Stanley Ghyll Waterfall — Attraction in England

Stanley Ghyll is now open again after a major project to bring back its natural wildlife and its view. Stanley Ghyll is “one of the finest waterfall ravines in the Lake District”. The humid, sheltered conditions within the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) protect a rich community of mosses, lichen, liverwort and notable rare ferns. The Beck, the waterfall and adjacent woodlands form the most important habitat for these plants in southwest Lakeland. Moreover, the awe-inspiring landscape and unusual biodiversity motivated exploration en-masse and Stanley Ghyll became a popular destination for tourism and artistic endeavour in the late Georgian and early Victorian eras.

The site was purchased by the Lake District Special Planning Board (which later became the Lake District National Park Authority) from the Ponsonby and Dalegarth Estate in 1994, with the object of preserving nature conservation interests and providing access opportunities for the public. From various historical documents and drawings we know that prior to the 1850s, rhododendron did not exist on the property. Bare granite and native species dominated the landscape and the waterfalls could be viewed and heard from a great distance.

About this time, the property served as a nursery for the gardens of Muncaster Castle and the Victorian fascination with rhododendron saw the planting of many different species throughout the site in the spring of 1857. The common, invasive ponticum variety thrived in the steep sided ravine of Stanley Ghyll and in less than one hundred years, the property was a sprawling mass of densely packed, unchecked rhododendron growth; poisoning the soils, shutting out the light and the views and preventing the natural progression of the...

This is a lovely walk of no more than a mile (depending on where you park) although the path does become rugged in places. We parked at the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway station, which added a little to our walk, and cost £2.50 for two hours, which was plenty of time for us to get to the falls and back at a steady pace. There is a free carpark with limited spaces if you turn down the lane opposite the old school house. The walks are sign-posted but few mention Stanley Ghyll, although the falls are easy enough to find. As I said, the path is rugged and you'll need sturdy walking boots to negotiate it! As you get further along, the steps become steeper and you're enclosed in a 'canyon' of moss-covered trees and rocks with the water flowing down from the falls - it's quite magical and very peaceful! There are places where the bank has eroded or trees and rocks have fallen, so you need to take care. At the top you'll find several warning signs of the 150ft drop, and it's wise to take note. The viewing platform is fairly new. It's a metal platform protruding several metres over the falls that offers great views and photo opportunities. To add to the thrill, some sections of the floor are made from metal grills so you can see through to the ground below! Take it steady, wear the right footwear, and...

This place is amazing , there is a a few locations to park to get here I don’t know them all but google maps will get you there , we parked at side of the road and had a 25 minute easy walk , we ended up at the top of the waterfall , there is a new viewing area and platform , and some fencing to keep you away from the edge it’s a shear drop trust me use the platform , money time and effort has been spent there use it , there. Is a way to path walk down to the bottom it is slippy if wet but safe and passable , it takes you down slowly , once on the bottom there are some bridges for viewing and some great selfies. If that’s your thing , we walked right up to the bottom waterfall for some pics but we don’t mind waving trough water and over a few rocks , there is a path which follows the water all way down , it’s like walking through a gorge . We were talking to people on the bottom who had accessed it from that end and they said it were a lovely 40 min walk to the waterfall , as I said we accessed from the top so we had to return to the top to get out , for those who access from the bottom I’d say the short hike up to the viewing point is worth it , families were there with dogs so I’d say it’s worth the trip out i would recommend for the scenery alone it’s...