Wild Ennerdale, Coast to Coast
More Articles in the Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite subsection
Woundell Beck, Ling Mell Plantations, Wild Ennerdale
Wild Ennerdale, Rewilding Project, Coast to Coast
Wild Ennerdale is a long-running re-wilding partnership that encourages the natural regeneration of one of the most remote and undeveloped valleys in the Lake District. It is jointly led by the National Trust, Forestry England, United Utilities and Natural England, working together to reduce human intervention and allow Ennerdale to evolve as a wild, self-sustaining landscape.
The project spans the full length of the valley, from the broad shingle delta at Ennerdale Water’s outflow to the rugged upper reaches around Black Sail. Popular low-level walks such as the Liza Path, Nine Becks Walk, and Smithy Beck Trail offer access to this evolving wilderness, with several historic sites including the Smithy Beck longhouses and the ancient Woundell Vaccary (a medieval cattle farm) still visible along the lakeside.
Wild Ennerdale & High Stile Ridge
From Grey Knotts, the grandeur of Wild Ennerdale is laid bare — a deep glacial valley flanked by the full sweep of the High Stile range. Haystacks stands prominent in the centre, directly facing the towering face of High Crag and Gamlin End. Beyond lie the peaks of Red Pike, Starling Dodd, and Great Borne, with the Buttermere valley and Crummock Water forming a dramatic northern backdrop.
Historic Ennerdale Shoreline
Looking across the tranquil north shore of Ennerdale Water near Smithy Beck, this view frames the rugged flanks of Iron Crag and The Side beyond. These quiet woods and slopes were once home to medieval longhouses, iron bloomeries, and vaccary pastures — traces of Ennerdale’s deep-rooted human past, hidden now beneath alder, birch and bracken.
Woundell Vaccary Rewilded
A close-up view of the rewilded Woundell Vaccary, where age-old stone walls have been carefully restored and fenced to protect the revived cattle enclosures. Once part of a medieval pasture system, this compound now supports Black Galloway cattle under the Wild Ennerdale scheme, blending ancient practice with ecological regeneration.
River Liza Footbridge
The Coast to Coast path crosses the River Liza via a wooden footbridge near Woundell Vaccary. The south-bank trail, known as the Liza Path, follows the river upstream before meeting the forest track at the next crossing. This is one of two key fords marking the valley’s gentle shift from pastoral to wilder terrain.
The Liza Path
The Liza Path begins at the fords on the River Liza, where the water has reached the valley floor and begins to meander, forming a series of shallow channels, pebble islands, and fording points. Just upstream, the Woundell Beck joins the Liza, enriching this floodplain zone. West of the ford lies the Woundell Vaccary, once an ancient cattle stock farm, now rewilded and repopulated with free-roaming Galloway cattle as part of the Wild Ennerdale project.
This circular walk, just under two miles, offers an easy yet enriching route through the heart of the Ennerdale Valley. The Coast to Coast path itself crosses the vaccary and the River Liza near Low Gillerthwaite, continuing east through Ennerdale Forest. However, the Liza Path offers a feasible alternative: walkers can follow the south bank eastwards, cross at the second footbridge, and continue along the forest road on the north bank.
Just before reaching Low Beck, the path crosses the site of a 2,000-year-old settlement, believed to include roundhouses and livestock enclosures — a silent echo of Ennerdale’s ancient human presence.
Smithy Beck Longhouse Ruins
One of five medieval longhouse foundations nestled near the confluence of Clews Gill and Smithy Beck. These ancient homesteads were likely part of a seasonal settlement, built with dry stone and oriented down-valley. Time and vegetation have softened their outlines, but the shape of Norse-influenced rural life is still quietly etched into the landscape.
The Gather Cafe Ennerdale Bridge
A welcoming rest stop for walkers and locals alike, The Gather Café sits at the heart of Ennerdale Bridge village. Opened in 2016, it provides refreshments, local produce, and community warmth — all within sight of the Coast to Coast path, which passes just metres away.
Smithy Beck Trail Bowness Shore
Skirting the foot of Bowness Knott, the Smithy Beck Trail follows Ennerdale’s northern shore through whispering pines and storm-felled trunks. Across the water, The Side rises steeply, backed by the distant bulk of Pillar and the upper Ennerdale range. This peaceful lakeside path offers one of the gentlest yet most scenic walks in the valley.
Hiking the Coast to Coast trail guide
Hiking the Coast to Coast is a digitally enhanced eBook designed to accompany you on your journey along the Coast to Coast path. Available on Apple Books for iPhone, iPad and Mac, the guide includes:
• Mapping with interactive features
• Step-by-step route directions
• Hundreds of colour photographs
• Route conditions in different weather
• Historical and cultural points of interest
Whether you’re planning your trip or already on the trail, it’s a practical and beautifully illustrated resource to carry with you.
