Waterside walks
Walks beside water: canal towpaths, riverside paths, reservoirs, lakes, lochs and tarns. Below are free walks, each with a map, distance and starting point.
Every walk on this page is plotted on the map above. Zoom, drag or click a pin to explore, or search a county to list its walks.
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Top waterside walks by type
A few good places to start for each kind of water: mostly circular routes of 2 to 12 miles, with no more than two from any one county.
Canals
- Acocks Green to Elmdon Heath via Grand Union CanalHall Green, Cheshire · 3.4 mi · back to start
- Aston Marina via Canal and Countryside Circular WalkAston-by-Stone, Staffordshire · 4.4 mi · circular
- Bartington via Weaver NavigationLittle Leigh, Cheshire · 4.5 mi · circular
- Bath via 7 Locks and Pulteney Weir City Circular WalkBath, Somerset · 4.2 mi · circular
- Boothstown Canal LoopWorsley, Greater Manchester · 2.7 mi · circular
- Burscough via Canal CircularBurscough, Lancashire · 3.7 mi · circular
Rivers
- 5km Loop Dundee RiversideDundee · 3.3 mi · circular
- Acle via Acle River and Acle Circular TrailBroadland, Norfolk · 9.8 mi · circular
- Addingham via River and WoodsAddingham, West Yorkshire · 4.4 mi · back to start
- Addingham via River WharfAddingham, West Yorkshire · 4.5 mi · back to start
- Arundel via Park and River ArunArundel, West Sussex · 6.7 mi · back to start
- Aylesford Circular Along RiverAylesford, Kent · 6.1 mi · circular
Reservoirs
- Alfriston via Berwick, Arlington Reservoir and SeimestonAlfriston, East Sussex · 10.4 mi · back to start
- Birdlip via Reservoirs, Roman Villa and Cotswold WayBirdlip, Gloucestershire · 5.1 mi · back to start
- Burbage via Errwood ReservoirBurbage, Derbyshire · 7.7 mi · back to start
- Burr actor Reservoir via combeshead TorLydford, Devon · 6.1 mi · back to start
- Buxton via Errwood ReservoirBuxton, Derbyshire · 10.2 mi · back to start
- Dunblane via Waltsmuir ResevoirDunblane, Stirling · 5.0 mi · back to start
Lakes, lochs and tarns
- Ambleside to Langdale via ElterwaterPlantation Bridge, Cumbria · 8.5 mi · back to start
- Ambleside via Lake Hills and WoodlandPlantation Bridge, Cumbria · 5.7 mi · back to start
- Baslow via Chatsworth Park and Emperor LakeBaslow, Derbyshire · 6.2 mi · back to start
- Caldecotte Lake Circular WalkMilton Keynes, Buckinghamshire · 3.5 mi · circular
- Caldecotte Lake North Circular WalkMilton Keynes, Buckinghamshire · 2.0 mi · circular
- Canterbury via Sturry LakesCanterbury, Kent · 7.5 mi · back to start
Where to walk by water
Walks by water are often the easiest to follow: towpaths and riverside paths are mostly level, and reservoirs and lakes make natural circuits.
Canals
Towpaths are flat and easy to follow. Our canal walks include the Cromford Canal in Derbyshire, the Rochdale Canal between Littleborough and Hebden Bridge, the Regent’s Canal in London, the Grand Union Canal Way and the Basingstoke Canal.
Rivers
Riverside paths follow rivers such as the Derwent, Dart, Ouse, Avon, Thames and Trent, often linking towns that make good start and finish points.
Reservoirs
Reservoir walks are common in the Peak District and the South Pennines, around Ladybower, Derwent and Errwood, and above Hebden Bridge and Holmfirth. On Dartmoor, Burrator, Fernworthy and Meldon have circuits.
Lakes, lochs and tarns
In the Lake District there are walks around Derwent Water, Rydal Water, Buttermere and Ullswater and up to fell tarns. Elsewhere there are lake walks in Milton Keynes, the Cotswold Lakes and the Norfolk Broads at Horsey Mere.
Choosing a walk
There are 432 waterside walks on this page, across 45 counties. Of those, 97 are under 4 miles, 166 are 4 to 7 miles, 66 are 7 to 10 miles and 96 are 10 miles or more. 233 bring you back to where you started, while 106 are one-way routes, best paired with a bus or train. The counties with the most are Derbyshire (66), Cumbria (57), West Yorkshire (50). Use the filters above to narrow the list, or search for a county to see every walk there.
How we chose these walks
These are walks whose title names a canal, lock, navigation, river, reservoir, dam, lake, loch, tarn or mere. Walks that only mention a place with water in its name, such as Bourton-on-the-Water, are left out.
Know before you go
Practical points for walks by water.
Towpaths are shared
Canal towpaths are used by cyclists as well as walkers. Keep to one side, keep dogs close, and take care near lock sides and moored boats.
Cold water
Reservoirs and lakes stay cold all year and can have hidden currents and machinery. Most reservoir owners do not allow swimming.
Flooding
Riverside paths can flood or turn muddy after heavy rain. Check the forecast and take a different route if the water is high.
Waterside walks: questions
How many waterside walks are there?
We list 432 waterside walks across 45 counties. 97 are under 4 miles and 96 are 10 miles or more. Every route is free to view.
Which counties have the most?
Derbyshire (66), Cumbria (57), West Yorkshire (50), Devon (40), Gloucestershire (22), Kent (15). Search a county on this page to see every walk there.
Are there short circular walks?
Yes. 53 routes under 4 miles finish where they start, including Agden Reservoir via Rocher End Brook (South Yorkshire, 1.6 mi), Tarn Hows Loop (Cumbria, 1.7 mi), Caldecotte Lake South Circular Walk (Buckinghamshire, 1.8 mi). Choose Short walks back to start above to see them all.
Are canal walks flat?
Mostly, yes. Towpaths follow the level of the canal, with short climbs at locks and tunnels, which makes them good for easy walks and pushchairs in dry weather.