Alcock Tarn
Recommended by
Our view
"A steep ascent in the footsteps of poets and runners leads to a moorland tarn, some fine views and finally Dove Cottage."
Walk directions
From the far end of the car park, close to the toilets, locate a walled path passing the back of Grasmere School. Turn right at a junction and pass the old Workman’s Reading Room. Keep ahead at a crossing of paths by a small bridge and go through a kissing gate to join a meadow path. It bears left by a stand of pines then follows a wall and fences to reach the main road.
Turn left along the pavement for a few paces before crossing over to the lane adjacent to the Catholic church. Walk up this quiet residential lane. At a junction after a short descent, turn right and continue until a footpath sign on the right points you up a narrower walled lane towards Alcock Tarn. At the top of this lane, go through a gate onto the open fell.
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Additional information
Terrain
- Road, grassy paths and tracks
Landscape
- Woods, field, fell, tarn and lake
Dog friendliness
- Some places grazed by sheep
Parking
- National Park Authority Stock Lane pay-and-display car park, on the southern side of Grasmere village
Toilets en route
- At car park
About the walk
The name ‘Dove Cottage’ would not have meant anything to William Wordsworth and his family. The little house beneath the woods and towering ridge of Heron Pike was known to the poet and his family as Town End and it had formerly been an ale house called the Dove and Olive Bough. The Wordsworths...
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Walking in Safety
Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.
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Been on this walk?
Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.
Walking in Safety
Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.
Get an AA guide
Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.
About the area
Cumbria's rugged yet beautiful landscape is best known for the Lake District National Park that sits within its boundaries. It’s famous for Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake, and Derwent Water, ‘Queen of the English Lakes', but other lesser-known areas in the south, such as the Lune Valley and the coastal towns, are secret gems of wide cobbled streets and rolling hills.
Nearby places to stay
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Nearby places to stay
Moss Grove Organic
Located in the heart of the Lakes, this impressive Victorian house has been appointed using as many natural products as possible, as part of an ongoing dedication to cause minimal envir...
Rowanberry Cottage
Awaiting description....
Rowanberry Cottage
Awaiting description....
Rothay Garden by Harbour Hotel
Rothay Garden was built in the 1850s as a private home and was then turned into a guest house. The hotel benefits from a very peaceful location with a beautiful garden and picturesque v...
April Cottage
April Cottage is a gorgeous 200 year old cottage built out of Lakeland stone. It has been restored with great care to keep all the charm, yet still benefits from all the modern comforts...
April Cottage
April Cottage is a gorgeous 200 year old cottage built out of Lakeland stone. It has been restored with great care to keep all the charm, yet still benefits from all the modern comforts...
Forest Side
Located on the edge of Grasmere village, Forest Side is a former mansion house that's been lovingly converted into a charming and relaxing hotel. Dinner is a must – the kitchen team wor...
The Yan at Broadrayne
Clustered around a pretty farmyard in the Vale of Grasmere, Broadrayne Farm Cottages offers a pair of cottages, an apartment and a studio all tastefully converted from 17th-century ston...
Places to eat nearby View all
