Discover Watermillock on Ullswater

Watermillock combines views across Ullswater with a signposted circular trail, distinctive landscapes and a rich local history. Anyone looking for a holiday cottage or holiday home for a Lake District break will find a starting point here for a variety of day plans: long walks along the Ullswater Way, shorter sections of the route, nature watching and discoveries at historic buildings can be combined to create a varied trip.

Walking the Ullswater Way

The Ullswater Way is a 20-mile, signposted circular trail around the entire Ullswater. You can tackle the route as a complete circuit or combine shorter sections with the Ullswater Steamers and local bus services. This choice is particularly useful when different ideas of a walking day come together within your group: while some may plan a longer circuit, others can choose a single section.

For orientation around Watermillock, the section from Pooley Bridge to Aira Force is particularly informative. The section leads to Watermillock Church and then through the peaceful woods of Swinburn Park, without requiring you to plan the entire circular route in one day. When choosing your accommodation, it is therefore worth first deciding on your preferred walking rhythm and then considering whether a complete circuit or several shorter outings would suit your trip better.

Ullswater, Little Mell Fell and the landscape

Watermillock overlooks Ullswater, while Little Mell Fell forms the backdrop to the village. The meadow areas in Watermillock churchyard are rich in wildflowers. Anyone who wants to take in the landscape and nature as well as walk will find specific opportunities here for quieter parts of the trip.

The geological character of the area is also notable: in the Watermillock area, including Swinburn’s Park, the oldest Ordovician formations lie largely beneath the fields. Black slate rocks of the Skiddaw Group are exposed in some stream beds. These details give the landscape an additional dimension and make walks an opportunity to take in not only the views but also the structure of the area more consciously.

Church, monuments and Herdwick Stones

All Saints Church lies just below Priest’s Fell on the Ullswater Way. The church was built in 1881 from local stone by local craftsmen and features Victorian stained-glass windows. Its masonry consists of Lakeland slate with dressed details in red sandstone. It is also important to the local history that Watermillock has had a church since 1218; it originally stood on the site of today’s Old Church Hotel.

About 4 metres north of All Saints Church stands the Marshall Monument. The Grade II listed chest tomb commemorates John Marshall, who died in 1845, and his wife Jane, who died in 1847. Watermillock House and the adjoining part of Magnolia Cottage are Grade II* listed. Watermillock House is a late-17th-century house with an addition from the late 18th century. Cove Farm and Smithy also date from the late 17th century and were altered in the early 18th century.

Three Herdwick Stones stand on the section of the Ullswater Way between Watermillock and Gowbarrow. The row commemorates the role of sheep farming in the cultural heritage of the Ullswater valley and the Lake District. This adds a theme of regional tradition to the nature and walking experiences around the lake.

Which accommodation suits your travel plans?

Watermillock is particularly suitable as a destination if you do not want to view nature, trails and culture separately. For a holiday cottage in Watermillock, you can first decide whether the focus should be on the Ullswater Way, the historic buildings or a mixture of active and quieter days. The available route options help you adapt your daily plans to the interests of your group without having to commit to a single route length.

The Ullswater Holiday Park also has a documented connection with the water: it offers floating moorings, berths at a jetty and a concrete slipway for launching boats. If boats and the lake are part of your travel plans, this aspect provides additional guidance when choosing your accommodation area. For those interested in culture, All Saints Church, the Marshall Monument and the historic buildings in Watermillock form a separate focus.

More places to compare

If you would like to compare Watermillock with other destinations, you can also look at Staveley, Silloth, Frizington, Ainstable, Milnthorpe, Little Langdale, Killington and Applethwaite.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cumbria.