Trail Running > Routes > Lake District Routes > Devoke Water Circuit
A deceptively rugged 19 km trail run with panoramic mountain and coastal views – and the opportunity to bag six Wainwrights in one outing.
Why run this trail?
Devoke Water is cited as the largest tarn in the Lake District, but at a mile in length it’s pretty much a lake in its own right. Despite its draw for wild swimmers and anglers, it feels so remote and wild that the solitary boathouse and the ever-present audience of sheep are the only visible signs of civilisation.
This route offers the chance to bag six Wainwrights clustered in close proximity, but I have to come clean and admit that I only achieved five on this run. That’s ok, because it was never about the bagging and it also means I’ve got a reason to go back.
I kicked off from Eskdale National Trust Campsite on a beautiful June afternoon, heading out of Boot village up towards Birker Fell. The steady 30 minute run up through farmland deposited me – nicely warm – at the small fell-top road of Austhwaite Brow.
Crossing onto the bridleway directly opposite, I promptly missed my right hand turn for Rough Crag – the first summit of the day. Doubling back, I picked up the faintest of tracks and made my way up the rather soggy climb to the cairn. This offered my first full view of the shimmering tarn below and the backdrop of the bigger mountains towering behind Eskdale to the northwest.
A clear path between Rough Crag and the next summit of Water Crag involved a bit of easy down and up to reach my second viewpoint. The coast reveals itself from this spot, with clear views of the Irish Sea and the chimneys of Sellafield visible beyond Muncaster Fell.
From here, the trail took me down towards the western edge of Devoke Water where the track rapidly disintegrated into a spongey marsh as I neared the level of the water.
My route then involved crossing Linbeck Gill – a healthy torrent of water spilling from the tarn at its western tip. A quick recce confirmed that crossing the water upstream – before it picks up speed and tumbles down the fell – was the safest option.
Surprisingly warm, the water was refreshing to wade through before I set about my climb up White Pike. Despite the theoretical track shown on my map, the way to the summit from this point was mainly pathless and involved extended sections of marsh before I hit the lower slopes. The ground gradually became drier and rockier, steepening nicely as I squelched my way up to the top.
The summit is a rocky clump with a pillar-like cairn and expansive views of the coast towards Ulverston and an enhanced panorama of the soft green fells below and the bigger peaks in the distance. Devoke Water suddenly looked small and insignificant as I zipped up my top against a sudden cold wind.
From White Pike, it’s a short jaunt southeast to Yoadcastle – the highest point of the route at 494 m. It’s a distinctive tor, shaped like an upturned boat. A fun scramble over boulders took me to the top and provided the opportunity for yet another poorly executed selfie as I struggled to balance on the top.
With weary legs and just warm dregs left in my flasks I was suddenly eager to start the homeward leg. Tracking back and slightly north, I ticked off Woodend Height on auto-pilot before descending via the clear path that traces Rigg Beck down to the tarn.
The fast, easy descent soon deposited me back in marshland around the southern edge of the tarn. Master of the bog at this point in proceedings, I ploughed on to join the stony bridleway, passing the boathouse in the early shadows of twilight. I elected not to climb the sixth Wainwright of Seat How at this point – my appetite for scrambling up rocks was waining with the early evening light and my grumbling stomach reminded me of more pressing matters.
Following the bridleway back to Austhwaite Brow, I then retraced my steps over Birker Fell and the final five kilometres downhill to Boot. Despite a growing desire for a long, cold drink and a good meal, I inexplicably opted for a final detour along the River Esk. This duly found me hacking my way through an extended patch of chest-high bracken before shambling my way back to the north bank of the river near St Catherine’s Church.
With all the grace of Worzel Gummidge, my wooden legs carried me stoically through the final painful steps back to camp. It was to be a quick rest and repair as I was booked for a hiking trip up Harter Fell the next morning. Yikes.
Trail run highlights
Trail run tips
More trail running routes in the Lake District
Trail Running Routes in the Lake District
Disclaimer
All routes and GPX files are provided as a guide only. Conditions, rights of way, and landmarks may change. Always carry an up‑to‑date map and use your own judgement. See the Trail Run Disclaimer page for details.