Great Langdale Valley to Stool End from New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel

Approx 4miles. Undulating in places but easy. Good clear paths, can be wet in places – especially when crossing a shallow weir!

This walk in the wonderful Langdale Valley starts from the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel / Stickle Barn pub / National Trust car park. Using post code LA22 9JU will get you to the right place. On certain days, the field in front of the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel is also available for parking, payable at hotel reception.

Walk up past the left hand side of the Stickle Barn; from the National Trust car park. Go through the gate on the right and follow the path round to the left. The path then splits. Straight ahead will take you up the steep incline alongside Stickle Ghyll towards Stickle Tarn, but today, turn left. The path here is loose and rocky and you’ll be striding or scrambling over some large flat rocks.

Pass through another gate and swing left, picking out the path that hugs the lower slopes of Langdale Fell. You will see another path off to the right which takes you towards Dungeon Ghyll and up onto the fell above.

The path is well maintained and undulating in places but the views along the valley, across to Lingmoor Fell to the left and up the slopes of Langdale Fell are marvellous.

You will also cross a wooden bridge under which Dungeon Ghyll flows having made its journey down form the high fells; its crystal clear water cascading over the rocks and away to the valley floor.

The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel comes into view to your left as you continue to make your way along the valley. After the hotel, the path takes long lazy curve to the right and into the Mickledon valley, with spectacular views of Loft Crag and Pike of Stickle to your left.

The guidebooks say: “When the fields to the left end, turn left, off the main track, down to a footbridge over the beck.” On the last two occasions I have walked this way, the bridge had gone; its previous presence only evidenced by the concrete supports on either bank. So, make your way further along the track until level with a shallow weir, and cross here instead.

This can be quite a social experience as other walkers with same information seek out the shallowest place to cross!

Having crossed the beck, turn left and follow the path towards the nearby farm at Stool End.

Follow the signs through the farm buildings and continue along the road away from the farm and back towards the road. Turn left on to the road which crosses a beck via a bridge then take a left turn at the sign for a footpath.

From here, follow the way into a camp site and turn right beyond a wooden building. Follow the fence to your right and which takes you to a gate. Turn right after the gate and cross a small beck, then a stile and into a field. Climb half up the field then turn left along a faint track running along the slope.

Follow the path to Side House then just after, turn crossing a wider beck and heading back to your start point at the Stickle Barn pub.