Hell Gill Force, Mallerstang

How to walk to Hell Gill Force

Directions (to be used in conjunction with a map)

1. From the layby head up the road away from the railway bridge approximately 200 yards to a signpost on the left hand side saying Ais Gill and head through the gate. The path follows the track and zig zags up the hill to another gate in the wall. Head through that gate into the field beyond and turn right. When we walked this walk, there were sheep in the field beyond who were VERY curious and ended up following us as we walked along - confusing us with the farmer! Just a heads up to those who might not enjoy that!

2. In the first field on the left, there is a waterfall. Feel free to head off the path to explore. This field is on open access land.

3. After turning right after the gate, continue along the path, that loosely follows the line of the dry stone wall, keeping that on your right. The path heads through another gate in the way and continues into the next field. At the edge of the next field, you will see a house on your right, and here you need to head through the wide gap in the wall (this bit was VERY muddy when we walked it!) There were some more curious sheep in this field too!

4. Continue across the field. Contrary to what the map suggests, the path continued up to the next dry stone wall perimeter and then along the outside of the wall, keeping that to your right. Continue straight on (ignoring the gate in the wall on your right) until you reach another gate. This one is waymarked public bridleway on the other side of it!

5. Continue through another gate into the yet another field. The path heads along the wall (keeping that on your right), through another waymarked gate (also on the other side) and then heads diagonally to the road.

6. When you reach the road, turn left and walk along it a little way until you reach the Welcome to Cumbria road sign (if they haven’t fixed this, well the sign has been……. ahem…. altered slightly…) There, cross the road and onto a wide access track that heads across the railway lines. It is signposted public bridleway.

7. After heading through the gate and crossing the railway lines, the track turns left and after a short distance you will see Hell Gill Force. Once you have checked out the waterfall, you need to turn right along another access track and keep going upwards (you don’t want to cross the ford over the beck).

8. The path heads up the access track and crosses the water of the beck over a bridge. It then goes through the middle of a property (that was being renovated when we walked this, and looked like it was going to be beautiful!) On your right at this point, you might notice that the beck is running through a fantastic rocky canyon, you can see it over the wall!

9. Head up to the bridge crossing the beck (Hell Gill Bridge). and turn right Make sure you look down into the canyon below! You are now on a wide unsurfaced access road.

10. Follow this all the way back down to the farm near the railway bridge where you began (when the road forks, take the right fork). You will reach the gate into the farm, head through both of those and then back to the road. Turn right, head under the railway bridge and then you’re back at the car!

Last walked February 2023.