Elterwater
Local highlightA grey-stone hamlet and common at the mouth of Great Langdale, a fine Lakeland walking base among old green-slate quarries
Open accessfree to visit at any reasonable time
The little grey-stone hamlet of Elterwater sits where Great Langdale opens out, and it makes one of the best walking bases in the southern Lake District. At its heart is a small common — open grazing land anyone can walk — with a scatter of trees, and the Cumbria Way passes through on its way up the dale. The green slate quarried in the hills around here has been worked for centuries and still is; you’ll see it in the walls and roofs of every building. From the village you can walk down to Skelwith Force, climb Loughrigg Fell for the view, or head up into the high fells of Great Langdale.
