Walla Crag is a small fell with a big view. Looking out over Derwent Water and the surrounding mountains, it’s exceptionally beautiful and if you’re lucky enough to be walking in August, the heather blooms make it even more special.
There are a number of different routes up to Walla Crag and in this guide we’re sharing an easy-ish circular walk that takes in the Great Wood and Ashness Bridge, as well as plenty of time out on the hill tops with fabulous views.
Here’s everything you need to know about Walla Crag.
The Walla Crag circuit walk
The stats
Distance: 3.6 miles (5.8km) circuit
Elevation gain: 340m
Difficulty: Moderate
Summary: There is a relatively sustained and steep climb up to Walla Crag, but it’s all on good terrain. There’s very little in the way of mud and no slippery sections (at least in dry weather).
The descent is very gradual which makes it leisurely, and again, has good terrain, which makes a nice change from some of the other fells!
As mentioned, there are other routes up to Walla Crag, including a longer loop that starts from Keswick town centre. In this guide we’re sharing a shorter route beginning in the Great Wood, just outside Keswick.
Starting the trail: through the Great Wood
The walk begins from the National Trust Great Wood car park (full details below) and heads along the gravel path, gently uphill through the wood. It’s a pretty and shady start to the walk, through the peaceful woodland.
After 220m you’ll come to a signposted junction and you want to keep heading straight, following the Ashness Bridge/Walla Crag gradual climb sign (ignore the path on the left that is also signposted as Walla Crag).
The trail will continue heading uphill on a good gravel path for another 160m before it does get a bit rockier in parts, but it’s still a decent track.
At the 450m mark you’ll come to another junction and this time follow the track left, up some steep stone steps.
The wood gets even more beautiful from here, and you’re also walking beside a picturesque stream and gorge.
It does get steeper as you head up the stairs, but it does mean you make quick work of the climb. When dry the steps are very grippy.
You’ll start to get some partial views looking back over Derwent Water, although it’s nothing on what’s to come.
You’ll find the odd bit of rocky and rough terrain the higher you climb, but only in very short sections and nothing that actually involves scrambling.
Climbing higher
You’ll pass through several gates and at one point the path flattens and you think there will be a bit of a breather, however it’s short lived and you continue climbing minutes later.
At the 0.7 mile mark (1.1km) you’ll pass through another gate and from here the trail is much more open and all woodland has been left behind.
The views out to the fells are stunning from up here and as we were lucky enough to be hiking in August, many were heather clad which made it even more picturesque.
Roughly 100m after the gate you’ll reach a junction (not signposted) and take a left, followed by another left 100m later. The path still heads uphill, but more gently now, it’s also a grassy trail, so a bit easier than the steps through the wood.
At the 0.9 mile (1.4km) mark you’ll see a stile (which also has a little bit you can lift up if you have a dog) and you’re now just 250m from the top of Walla Crag. The path was covered in heather on both sides, which was absolutely glorious.
The Walla Crag summit
The top of Walla Crag is rocky and exposed and was the only part of the walk where we got battered by wind - you really do feel the full effects of it here!
However the views more than make up for it, they’re spectacular - surprisingly good for such a short walk, at just over a mile or 1.7km to this point.
The summit covers a large area, so there’s plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the views - although there were only two people up there when we visited, despite the fact it was one of the rare sunny days we had in August!
You have an uninterrupted view of Derwent Water with it’s pretty little tree covered islands, as well as a glimpse of Bassenthwaite Lake and Skiddaw beyond.
The fells, luminous green fields and sparkling blue lakes all added to the scene, creating a view to remember.
Across the open hillside
From the top of Walla Crag you head back down to the stile, hop over it and then instead of retracing your steps back towards the wood, take the path that heads left, towards the distant fells.
After 250m along the obvious trail you’ll come to a big cairn and at the junction take the path on the right.
You’ll follow the flat gravel path with incredible views on both sides, with steep rugged fells to the left and Derwent Water to the right.
After a couple of hundred metres you’ll cross a small stream (there are plenty of rocks to use as stepping stones) and keep following the obvious track.
It’s a really lovely part of the walk because the views are great and the terrain is good too, so you don’t have to watch your feet.
Descending to Ashness Bridge
The descent down to Ashness Bridge is pretty gradual, which makes it a much nicer descent than many other fells we’ve walked.
Although there are a few rocky sections, for the most part, it’s a good path and when dry was not slippery.
There is a slightly steeper bit as you near the end of the descent, but overall I found it much more enjoyable than normal, as I am definitely not a fan of the steep slippery descents found on many of the fells in the Lakes. The views are also great!
After you’ve been descending for roughly 0.6 miles (1km) you’ll see a gate ahead of you. You don’t head through it and instead the trail with curve right. It’s uneven along this last stretch, but it only lasts for 100m.
You’ll then head over the stile and see two different paths. Both take you to Ashness Bridge, but the path on the right is slightly smoother. The bridge is 100m after the gate and stile.
As you pop out on top of the bridge, you’ll probably want to cross over it and then walk a few metres down the path leading into the little woodland. This is where you’ll get the best view of the bridge.
Completing the circuit
From the top of the bridge, the walk heads onto the narrow footpath beside the road. It is a little overgrown, with bracken reaching out over the path, but it’s still easy to follow.
The narrow dirt path has one very short uphill section and then it’s largely flat.
You’ll have views out to Derwent Water, although not on the scale of the ones from Walla Crag and the descent.
Due to the huge volume of bracken, this trail has an almost forgotten air, but that’s actually quite nice as you feel far away from the crowds on the more popular walks in the area.
The path will soon begin descending, but it’s gentle and the terrain is good. After 0.8 miles (1.3km) you’ll reach the Great Wood and there is one last very short uphill section.
This will take you up to the bridge you will have seen when ascending through the wood. You’ll cross the bridge and then recognise the path you came in on and follow it all the way down through the wood and back to the car park, which is 450m away.
The descent through the wood starts on stone stairs which are not slippery when dry, but could be when wet. The final section is on a good dirt path, so overall, in keeping with the rest of the walk, it’s a good descent.
Parking for the Walla Crag Walk
To follow our route you need to park in the Great Wood car park in Borrowdale, postcode CA12 5UP. It’s run by the National Trust and is free for members, or otherwise it’s £5 for up to 2 hours, £7 for up to 4 hours and £8.50 for all day (the all day ticket is for the whole of Borrowdale, so can be used at places such as the Bowder stone or Rosthwaite (for Castle Crag)
There is a decent amount of parking spaces and when we visited in the middle of the day in August we had no trouble getting a spot.
Getting to the Walla Crag trailhead, by car and by public transport
The Walla Crag walk using our route begins in the Great Wood, which is a five minute drive from Keswick, 40 minutes from Ambleside and 30 minutes from Buttermere.
There is a bus stop right outside the car park (although if you wanted a longer walk you can actually start the trail in Keswick too.
To get to the Great Wood bus stop, take the 78 bus from outside Booths supermarket in Keswick. It should take around 10 minutes.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This helps towards the costs of running our website. Thanks for your support.
