Buttermere Lake Circuit

The path around Buttermere is one of the flattest complete lake circuits in the district, a loop of around 7.2km with about 30m of ascent in all, close to the shore for almost its entire length. It suits anyone who wants a walk without a climb: families with young children, or a rest day between harder fell days elsewhere in the valley.

From the National Trust car park on the outskirts of the village, the route can be picked up directly and followed in either direction. The single distinctive feature is a short rock tunnel at Hassness on the eastern shore, which WalkLakes describes as a narrow pedestrian tunnel hewn through the rock. Views open out across the water to Fleetwith Pike and the ridge above Warnscale for most of the loop, and Haystacks and High Stile fill the skyline.

Underfoot the going is easy but not always dry: the path crosses several becks feeding into the lake, and low-lying sections can be muddy after rain even when the fell tops above are clear. There is no climbing to speak of, no scrambling, and no exposure, which suits a mixed-ability group.

The shore is not for anyone in search of solitude in high season. The combination of a short, flat loop and a car park right at the start crowds it. Haystacks rises straight off the same valley for anyone who would rather earn the view, at 671m of ascent instead of 30m.