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Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park
Aira Force is a showcase for the power and beauty of nature; it’s a place to escape the ordinary.
near Watermillock, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0JS
Important notice
Saturday 21 December - Aira Force Illuminations event cancelled due to high winds forecast.
Opening times for 21 December 2024
Asset Opening time Countryside Dawn - Dusk Aira Force car park Dawn - Dusk Tea-room 10:00 - 16:00 MTWTFSS2526272829301234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303112345OpenPartially openClosedCar park
Parking at Aira Force car park £6 for 2 hours, £7.50 for 4 hours or £9 all day. Glencoyne Bay, Park Brow & High Cascades car parks: £5 for 2 hours, £7 for 4 hours, £8.50 all day. Cash or parking app to pay. NT members park for free - please scan membership card at the pay and display machine to obtain ticket.
Tea-room
Tea room serving drinks, snacks and ice cream with indoor and outdoor seating. Takeaway available. Drinking water taps around the car park and tea-room for people to refill drinking bottles.
Dogs allowed
Dogs on leads welcome. Due to the wildlife, surrounding livestock and the experience of all our visitors, dogs must remain on leads at all times during your visit.
Toilet
Small toilet block in the main Aira Force car park (including an accessible toilet). Portaloos provided in summer when site is busy, situated next to permanent toilets. Next closest public toilets situated in Glenridding village (3 miles south on the A592.)
Accessible parking spaces. Mobility toilet. Waterfall not accessible by wheelchair. Much of the countryside is steep and rugged.
Accessible toilet
Mobility toilet adjacent to car park entrance
Induction loop
Designated parking
Steps/uneven terrain
Much of Aira Force and the countryside is steep and rugged The waterfall is not accessible by wheelchair or pushchair.
Drop-off point
By road
Approach the valley via Windermere and Bowness (A592) and Ambleside (The Struggle) for a scenic drive down the steep windy Kirkstone Pass. Alternatively access the valley from Junction 40 of the M6, or from Keswick/Penrith on the A66.
Parking: Main Aira Force Car Park postcode CA11 0JS. Pay for parking with cash or parking app at the ticket machine. (£6 for 2 hours, £7.50 for 4 hours, £9.00 all day). National Trust members park for free. Glencoyne Bay* - Postcode CA11 0NQ, OS reference NY386180 High Cascades* - Postcode CA11 0JY, OS reference NY397211 Park Brow* - Postcode CA11 0JY, OS reference NY397206 *£5 for 2 hours, £7 for 4 hours, £8.50 all day, National Trust members park for free.
Sat Nav: use CA11 0JS (please note that SatNav does not always take you directly to the car park so look out for signposts for Aira Force.)
On foot
From Glenridding (3 miles) or Glencoyne Bay (1.5 miles), follow the low-level, off-road footpath to Aira Force. From Pooley Bridge, a more challenging 6.5 mile walk over undulating, mixed-terrain footpaths (map recommended.) The Ullswater Way includes the above trails, details and maps can be found here. The Coast to Coast long distance footpath passes through the Ullswater Valley as it cuts across the country running from St Bees in the north west to Robin Hood's Bay in the north east. The Cumbria Way passes within 4 miles, with footpaths which link to Ullswater
By train
Penrith 10 miles
By bus
Stagecoach bus service 508 from Penrith takes about 30mins. 509 runs on Saturday & Sunday from Keswick - Penrith. Get off at Aira Force Park Brow stop.
By ferry
Ullswater Steamers operate from Glenridding and run services to Aira Force.
Planning your visit
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Visiting Aira Force with your dog
Aira Force is a three pawprint rated place, and well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome here. There are water bowls around the car park and tea-room area. Please read the Canine Code to make sure everyone has an enjoyable day.
Activity
Family-friendly things to do at Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park
Go an outdoor adventure at Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park this autumn. Whether you are following the pathway through the woodland to see the waterfall, looking for red squirrels, skimming stones on the shore of Ullswater there are plenty of outdoor adventures to be had come rain or shine.
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Group bookings at Aira Force
Booking is essential for coach parties. Please see Aira Force’s guidance on coach parking and access, then get your group booked in for a great day out.
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Highlights
Aira Force waterfall
Eighteenth-century pleasure ground with dramatic 65-foot waterfall and woodland trails, with champion trees and red squirrels.
Tea-room
Tea-room serves hot drinks, snacks and ice cream, with seating indoors and outside.
