Best Wild Swimming Spots in Cumbria (Lake District) in Summer
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best wild swimming spots in Cumbria (Lake District) in Summer are Thirlmere Infinity Pool, Hell Gill Beck, Burnmoor Tarn, Borrowdale Pool, Coniston Secret Swimming Spot, Gill Force, Sour Milk Ghyll and Wastwater Lake.
Cumbria and the Lake District come into their own on a warm summer day, when the fells shimmer and cold, clean water is exactly what you want after a climb. This is one of the richest corners of England for wild swimming, and the choices run from vast lakes to hidden fell pools.
Out west, remote Wasdale holds Wast Water, the deepest lake in England, while Burnmoor Tarn sits alone on the moor between Wasdale and Eskdale, where Gill Force also tucks into the River Esk. In the central fells you can seek out the Thirlmere Infinity Pool above the reservoir, the peaty pools of Borrowdale south of Derwentwater, and Sour Milk Ghyll near Grasmere.
Further south, Coniston Water offers open swimming, while over on the eastern border Hell Gill Beck cuts its limestone slot at the head of Mallerstang. Pack a towel and sturdy shoes.
Here are eight wild swimming spots to seek out in Cumbria this summer.
Thirlmere Infinity Pool
Photo: Michael Graham via Geograph.org.uk
Swim above Thirlmere at this fellside pool On the eastern side of Thirlmere reservoir, this rock pool sits on Fisherplace Gill, a beck tumbling down the fellside. The water gathers in a natural basin before spilling over a lip into the fall below, so the far edge seems to drop away and gives that infinity-pool look out across Thirlmere and the surrounding fells.
It is at its finest toward sunset. Getting there means a steep, faint path of roughly a mile up the fellside from near Legburthwaite, pushing through bracken, with a slippery final stretch to watch.
The water stays cold, and there are no facilities up here.
Hell Gill Beck
Photo: John Illingworth via Geograph.org.uk
Explore the limestone slot at the head of Mallerstang Up at the head of Mallerstang, on the border between Cumbria and North Yorkshire, Hell Gill Beck spills off the high moor and becomes the young River Eden below its falls. Its most striking stretch is Hell Gill itself, a narrow, deep slot carved into limestone where the beck runs cave-like between high walls, linking small falls and pools.
Just below, Hell Gill Force drops around eight metres to mark the start of the Eden. This is a known gorge-scrambling route rather than a casual paddle, tackled with ropes and wetsuits, and it turns dangerous in high water, so treat it with real respect.
Burnmoor Tarn
Photo: Steve Partridge via Geograph.org.uk
Reach this lonely tarn between Eskdale and Wasdale High on the open moor between Eskdale and Wasdale, in the western Lake District, Burnmoor Tarn is one of the biggest natural tarns in the district. It lies in a hollow on the fells, far from any road and reached only on foot across miles of rough, boggy ground, with Scafell and its neighbours rising beyond.
The setting is bleak and empty, all heather and grass, and an old lodge once used for shooting and fishing stands alone by the shore. An ancient corpse road, the route once taken to carry coffins from Wasdale to the church at Boot, passes close by.
Borrowdale Pool
Photo: Michael Graham via Geograph.org.uk
Cool off in the river pools of Borrowdale In the wooded, fell-ringed valley south of Derwentwater, Borrowdale holds some of the finest river swimming in the Lake District. The becks draining the valley gather into deep, still pools scooped out of the rock between the boulders, the water peat-tinged yet clear.
Here the beck slows into a pool among the rocks, backed by bracken and trees with the high fells rising all around, reached on a walk along a valley path through classic Lakeland scenery of crag, wood and water. The pools are cold and clean, fed straight off the hills, and on a warm day they tempt walkers down off the fells for a bracing plunge.
