Looking for a peaceful walk with incredible views in the Lake District? My complete guide to Bowness Knott takes you through one of the area’s hidden gems. A scenic trail overlooking Ennerdale Water, with quiet woodland paths and dramatic fell views. Get route tips, parking info, and everything you need to plan your perfect day out.
If you’re looking for a relaxed, peaceful walk in the Lake District, surrounded by rugged natural beauty, Bowness Knott is a hidden gem worth exploring. The summit stands at 333 metres, and offers stunning views over the magical Ennerdale Water. Along the way, enjoy a quiet woodland trail through the enchanting Bowness Plantation; a perfect mix of fell, forest, and lakeside scenery.
Bowness Knott is truly one of my favourite days out in Cumbria, and in my opinion, it is seriously underrated when it comes to Lake District fell walks. If you are looking for an easy to moderate hike with a real sense of adventure and inspiring views, I cannot recommend it enough. Read on to discover why this peaceful part of the Lakes is well worth a visit.
Is Bowness Knott a Wainwright?
Bowness Knott is a fell in the northern Lake District, set beside the shores of the gorgeous and remote Ennerdale Water. It neighbours Brown How, which stands at 331 metres, and the much taller Wainwright, Great Borne, at 616 metres.
Despite it’s beauty and fantastic scenic views, Bowness Knott was not included in Alfred Wainwright’s list of fells to climb. However, this often means it is much quieter, as hikers keen to tick off the Wainwrights may give this fell a miss. Despite it’s lack of status, in terms of summit views, variety of scenery, and overall pleasant walking experience, Bowness Knott is a strong contender for the title of “Best walk in the Lake District”.
The Best Time of Year to Visit Bowness Knott
The Lake District is magical at any time of the year, and Bowness Knott is no exception. As long as the rain is not hammering down, it’s therefore possible to have a pleasant walk up Bowness Knott at any time. I would recommend reserving this walk for a clear, sunny day where you can fully appreciate the scenic views offered at the summit.
The path to the summit is quite narrow, and the heather can be slightly overgrown, which means ticks may be an unwelcome guest during the summer months. This is one reason I chose to do this walk on a beautiful sunny day in February. If you are venturing out on a warm summer day, it is best to wear trousers and cover your arms with long sleeves to reduce the risk of bites from these deer loving critters.
What to bring for the walk [Lake District hiking essentials]
- Comfortable walking shoes– Sturdy trainers or walking boots are ideal. As much of the path is paved, but can still be uneven in places.
- Water– Always stay hydrated, even on cooler days!
- Waterproof clothing– The weather can change quickly in the Lakes, so it’s best to always be prepared.
- Camera– Trust me, you will want to capture the beautiful views
- Warm clothing– The summit can be quite windy, even on sunny days
- Charged phone and power bank– Helpful for navigation and safety.
- Navigation tools– The All Trails or OS Maps app works well. Or bring a paper OS map as a back up or to test your map reading skills.
How to get to Bowness Knott
Bowness Knott is located in the wild and more remote north western Lake District, close to the village of Ennerdale Bridge and the hamlet of Croasdale. It’s about a 40 minute drive from Keswick (roughly 24 miles away), around 1 hour 8 minutes from Ambleside (42 miles away) and about 1 hour 17 minutes from Windermere (46 miles away).
From Keswick, take the A66 west towards Cockermouth. Along the way, you’ll pass Bassenthwaite Lake on your right and enjoy a lovely view of Skiddaw. Turn onto the A5086 towards Lamplugh, and continue until you reach the small hamlet of Croasdale, where you’ll pass some charming farm houses. From there, the road becomes narrow, so take it slow and carefully. Keep following the road and you will eventually reach the Bowness Knott car park.
Bowness Knott Parking
Bowness Knott has its own car park. Unlike many car parks in the Lake District, this one offers contactless payment for credit and debit cards. Parking is not the cheapest, but it is fairly reasonable. For longer hikes or a full day spent around Ennerdale Water, you can park all day for £8. I chose the 4 hour option for £5, which allowed plenty of time to enjoy a relaxed walk.
The car park is quite spacious and can accommodate a good number of cars. However, during school holidays and weekends in the summer, it’s advisable to arrive early to avoid disappointment. Whilst some people park on the grass verges just before the car park, space is limited. To be considerate of the local environment, it is best to park in the designated car park where possible.
Bowness Knott Car park:
What3words: ///owned.thumb.pins
Bowness Knott car park postcode: CA23 3AX
Grid Reference: NY 10981 15333
Grid Reference 6 figure: NY109153
Bowness Knott Walk- Route and Information
Starting from the car park, head back along the road you drove down, walking towards the hamlet of Croasdale. The road is quiet, with grassy verges where you can step aside if any traffic approaches. Along the way, you’ll be treated to a spectacular view of the Wainwright, Great Borne, as well as picturesque Lake District pine trees and stone walls.
You will soon see a small stile on your right beside a stream named Rake Beck; where you’ll find some beautiful little waterfalls here. Do not follow the path that continues alongside the beck, as that one leads to Great Borne. Instead, take the path to your right, which climbs up the fell and leads to Bowness Knott.
The path that climbs Bowness Knott is fairly uneven, so make sure to wear appropriate footwear.
As you continue along the path, you’ll see a stile on your right with a cute doggie door. Climb over it and keep going uphill towards the summit of Bowness Knott.
Approaching the summit
Once you reach around 300m elevation, the path becomes a little overgrown with heather and pine trees, and it’s easy to stray off track as there are a few different footpaths here. One path leads directly to the summit with spectacular views, whilst the other skirts around it. I recommend keeping track of your location using the All Trails app or OS Maps. To reach the summit, make sure you follow the path that curves round to the right.
As you ascend, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of Bowness plantation. On a clear day, it’s truly a beautiful sight to see the forest and the fells in the distance. To learn more about the wildlife that calls this forest home, click here.
Once you reach the top of Bowness Knott, the path will plateau for a bit. Continue along the path in front of you to face Ennerdale Water.
Once you reach the summit, you’ll spot a few stone cairns marking your position. You’ll also be greeted by stunning panoramic views of Ennerdale Water and mountains in the distance, including Pillar, Black Crag and Scoat Fell. The summit is the perfect place to sit and enjoy a cup of hot coffee, have a snack, and take in one of the most beautiful Lake District viewpoints.
The Descent
Once you’ve soaked up the summit views, follow the path down through Bowness Plantation. The first part of the descent takes you through dense vegetation, and the views along the way are simply awe inspiring.
After that, much of the path becomes a wide, pebbled road with a very gradual gradient. For this reason, it’s a very pleasant and easy descent. It’s a lovely opportunity wonderful to watch the birds in the pine trees on either side of you.
Shortly afterwards, you’ll see Smithey Beck on your right, and soon after, you’ll come to a fork in the road.
Follow the road to the right, and you’ll enter the Smithey Beck Trail; a lovely tree lined path along the beck. This trail leads to a beautiful, accessible waterfall and a charming wooden bridge where you can take in the view.
After a delightful walk through the forest along the stream, the trail meets that main path that runs alongside Ennerdale Water. Here, you can stop at one of the many pebble beaches to admire the magnificent lake, or sit at one of the picnic tables to enjoy a snack.
Follow this main path, and you’ll walk slightly uphill back to the car park on your right.
With beautiful views, forests, and a lake, hiking Bowness Knott offers a fabulous day out in this more remote area of the Lake District National Park.
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