You are able to take a look at the ruins of Stalling Busk church. There is an information board there to tell you more.

How to walk around Semerwater

Directions to be used alongside a map

1. From the car park head east along the road, walking towards Low Blean Farm where you pay for parking. The lake is on your right hand side. Opposite the driveway on the edge of the road is a metal gate and public footpath sign for Stalling Busk, head through this and across the next field, roughly parallel to the line of the wall on your right. In the wall opposite is a wooden gate. Head through that and across the next field.

2. Next, head through a stone gap in the wall, then over a stone stile next to a farm building. On your right you will soon see you can get down to the waters edge for a stone throwing opportunity!

3. After this, continue to follow the footpath through another gate in the wall, keeping the lake to your right and heading straight on. The path is clear to see and reaches a stile over the fence as it enters the Semerwater nature reserve.

4. There is a gate in the wall to exit the nature reserve, and the path continues straight on, heading slightly uphill to meet a stream and a drystone wall. Keep the wall to your right and you will soon see the ruins of Stalling Busk Church ahead and on your right. You can access the ruins, where there is an information board to find out more about its history (see below!) but after exploring, head back to the path.

5. The path heads straight on through a wooden gate directly ahead (don’t be misled by the farm building with the metal gate next to it, there isn’t a path there). There is a small gate on the right of the five bar gate, head through that..

6. On the other side, there is a signpost pointing to Stalling Busk and Marsett. UPDATE 2026: Here you need to make a choice based on your conditions. The walk into Stalling Busk is lovely and well worth it, BUT if you have had heavy rain the path to Marsett from there may be flooded. NEVER FEAR! Here, you can head in the direction of Marsett and this path will take you to a footbridge over the beck. As you enter the final field, make sure you head right to the footbridge, not straight on to Busk Lane. or you will be faced with the same problem.

7. Conditions good? Head in the direction of Stalling Busk. The path heads upwards and into the tiny settlement, passing Keld Scar waterfalls. You will only catch a glimpse, but they are pretty! Head through a further five bar gate, and you will reach the stream, roughly follow the line of the stream heading upstream. You will be going uphill to a gate in the wall up ahead.

8. You will now be on a grassy and stony track, which heads round to the right, between a pretty farmhouse on your right and an outbuilding on your left. The path goes between the two and then heads towards a wide stone track. At the junction, there is a perfectly positioned stone bench. Turn right onto Busk Lane.

9. Follow the track downwards. You will reach a ford with the beck and this was where we found it flooded on our most recent visit (nothing some wet feet couldn’t handle) but if you DO find yourself in a pickle, then there is a footpath a little further up the lane, if you retrace your steps. Cross the ford (normally at splash depth!)

10. The path heads right, and follows the line of the water, before bending round to the left. There is a footbridge up ahead to cross the water.

11. Cross it, then continue to head along the stony track until you reach the village of Marsett. At the village green, keep right, following the line of the beck until you see the road bridge into Marsett. Turn right onto the bridge and cross this. Then follow the quiet country road. The most traffic we have encountered included a tractor and a farmers quad, so it is super quiet. Nevertheless, keep your eyes peeled particularly in the Summer (there’s a campsite/ glamping/ holiday lets at Marsett).

12. After just over a mile, you will see a footpath sign to your right. Cross the stile and take this footpath, which heads down and diagonally leftwards across the field heading back towards Semerwater that will be ahead of you and right. (We have encountered cows in this field before, friendly ones, but just in case you prefer to avoid our bovine friends!)

13. The path heads downhill and edges closer and closer to the Lake. You will soon reach the path back out onto the road. Turn right over Semerwater bridge and head back to the car park where you started.

Last walked January 2026.

Standing at the edge of the water

The path back to Semerwater