the foot of the lake.
Riverside tearoom and restaurant at Pooley Bridge, serving since 1904 — scones, cakes and a garden over the Eamont.
National Trust tea room at the Aira Force car park — hot drinks, light bites and takeaway before or after the waterfall walk.
Lakeside hotel at Glenridding with a dog-friendly bar and lawns to the water — food and drink all day in 15 acres of grounds.
Independent outdoor shop — boots, waterproofs and kit, with expert boot-fitting. Branches at Glenridding and Pooley Bridge.
Groceries, papers, off-licence, gifts, the post office and Kimi's famous gelato at the foot of the lake.
Hotels, inns with rooms and holiday parks around the foot of the lake are listed on the Pooley Bridge guide.
Listings are free. Run a pub, café or shop on Ullswater? Add or update your business.
Live conditions
Check the lake before you set off — the fells are exposed and the weather turns fast. Live forecast below, plus where to find the Ullswater webcams.
Tomorrow
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Live data via Open-Meteo · updates each visit
Live view of Ullswater from the Pooley Bridge pier, courtesy of Ullswater Steamers. A quick check of wind and cloud on the lake before you commit to a high-fell day.
Ullswater's famous 20-metre waterfall — and Wordsworth's daffodil shore — sit on the northern side near Glenridding. The full guide, parking and walk live on our Glenridding page.
The free Lakes Planner builds your day around the Steamer timetable, the walk you fancy and the live weather — no sign-up needed.
Open the plannerGood to know
Explore more
The villages of the lake, and the nearest town.
The village at the foot of the lake — bridge, shops, walks and eateries.
The walking village — Helvellyn, Aira Force and the southern pier.
The nearest town — supermarkets, the railway and the M6 (Junction 40).
Derwentwater, Catbells and the northern Lakes, 40 minutes west.