What constitutes a good walk? Stunning scenery, a not too difficult ascent to a good view, a waterfall, shaded woodland? Sometimes a compromise has to be made but on this particular walk you get the whole lot in a not too difficult 41/2 mile (7Km) walk near Lake Ullswater on the eastern edge of the Lake District. Even better there is a pub at the end of it.
Detailed easy to follow, instructions can be found in the book Pocket Pub Walks by Jean Patefield. The walk has a climb up Gowbarrow fell followed by a gentle descent with some stunning views of Ullswater Lake and a visit to Aira Force waterfall.
There are two possible starts to the walk. The first is from the carpark at Aira Force but prefering to keep the waterfall until the end of the walk it is also possible to start from the village of Dockray on the A5091 where there is limited parking by the bridge in the centre of the village.
The walk to the summit of Gowbarrow Fell follows a wall for most of the way and can be rather muddy in places. It is not too steep and a stop to rest gives great views behind you as you gain height. A trig point marks the summit and on a clear day you can see for miles around.
After retracing steps a short way from the summit the path continues to the right and eventually will give some superb views of Ullswater. On a clear, blue sky, day it is simply stunning and you are largely able to enjoy it on your own give or take the occasional walker.
Aira Force is the 66 foot drop created by the Aria Beck as falls down a steep ravine on the final stage of its route to Lake Ullswater.
The car park for the waterfall has a cafe and toilets. The car park is a blessing and a curse as it means that the area around the falls are very busy and noisy. From the falls it is a short walk, first through woodland and then open country, back to Dockray village. As most people only visit the falls from the nearby carpark the route is very quiet.