My Lake District trip – Glenridding & Aira Force

The village of Glenridding sits at the southern end of Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District. It’s accessible by Stagecoach’s route 508; the Saturdays only route 208; and the Ullswater Steamer ferry. I opted to travel on route 208 from Keswick, as this bus starts in Carlisle as route 73. These routes offer some of the best views I have ever witnessed – some what impressive given the route is the operated by Solos!

Seriously impressive sights

Ullswater lake is breathtakingly sublime, the best of all the lakes, in my humble opinion. Glenridding offers a unrivalled view of this beautiful location, where you can stand on the pier and immerse yourself in the sheer beauty and silence of the Cumbrian lake.

The streams and hills of Glenridding
A view of Ullswater from Glenridding Pier
A lakeside view of Ullswater

The short hike to Aira Force

After a short stroll around Glenridding (and a delicious bacon bap from the beach bar) I decided to head up to Aira Force to see the waterfalls at this National Trust attraction. Initially I had planned on catching the 508, but the bus was running late. Over 30 minutes late, in fact, which rather caught me by surprise – as you can tell from these rather awful photographs!

After missing the bus, and not wanting another 40-odd minute wait, I decided to walk the relatively short distance to Aria Force. There’s a dedicated footpath that runs, pretty much, adjacent to the road – mostly easy trails but there were some pretty steep steps too. The trail also hugs the lake, meaning that you get to see Ullswater in even more spectacular glory. A gentle 90 minute walk and you arrive at the Aira Force tearooms for a well earned cup of tea and slice of Victoria Sponge.

In and around Aira Force

The National Trust waterfall, Aira Force, is set in acres of stunning countryside and features many walkways enabling you to view the streams in all their glory. The thing with waterfalls is that, by their very nature, they’re on top of a hill. So be prepared for a steep hike to the top. I wasn’t, especially after walking from Glenridding!