View from the ground up to the towering canopy of several tall fir trees, some with square labels on their trunks — The tallest grand fir in Cumbria, on the Champion Tree Trail, Skelghyll Woods | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

Lake District

Ambleside Champion Tree Trail

Follow the tree symbols as you wind through Skellghyll Woods, and discover some of the tallest trees in Cumbria – and England. With picnic benches at all the best viewpoints, this is a great short walk to enjoy at lunchtime. You may even spot a red squirrel having a snack too.

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Total steps: 10

Start point

Stagshaw Garden National Trust car park, off the A591, grid ref: NY38100290

Step 1

Standing in the car park for Stagshaw Garden, look uphill and you will see a metal sign saying Skelghyll Woods. At this sign take the right-hand footpath into the woods.

Close-up of a trail waymarker on a post, which says 'Start' with an image of a green tree on it — Follow the waymarks through Skelghyll Woods to see some of Cumbria's tallest trees | © National Trust/Ben Knipe

Step 2

Follow the route as it passes the first of three picnic benches, and joins a historic track that is wide and gentle. It passes through conifers that were planted by Victorian plant collectors.

Step 3

Shortly after passing through a gap cut into a fallen tree, turn left to begin a steep climb through the Gallery of Giants.

Bluebells and bright green bracken carpet a woodland floor, with green-leaved tree canopy above — Bluebells in Skelghyll Woods, Ambleside | © National Trust Images/Robert Morris

Step 4

If you don’t have the energy to walk up this steep hill, there is a picnic bench here where you can admire champion trees with ease. Otherwise continue uphill, looking at the trees as you go.

Step 5

After a short trek, you will be in amongst the tallest Wellingtonia and Douglas fir trees in Cumbria, and the tallest grand fir in England. Their heights are written on plaques attached to the trees.

Step 6

Halfway up the hill, turn right to follow a narrow path onto a wide, rocky outcrop. If you turn around and look, you can see the tallest tree in its entirety – a rare and awe-inspiring sight.

Step 7

From here, stay on the outcrop but meander uphill to re-join the path. It gently curves up and left, passing another picnic bench sited on a flat piece of ground called a ‘charcoal hearth’ that coppice craftsmen will have used when making charcoal.

Step 8

Pass through another gap in a fallen tree and follow the gentle curve up and right, weaving between trees in a conifer grove, each with unique colours and patterns on their bark.

Step 9

On joining a level path, turn left and follow this until you reach a junction with a larger path weaving down through the wood. Follow this wide track downhill, keeping left as you go, past a beautiful bubbling beck.

Step 10

Before long you will find yourself back in the car park where you started, hopefully with enough time to explore Stagshaw Garden.

A path through flowering rhododendrons at Stagshaw Garden, Ambleside, Cumbria. — Stagshaw Garden, Ambleside, in June. | © National Trust Images/Robert Morris

End point

Stagshaw Garden National Trust car park, off the A591, grid ref: NY38100290

Trail map

The view of Wray Castle across lake Windermere

Trail

Post Knott, Windermere views walk

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An elevated view of Lake Windermere towards Wray Castle on the walk from Ambleside to Townend and Troutbeck, Cumbria.

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near Windermere, Cumbria

01539446027

windermere@nationaltrust.org.uk

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