Swindale and Forces Falls
Walk date – 19th November 2025
Distance – 5 miles
Weather – dry and sunny, very cold
In the intro to our High Rigg walk a couple of days ago I mentioned that we had been unable to drive over to Swindale last Friday to view the falls following the torrential rain we had the day before as road closures had prevented it. Having looked carefully to find out exactly where the road closure was located in the Bampton area we could see that there was an alternative route even though it would involve using a narrow minor road. Having established that we could get through we decided to try again and drive over to Swindale and take a look at the falls. Just as we did last Friday we had gaiters and spikes with us, gaiters in readiness for the soggy areas below the falls and spikes for the wet grassy climb to the various viewpoints beside the falls. The weather forecast indicated that snow at higher levels was expected to fall overnight, but today would be dry and sunny accompanied by strong northerly winds with a build up of cloud later on in the afternoon. So with a decent forecast on the cards we decided on Tuesday night that we would try to get to Swindale the following day. After scraping the frost from the car windows off we went and noticed the snow covered North Pennines as we travelled along the A6. We remarked that the snow had fallen on them to quite a low level but it hadn’t reached the valley floor so we were surprised to see that it had done so in Swindale.
(While on the subject of road closures we noticed an Advance Warning sign placed just before the bridge over Haweswater beck at Bampton, i.e. the road leading over to Burnbanks and Mardale Head. Apparently this road will be closed from 8th December until 14th December.)
Route
Swindale Foot – Truss Gap – Swindale Head – Dodd Bottom – Forces Falls – Swindale Valley path – Truss Gap – Swindale Foot
A view of the snow covered Wether Hill/Loadpot Hill grouping from the Askham to Bampton road.
A clearer view of the same minus a few trees.
Knipe Scar also with a covering of snow. This view was taken from the car as we drove along. No snow had fallen at valley level anywhere along the route.
The situation in Swindale was quite different and we were surprised to find a sprinkling of snow at valley level. We were also surprised to find another car already parked in the parking area at Swindale Foot and thought it probably belonged to a local person who was out walking their dog. The lane is usually wet and was a little icy here and there but any icy patches were easily avoided so our spikes weren’t really necessary along here.
Approaching the residences at Truss Gap which seemed to be deserted so perhaps they are now holiday lets.
Having passed Truss Gap we now had a clear view of Hobgrumble Gill, the dark cleft on the left with Geordie Greathead Crags to its right. They overlook Swindale Head and are part of the rim of crags which drop down from Selside Pike. The sun is quite low now so much of the valley remained in shade.
Looking across Swindale Head where Hobgrumble Gill is now in the centre flanked by Nabs Crag and Geordie Greathead Crag. The upturned pudding bowl shapes in the distance are the drumlins around The Knott, the rocky hillock in the sunshine. which appears to be at the bottom of Hobgrumble Gill but isn’t. The drumlins aren’t as close to it as you might imagine either.
Approaching the former farm at Swindale Head. It was quite warm in the sunshine but very cold when we weren’t. There wasn’t a breath of wind anywhere. When we reached the buildings we could see a couple of cars parked outside so people were living there but we didn’t see anyone at all. The tarmac ends at the farm so when we took to the path around the farm we stopped to put our spikes on, gaiters were already on. Much huffing and puffing ensued. Things you forget about during summer months – how awkward doing the simplest things becomes when one is wrapped up in winter clothing, snow balling up on spikes, the amount of extras which have to be put in rucksacks, etc. etc.
Spikes were eventually attached to boots and we continued down the very watery lane from the farm. Running water hadn’t frozen, neither had deep mud, but smaller puddles had so the ground conditions were somewhat mixed. A tussle with a frozen latch at the deer gate brought some exasperation but brute force prevailed in the end.
Approaching the snow covered and frosty bridge across one of the becks draining out of Dodd Bottom into Swindale beck. I meant to take a shot looking back once we had crossed over, which would have resulted in a brighter view, but once we were across I forgot all about it.
We threaded our way through the drumlins with a look across Dodd Bottom towards Hobgrumble Gill. We also had a wander down memory lane to the walk we did on 19th February 2024 when we walked down across those crags on a very murky day. Its a much sunnier day today than it was then although the above shot admittedly does make everything seem very gloomy.
The bend in Swindale beck where the water is prevented from flowing into Dodd Bottom by a bank of glacial moraine across which is the path we are following. Very cold now as the sun is too low in the sky to dispel the shadows created by the surrounding fells.
