Settlebeck Gill Waterfall, Sedbergh

How to walk to Sedbergh’s secret waterfall

Directions (to be used in conjunction with a map)

1. Head out of the pay and display car park towards Joss Lane (this is the vehicular entrance). Turn right up Joss Lane towards the Farfield Clothing shop. The road bends round to the right here, heading through residential properties. Follow this round, following signage ‘to the fell’. You will find yourself on a road that leads to a dead end.

2. At the end of the road you will reach a large gate, follow the public footpath sign up the track. It is a wide access track that you can’t miss! It bends round to the left and then you will see in a gate in the wall up ahead of you. The path heads through this.

3. There is a short walled section, before the path heads back out of another gate and to the beck. There is a little descent to the beck on your right if you’d like to explore this a little. There are a few paths that lead upstream to some lovely little pools and small waterfalls for stone throwing! If you explore here, make sure you return to this path, as it takes you up the hill to the secret waterfall.

4. Continue up the hill, keeping the water of Settlebeck Gill on your right hand side. You will eventually reach a metal kissing gate at the top, with signage indicating you are entering open access land. You are about to exercise your right to roam!

5. At this point, the path you will need to return to Sedbergh via the park is on your left following the wall. But to find the waterfall you will need to take a little detour. As you head through the gate, the path continues straight on, but there is a track that forks off to the right and descends into a little dip. You will be able to see the waterfall below you from here (pictured).

6. To get to it, take the right hand fork and follow the clear track downwards. To get to the bottom of the waterfall, you will need to approach it from above, so walk beyond the level of the shrubbery that surrounds it, and then descend to the beck there where the gradient is much less steep. Cross the beck to the other side and head right, there is gorse surrounding the path and like I said above, it requires a bit of a bum scramble with someone holding the shrubbery out of the way. It can be done, but if you aren’t confident, then appreciate the falls from the view above, this bit can be avoided if desired! There is a little memorial plaque here in the rock at the side of the waterfall with ‘Wiggy’s Rest’ written on it. Whoever Wiggy was, we can see why they found this place so special.

7. You will need to return to the iron kissing gate where you entered the open access land. There are two benches here and the path follows the dry stone wall on your left, passing the benches on your right heading in the direction of the large mast up ahead. After about half a mile, you will reach a metal gate in the wall on your left at Lockbank Farm.

8. Head through the gate, then the next metal gate that follows in quick succession. You will find yourself in the farmyard. Follow the track down through the buildings heading straight on. The bridleway passes through the middle of the farm, passing the farm house on your right, heading through a further wooden gate, then on the access track to the road. Here, turn left onto the road.

9. The road leads you back into Sedbergh, passing the play park. From the play park, take the first road on your left. It leads through residential properties and takes you back to Joss Lane, behind the shop. Here, turn right and go back down the road to the car park.

Last walked in full February 2023 (part walked April 2024)