Depending on how you look at Brothers Water it is either one of the lake districts smallest Lakes or largest Tarns but whichever way you do you will be bowled over by the stunning views surrounding this body of water. It is also home to a flourishing trout population, as well as to a rare species of fish called the schelly.

Dorothy Wordsworth referred to it as “the glittering lively lake”.

Brothers Water is owned by the National Trust, who manage it to encourage and protect the ecology, flora, and fauna of the area. A signboard outlining the Trust's preservation scheme can be found at the car park at Cow Bridge, just north of Hartsop, off the A592.

Recommended Trails

From the parking lot a waymarked trail leads along the western shore of the lake before looping further south around the medieval farmhouse of Hartsop Hall. The farmhouse, which was built in the 15th century, is owned by the National Trust but leased to a local farmer. Trails lead from the farmhouse back around the southern tip of Brothers Water and north along the shoreline.

There is a small beach at the southern end, where lily pads abound and are in bloom in July. The trail does not follow the lake all the way to the nothern tip, but rather, crosses the A592 and loops through the village of Hartsop before reaching the parking area once more.

Location

Coordinates      54°30′20″N 2°55′30″W