Exploring Lake District Dales

SHORTLISTED FOR LAKELAND BOOK OF THE YEAR 2026
Explore the beauty of the Lake District dales with this enchanting and absorbing guide.
Crisp and sharp, fascinating throughout, [this book] is an outstanding journey through the Lake District. - Bill Birkett, Author, Mountaineer and Photographer
The Lake District has over 100 dales, many of them tranquil enclaves far from the hectic comings and goings of daily Lakeland life. Yet beyond the main river arteries, most dales remain little-known; some see more sheep and deer than humans. Even locals would be hard pressed to pinpoint some with certainty.
Ticking your way through a list of Lake District summits is easy; they stick up and are easily accounted for. Less so the dales. Where, for example, is Blengdale, or Miterdale, seldom-visited Woundale, Fusedale, Moasdale and Pasture Bottom?
In Exploring Lake District Dales, Terry Marsh champions the cause of the dales. Diving into their geology, geography, history, culture, folklore and matters of curious and touristic interest, this book reveals the beauty and appeal of dales, great and small.
Among captivating text and stunning photography, Exploring Lake District Dales also provides you with essential visitor information such as transport links, the most inspiring visitor attractions and sights, unmissable restaurants and great places to stay, making this book the complete package for all Lake District admirers.

Terry Marsh is a seasoned writer and photographer of travel and walking guidebooks. He has a long association with the Lake District, having served for several years as a volunteer warden and written a number of extant guides, mainly walking guides, on the area. He is also the author of Exploring Scotland's Islands, published by Bloomsbury (2024).

Foreword by Bill Birkett
Index of key influencers
1 Introduction

2 The Eastern Dales
- Kentdale
- Longsleddale, Bannisdale, Crookdale and Borrowdale
3 The Lowther lands
- Sleddale
- Mosedale
- Swindale
- Mardale
- Cawdale and Heltondale
4 Patterdale and the Eamont
- Kirkstone and Caiston Beck
- Dovedale
- Hayeswater and Pasture Bottom
- Deepdale
- Grisedale
- Glenridding
- Glencoyndale
- Aira Beck and Matterdale
- Dacre Beck
- Martindale
- Boredale
- Fusedale
5 The Northern Dales
- Bannerdale
- Mungrisdale
- Mosedale and the Caldew
- Barkbethdale
- Southerndale
6 The Langdales and Wordsworth country
- Langdale and Little Langdale
- Elterwater
- Rydal and Grasmere
- Easedale and Far Easedale
- Greenburndale
- Thirlmere and Wythburn
- St John's in the Vale
7 In the company of the Derwent
- Borrowdale
- Seathwaite
- Seatoller
- Watendlath
8 North-west Dales
- Newlands
- Whinlatter and Grisedale
- Buttermere, Crummock and Rannerdale
- Lorton vale
- Loweswater
9 South-west Dales and Copeland
- Ennerdale
- Into Copeland wild
- Wasdale
- Mosedale, Bowderdale and Greendale
- Blengdale
- Eskdale (Ravenglass) and Miterdale
- Calderdale
10 Furness and South Lakeland
- Lyth valley and Gilpin
- Cartmel
- Windermere, Troutbeck and Woundale
- Ambleside
- Hawkshead and Esthwaite
- Grizedale Forest
- Yewdale and Coniston
- Dunnerdale
- Moasdale
- Lickle valley
Bibliography and further reading
Index