Aira Force

Protected and maintained by the National Trust, Aira Force is a remarkable 65ft waterfall surrounded by ancient woodland. There are many rainy days in the Lake District but that's apparently ideal for seeing a waterfall.

The normal family line up of Daddy, toddler and I arrived mid-morning, parking in the onsite car parking. After much effort we managed to persuade/bribe the toddler to wear his new wellingtons and made our way to the Trust shop to have our membership badges scanned.

On the advice of one of the guides we take a photo of the map before making our way up the path. 

At this point I did wonder if we'd made the right choice coming here with babs in tow. There were three different lengthened routes and even the easiest had hundreds of steps! What was I thinking bringing a toddler here! 

I didn't need to worry. Joseph really enjoyed himself. Splashing in the puddles and holding our hands as we ventured up to the waterfall. We made a brief stop to say hello to the sheep, which Joseph yelled "HIYAAAAAA BA BA" at.

   

   

As we continued he gave lots of wows and oooooos taking in all of the surroundings. Its the type of woodland you'd expect to see fairies or a gruffalo, which can add to the adventure where little ones are concerned. Reaching the top didn't take as long as I'd expected and I think we were by the waterfall within twenty minutes. Joseph gave another almighty "WOW" as he saw it, much to the amusement of the other walkers. 

   

 

The way down was a little steeper and Joseph was put off by some of the big steps so we carried him down a handful. He also started to flag quite a bit as we reached the bottom and sat down at every opportunity! I decided not to join in the fear I wouldn't be able to get up again!

The walk up Aira Force really blew our cobwebs away and was a lovely little adventure but it did make us realise how grown up babs is now. 

We were so impressed with him walking so far and staying close to us, away from any edges and drops.

As usual here's the important stuff. There is a good sized car park but you have to pay if you're not a member. There are toilets in the car park with baby changing  facilities, which we had to use due to Joseph overindulging in the puddle jumping and needing his trousers changing. There is a Trust cafe, which has seating inside and out, welcoming, friendly staff and amazing scones. Don't be put off visiting by the rain! The tree canopy will provide you with lots of cover and you'll see the waterfall at full force! Make sure you keep your kids close to you as there are some open drops along the path. We put babs in his reins to keep him super close. 

Enjoy the puddle splashing!

Mummy Snowy Owl
x