J making his way towards the footbridge across the very rough and soggy ground. We can already hear the water roaring down over the rocks. At what point, I wondered, does Mosedale beck become Swindale beck? Something to ponder on as I try to avoid stepping into one of the many puddly sections.
We’ve arrived at the first set of falls where the water was rushing down at great speed, almost as if it was impatient to get down into the valley and turn into the gentle beck flowing along it. Snow everywhere, clinging to grass, rocks, branches and making everything look cold and, by ‘eck it was cold in the shade created by the surrounding fells.
We climbed up to the next level where there is another pool which is kept topped up by the three cascades in the photo. The lower pool which we had just climbed up from is filled by this water flowing down into it from the left side …..
….. and here’s the spot where it leaves this pool and flows down to the one in the first photo.
We climbed a little higher for this view of the water sliding over the boulders into the second pool …..
….. and watched it eventually tumble …..
….. into the pool below.
We climbed further up where a row of mini falls were flowing into the waterslide just below them …..
….. and then further up for a top down view of the mini falls from a slightly flatter area.
Another set of falls hiding further back behind some very large snow speckled boulders which were a little too treacherous to even attempt standing on today.
A series of small cascades around the corner from the almost hidden falls in the previous shot.
The view back up the beck from the footbridge. I think we walked up as far as the clump of rocks just below where the sunlight begins where we decided not to go any higher. From the clump of rocks the path moves away from the beck before returning to it, at which point the path is closer to the beck but rises quite high above it. If you’d like to see the beck in its upper reaches take a look at our walk of 27th May 2018 when we climbed up into the Mosedale valley. We crossed the footbridge having decided to return to Truss Gap via the Swindale Meadow Walk trail from which there is …..
….. this view across Swindale towards the plantation of trees above the farm at Swindale Head. The rock formation in the lower right of the shot is The Knott.
Another view of The Knott from the path on the eastern side of Swindale. It sits in the middle of an open space on a small rise on this side of the beck and is quite separate from everything else around it. It looks a bit out of place, almost as if its the original ‘Billy no mates’.
The view ahead as we walked the path below the snowy crags. The path was not difficult to follow although today the snow would keep balling up around our spikes and throwing us off balance now and again.
On the skyline are High Blake Dodd (L) and High Birkin Knott (R), two of the high points on Selside Pike from which there are good views down into and along Swindale. Below the uppermost wall the bracken seems to have taken over what would have once been green fields and grazed by sheep. Now the sheep are gone along with the farms and the bracken has taken over. What exactly is the purpose of ‘re-wilding’ if as a result we are left with an empty valley devoid of life?
The buildings of Swindale Head farm above which is the tree plantation and the old corpse road between Swindale and Mardale. The two snowy peaks over on the right are probably Woof Crag and Hare Shaw over on Mardale Common …..
….. and the snowy peak on the right skyline is probably Powley’s Hill. On the far side of Swindale beck are some of the one hundred sheep now allowed to graze in the valley since the ‘re-wilding’ project began around 2013/4.
While walking through a particularly shady patch we noticed a couple of fell ponies coming across towards us. We had noticed them in the fields below us on our outward leg but they were too far away from us at that time. Now they had spotted us walking along the track beside the deer fence and were making a determined effort to reach us. I called out to J to stop and we waited for them to get to us. The grass on this side of the fence was of the tough variety so we hunted around for some softer and greener grass which would be more to their liking, They were wary of it to begin with but eventually accepted it, chomped away happily and came back for more. Unfortunately, being mid-winter, luscious green grass was in short supply and we could find no more for them.
Approaching the footbridge across Haskew Beck with a sunlit Swindale Foot Crag behind it in the distance. Between the trees over on the left the white painted houses of Truss Gap are appearing.
There wasn’t a great amount of distance to cover beyond the footbridge and we were soon back at the Truss Gap stepping stones which we didn’t use as they were both wet and icy …..
….. so we walked down to the United Utilities footbridge where we crossed over and returned to the tarmac lane we had used on the outward leg. This was the view downstream from that bridge.
This was the last shot I took as we walked back down to the Swindale Foot parking area and shows what I think is Langhowe Pike over on Swindale Common. The car which was already parked there when we arrived was still there so we were wrong in thinking that it belonged to a local dog walker, unless they had taken the dog for a very long walk! We walked back along the lane with the sun on our backs, not in our eyes, and it was good to feel its warmth again. Even so we treated ourselves to a cup of hot coffee when we got back in the car and, as an added extra, the car seats were switched on as well so we soon got warmed up again. I’ve just remembered one more thing that tends to get forgotten about during the summer months; just how awkward it is to get a tissue out of a pocket whilst wearing gloves!