Crummock Water is special to Warmcor as we chose it for the location of our Changing Tube photo shoot. The south end of Crummock is a great swim spot due to its proximity to Buttermere, which means there are double-dip potentials.
Buttermere is the last pristine water in the northern Lake District though so make it your first swim in clean gear. Buttermere flows into Crummock, so if there are any nasty invasive species in Crummock, let’s keep them there and keep Buttermere clean.
Where is Crummock Water?
Coming from Braithwaite, you will head over Newlands Pass. This road is not for the faint of heart, but if you take it you will be rewarded with stunning views. Or you could take the B5289 south from Lorton. Taking this road will afford you many little stops to take photos or find your own entry point. There is a little layby just by Crummock South Beach (///tarnished.wooden.unfilled) which is great for a nip in the water and then back to the car, if you are on a tight schedule. But if you want a longer excursion, we recommend utilising your National Trust membership and park in their car park (///waltz.pounce.dwell).
From there take the path through the woods until you reach the stream. Following the stream, head north to reach Crummock. In the distance, you will see a kind of beached island of trees in the distance, which you can walk around.
The path will naturally take you there and it provides a lovely base to dump your kit and it has a nice shingly beach to enter the water from.
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How much does it cost and what are the facilities like?
If you are early and or lucky, you could get free parking in one of the laybys. Alternatively, use your National Trust membership for free parking in their car park. Again… the early bird gets the car park space. And then there is the option of parking at Buttermere which has paid for car parking. Alternatively, splash out on a £2 single fare and have a bus trip out via the Stagecoach 77/77a Bus from Keswick Bus Station and enjoy more of the scenery without the stress of driving.
Facilities-wise at the dipping site, it’s another location of - facilities are what you take. But a short walk away is Buttermere which has all that you need.
Croft House Farm Cafe is a lovely stop for a hot soup and a toilet break, with very friendly sparrows that could give any seaside gull a run for their money. This is a great place to keep an eye on the bus’ comings and goings if that is how you got there.
The Bridge Inn also provides lovely pub lunches with indoor and outdoor seating and access to wifi, which in the valley is non-existent outside of the establishment.
In the pay-for-car parks, there is access to public toilets for the sum of a 50p card transaction.
How was the swimming at Crummock?
The water of Crummock is beautiful and clear. You feel refreshed just looking at it. This comes from the water quickly making its way from the fells into Buttermere and then on to Crummock. You want fresh? Crummock will give you that.
The thing most enjoyable about Crummock is that it is the poor relative of Buttermere, and because of this, it is much quieter. Which makes being in the water much more of a communion with nature than in other places that we have swam. The last time I was in, from the water me and my companion marvelled at the hovering power of a Kestrel hunting for its lunch, and the way in which the light shifted over the landscape between the two bodies of water. A masterpiece in constant flux.
There is zero danger of this not becoming a regular open-water swimming location for you. Once you have given it a go, you will wonder why it has taken you so long to get there. Once you have built up your confidence in the water here, there are many other locations, waterfalls and general loveliness waiting for you to explore and find.
