Couples Waterfalls in Cumbria (Lake District)
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The couples waterfalls in Cumbria (Lake District) are Birker Force, Intake Force, Aisgill Falls, Docker Force, Scalehow Force, Skelwith Force, Rowantree Force and Gibson's Spout.
Cumbria and the Lake District hold some of England's finest quiet waterfalls, and a good few make a fine outing for two. Away from the busiest honeypots you will find falls that reward a little effort, from the long broken cascade of Birker Force above Eskdale to the wild leap of Scalehow Force beside Ullswater.
Some, like Skelwith Force on the River Brathay, pour a great weight of water over a short drop and roar after rain. Others, such as Intake Force, Docker Force and Gibson's Spout, are modest upland spots known to very few.
Aisgill Falls sits high at the watershed of England, while Rowantree Force hides in a ravine that Wainwright singled out as the finest feature of its hills. Each has its own character and its own setting, whether green valley, bare moor or wooded beck.
Here are eight waterfalls for couples to seek out in Cumbria (Lake District).
Birker Force
Photo: Michael Graham via Geograph.org.uk
Birker Force tumbles down the slopes of Birker Fell, above the quiet valley of Eskdale in the western Lake District. Seen from the valley below, the water falls in a long, broken cascade over rock, a white thread against the green and grey of the hill.
This is a rougher, wilder fall than most, with no made path to its foot, reached instead by a scramble up open fellside. High, empty moorland surrounds it, with the western hills rising all about and the River Esk winding beneath.
In heavy rain it swells and roars; in dry spells it thins to a trickle. Pair it with a walk for two who like their falls wild.
Intake Force
Photo: David Brown via Geograph.org.uk
Intake Force is a small upland waterfall, about ten feet high, on Bleaberry Beck near the hamlet of Barras in the eastern hills of Cumbria. It sits close to the old Stainmore road between Brough and Barnard Castle, where the beck drops over a rock step in open Pennine country of rough pasture and moorland.
This is a modest fall on a quiet stream rather than a big cascade, and the same beck holds a taller fall, Bleaberry Force, further along its course. It is remote hill ground with no facilities, reached on foot, and all the better for two who value a bit of quiet.
Seek it out on a clear day.
Aisgill Falls
Photo: Peter Johnson via Geograph.org.uk
Aisgill Falls is the name attached to the waterfall at the head of Mallerstang, the high dale where Cumbria meets the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. The fall is properly Hell Gill Force, where the young River Eden drops about eight to ten metres in a clean fall through a narrow cut in the rock, close to where the Settle to Carlisle railway reaches its highest point.
The table-topped bulk of Wild Boar Fell fills the view to the south-west, with the long wall of Mallerstang Edge opposite. This is open moorland at the watershed of England, wide, bare and windswept.
Modest in scale but grand in setting, it makes a bracing stop for two.
Docker Force
Photo: Karl and Ali via Geograph.org.uk
Docker Force is a small waterfall on Birk Beck, out in the fells near Docker between Tebay and Orton in Cumbria. The beck drops a few metres into a pool among open, rough moorland, well away from the main routes in quiet upland country.
This is a genuinely obscure fall, with no clear path to it and little written about it, which is much of its appeal for a couple after solitude. Come with map and boots, and expect to have the place to yourselves.
Seek it out and the reward is the quiet itself.
Scalehow Force
Photo: Bill Boaden via Geograph.org.uk
Scalehow Force is a waterfall on Scalehow Beck, where the water tumbles off the fell of High Dodd down toward the eastern shore of Ullswater. It is passed on the low-level lakeshore path, the Ullswater Way, between the hamlet of Sandwick and Silver Bay, the route climbing up beside the falls through woodland before curving back to the water.
This is a wild cascade seen on the walk rather than a signposted stop, with no facilities, and it should not be confused with the taller Scale Force over near Crummock Water. For a couple, the lakeside stroll and the falls together make a fine half-day.
Look for it as the path climbs.
Skelwith Force
Photo: DS Pugh via Geograph.org.uk
Skelwith Force is a low but powerful waterfall on the River Brathay at Skelwith Bridge, between Ambleside and the Langdales. The drop is not great, but the river is funnelled through a rock channel so that a great weight of water pours over it, loud and forceful after rain.
It is reached on a short, level walk of about a quarter of a mile from Skelwith Bridge, often taken in with a flat stroll on to Elter Water, with a slate workshop and cafe nearby. One of the smaller falls of the district but among the fullest in flow, it suits couples who want scenery without a long climb.
Seek it out after a wet spell.
Rowantree Force
Photo: Karl and Ali via Geograph.org.uk
Rowantree Force Tucked into a ravine on the flank of Stainton Pike, an outlying fell above Waberthwaite in the south-western Lake District, this little-known double waterfall drops through a deep gill away from any main path. Alfred Wainwright rated it the finest natural feature of these quiet hills.
There is no marked route, no parking and no signpost: reaching it means a rough walk across open fell, and it runs hardest when the becks are full after rain. For a couple who like a proper walk with a half-hidden reward at the end, it is a fine objective.
Gibson's Spout
Photo: Hilary Cooper via Geograph.org.uk
Gibson's Spout is a small waterfall near the village of Bootle in western Cumbria, on a burn in the low hills a mile or so from the village. The fall was tidied up long ago by Victorian engineers to help form a small reservoir for the village water supply, and it is marked on the old maps.
Quiet farming and hill country surrounds this modest, little-known spot. It will not draw crowds, which is rather the point for two who like their outings peaceful.
Seek it out on a gentle afternoon and let the quiet do the work.
FAQs
Which Cumbria waterfalls are best for a quiet couples walk?
Docker Force, Rowantree Force and Gibson's Spout are among the quietest, sitting well away from the main routes with few visitors. Scalehow Force above Ullswater pairs a wild cascade with a scenic lakeshore stroll. All reward couples who value a bit of solitude.
Do these Lake District waterfalls have parking or facilities?
Most do not. Skelwith Force is the exception, reached on a short, level walk with a slate workshop and cafe nearby. The rest are remote fell or moorland spots reached on foot, so come prepared and expect no facilities.
When is the best time to see these Cumbria waterfalls?
After rain is the time to catch them at full flow, when falls like Birker Force and Rowantree Force swell and roar. In dry spells several thin to a trickle. Bright, settled days are best for the wilder walks in.
Conclusion
Cumbria's waterfalls range from the full-throated roar of Skelwith Force to the lonely thread of Birker Force high on its fellside, and every one rewards a couple willing to go a little off the beaten track. Some sit beside easy lakeshore paths, like Scalehow Force above Ullswater; others, such as Rowantree Force and Docker Force, ask for map, boots and a taste for solitude.
Aisgill Falls, Intake Force and Gibson's Spout each carry the quiet character of the wider hills around them. Whether you want a short stroll or a proper day on the fells, there is a fall here to match the mood of a walk for two.
Pick a bright day, take your time, and enjoy the water and the views: these are the waterfalls for couples to seek out in Cumbria (Lake District).