Lakeshore
Lakeshore access to Ullswater at Aira Green and Glencoyne Bay.
Gowbarrow Park
Gowbarrow Park was once home to a large herd of deer, and evidence of old shooting boxes and stalkers huts can still be seen today. The deer have since been replaced by low numbers of hardy, traditional sheep such as Herdwick. Great walking trails including the summit of Gowbarrow fell.
Things to see and do
Activity
Exploring Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park
Get a glimpse of what Aira Force and Ullswater have to offer, including walks with far-reaching views, red squirrels, picnic spots, a natural play area and water sports.
Activity
Family-friendly things to do at Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park
Go an outdoor adventure at Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park this autumn. Whether you are following the pathway through the woodland to see the waterfall, looking for red squirrels, skimming stones on the shore of Ullswater there are plenty of outdoor adventures to be had come rain or shine.
Spotlight events
Pooch passport
Pick up a passport or a stamp at Aira Force. Explore new places with your dog/s until 28 February 2025. Find out more about the scheme and discover dog-friendly places to explore together.
Winter Sparkle at Aira Force Illuminations
Twinkling lights and illuminated trees add sparkle to the woodland glade at Aira Force where decorations made by local school children adorn selected trees. Free event (13-14 and 20-21 December).
Top trails
Trail
Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park trail
Explore Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park on a circular walk passing through woodland and open glades all accompanied with the roaring sounds from the waterfall in the gorge. Enjoy expansive views over Ullswater from the summit of Gowbarrow.
Trail
Patterdale and Glenamara Park trail
Patterdale, near Ullswater, is home to Glenamara Park – a former deer park and site of several stately ancient and veteran trees. Explore them on this easy circular walk.
Trail
Aira Force Glencoyne Farm trail
This is a 3-mile walk through the upland hill farm of Glencoyne, with great views of Ullswater. You will pass through woodlands that are home to red squirrels, as well as historic farm buildings and charcoal pitsteads.
Trail
Hartsop to Hayeswater Gill trail
Climb up to Hayeswater Reservoir from Hartsop village on a circular walk, following the beck and the history of the mills and mines it once served.
Eating
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Eating at Aira Force
When visiting Ullswater stop off at Aira Force tea-room for hot and cold drinks, home bakes, sandwiches, pasties and ice creams. You can eat in, take away or even bring a picnic.
Places to stay
Watendlath Bunkhouse
A rustic bunkhouse for those who want to spend more time exploring the fells, tarns and peaks of the Lake District.
Millbeck Towers
An impressive 18th-century carding mill, now a large six-bedroom escape perfect for family get-togethers.
Upcoming events
Event
Pooch Passport
Pooch passport is back! Explore new places with your dog/s until 28 February 2025. Find out more about the scheme and discover dog-friendly places to explore together.
Event
Aira Force Winter Illuminations (cancelled on Saturday 21st)
**CANCELLED ON SATURDAY 21ST DUE TO HIGH WINDS**. Event happening as planned on Friday 20th. Small but beautifully formed this free festive event is a celebration of local community, nature and the great outdoors.
About Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park
An 18th-century pleasure ground, Aira Force was the backdrop for William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Somnambulist’ – a Gothic tale of love and tragedy. There are so many woodland trails to discover in this landscape of contrasts. Quiet glades give way to dramatic waterfalls, with Aira Beck thundering down a 65-foot drop past ferns and rocks. If you walk to the summit of Gowbarrow, you will be rewarded with panoramic views over Ullswater. Starting your day in Glenridding, arriving at Aira Force by boat then strolling back along the lakeshore, allows you to take in the wonderful Ullswater Valley sights.
Our work
Project
Project
Improving the walkways at Aira Force
In March 2021 we began a project to enhance the walkways at Aira Force. We’re hoping to thrill visitors by replacing an existing viewing area and footpath, unstable and unsuitable for long term use, with a dramatic steel platform, cantilevered out over the river gorge, to provide inspiring views of the river and waterfall. The £189,000 project is being part funded by a grant from The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The remaining amount, about 45%, will be covered by funds gifted through legacy donations and fundraising.
Riverlands projects in Cumbria
Rivers are life forces. They’ve helped sustain ecosystems, cultures and communities for millennia, their quiet power steadily shaping everything from landscapes to place names. Find out more about the work the National Trust is doing with local partners, tenant farmers and other landowners in the area to help restore the Cumbria's rivers and improve the water quality in lakes and tarns.
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Aira Force and Ullswater.