Coniston Secret Swimming Spot
Photo: Ian Taylor via Geograph.org.uk
Find open water on quiet Coniston Water Coniston Water is a long, quiet lake in the southern Lake District, ringed by wooded shore and open fell. Swimmers slip in from the pebbled edges and jetties at several points along its five miles of water, though launches and cruisers do pass by, so keep an eye out.
Near the southern end lies Peel Island, a well-liked target for a swim out from the bank. If you would rather escape the boats altogether, Beacon Tarn on the fell to the west offers a smaller, quieter stretch of water to yourself.
Between the two there is room for both a proper lake swim and a peaceful tarn dip.
Gill Force
Photo: Peter Trimming via Geograph.org.uk
Dip into the Esk gorge pool at Gill Force Down in Eskdale, Gill Force sits on the River Esk near the old church of St Catherine, between Boot and Dalegarth. The river threads through a small rocky gorge into a clear pool that turns greenish in sunlight, with rocks to jump from for anyone feeling bold.
The falls themselves are modest, more a cascade than a great drop, so it is really the gorge and the clean, clear water that draw people here rather than the height. A riverside path leads to the pool from the church or from Boot, making it an easy addition to a gentle valley walk on a warm Lakeland day.
Sour Milk Ghyll
Photo: Steven Brown via Geograph.org.uk
Follow the foaming ghyll above Grasmere In the Easedale valley near Grasmere, Sour Milk Ghyll is a white, foaming waterfall that carries the outflow of Easedale Tarn down the fellside. Its name comes from the frothy, milk-white look of the water as it cascades over the rock.
A popular walk from Grasmere village follows the ghyll uphill to the little mountain tarn, and there are pools at the foot of the falls that swimmers use for a cold dip along the way. Note that several waterfalls in the Lake District share this name, so it is worth being clear you are heading for the Grasmere one when you set out.
Wastwater Lake
Photo: David Martin via Geograph.org.uk
Swim England's deepest lake in remote Wasdale Out in remote Wasdale, in the western Lake District, Wast Water is the deepest lake in England, a long glacial ribbon of water. Its south-eastern side is walled by the Wastwater Screes, a slope of shattered rock that plunges some 600 metres and carries on well below the surface, where the lake reaches around 79 metres at its deepest.
A single-track road and a lakeside path follow the quieter north-western shore, which is the gentler side for a swim.
FAQs
Is the water cold for wild swimming in the Lake District in summer?
Yes. Even in July and August, the tarns, lakes and fell pools of Cumbria stay genuinely cold, because much of the water is fed straight off the high fells. Wast Water, the deepest lake in England, is especially chilly at depth. Ease in slowly and get out if you start to shiver.
Do I need to walk far to reach these spots?
It varies across the Lake District. Coniston Water and Wast Water sit close to lakeside roads and paths, but Burnmoor Tarn takes miles of moorland walking, and the Thirlmere Infinity Pool needs a steep climb of about a mile up the fellside from Legburthwaite. Wear sturdy shoes.
Which spots suit less confident swimmers?
Gentle river pools such as those in Borrowdale, south of Derwentwater, and Gill Force on the River Esk in Eskdale suit a more relaxed dip. Hell Gill Beck at the head of Mallerstang, by contrast, is a serious gorge-scrambling route best left to experienced groups with ropes and wetsuits.
Conclusion
The Lake District packs an extraordinary range of wild swimming into a small corner of England, and summer is the season to make the most of it. For a big, dramatic lake swim, nothing beats Wast Water in remote Wasdale, while Coniston Water in the south offers gentler open water.
If you prefer moving water, the peaty pools of Borrowdale, Gill Force in Eskdale and Sour Milk Ghyll near Grasmere all reward a walk in. The Thirlmere Infinity Pool and lonely Burnmoor Tarn add a sense of real adventure, and Hell Gill Beck is best left to experienced scramblers.
Wherever you head, the water stays cold even in July, so ease in slowly and take care after heavy rain. From tarn to lake to fell pool, these are the wild swimming spots to seek out in Cumbria this summer.
