Black Moss Pot in the Lake District

Rory Calland
Life Hop, Black Moss Pot

You don’t have to walk uphill to get a view in the Lakes, it’s just a matter of perspective. Some like to delve into the landscape more than they like to summit it and deep between the fells and crags of Cumbria are multitudes of rich valleys. Pursuing becks through these low passages around Borrowdale offers incredible views and can be a very rewarding exercise for wild swimmers.

Here the water forms deep pools known as tubs, dubs or pots. Black Moss Pot in the Langstrath Valley is one such pool and the rocks tower above the surface. Its reputation as a wild swimming heaven (and frankly, a skinny dipping hotspot) is well-earned, because here brave souls can safely leap from the outcrops and splash down without fear of rocks below the surface.

There’s plenty of other places to get in the beck along the valley – the shallows allow for a more sedate entry if the jump doesn’t appeal. There’s also lots more going on in this cauldron to keep swimmers entertained. For one thing, the water is peculiarly clear here. Away from the frothing waterfall at the top of the pot, the whole thing looks like it’s been filled straight from the tap. I’ve seen snorkelers taking a gander at the jutting rocky chasms under the water, and the vision down there is so good that you’ll be eye to eye with a trout before long.

Although the depth and shape of the pot makes jumping in possible, cold water shock is still the biggest risk of misadventure when doing this in any wild water. Having a paddle and gradually acclimatising your whole body to the temperature in an earlier stretch of water is good preparation for the leap of faith.

Langstrath ValleyKeswickCA12 5XQ View map
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What's on near Black Moss Pot in the Lake District

Bonfire Night in Manchester and the North
FestivalsLancaster
Light Up Lancaster

Festival of light and art Light Up Lancaster returns to the city with installations, projections, performance and fireworks illuminating the city’s historic buildings, charming streets and hidden squares.

free entry

Where to go near Black Moss Pot in the Lake District

Allan Bank, Grasmere, image courtesy of Visit Cumbria
Cumbria
Museum
Allan Bank

Once home to William Wordsworth, this historic villa now combines a small, informal art gallery with a giant indoor mural space.

Cumbria
Shop
Sam Read Bookseller

Award-winning small bookshop in the Lake District. Est. by Sam Read in 1887. Run by Will Smith and Polly Atkin.

Forest Side Restaurant
Cumbria
Restaurant
Forest Side Restaurant

We love the fantastic Forest Side Restaurant. Attached to the historic Forest Side Hotel in Grasmere, this is one of the best places to eat in Cumbria.

The Merzbarn today, courtesy Littoral Arts Trust
Cumbria
Gallery
Kurt Schwitters’ Merzbarn

Tucked away in a remote corner of the Lake District is Kurt Schwitter’s Merzbarn, an artistic epitaph to the avant garde ‘godfather of modern art’.

Dove Cottage, Grasmere, image courtesy of venue
Cumbria
Museum
Dove Cottage

Dove Cottage is where William Wordsworth lived and wrote, and where the Wordsworth Trust continues that work today with poets in residence and public programmes.

Cumbria
Museum
Wordsworth Grasmere

From book launches to writing groups to poetry nights, there’s always something going on at Wordsworth Grasmere.

Cumbria
Museum
The Wordsworth Museum

Next door to Dove Cottage, Wordsworth’s first family home, is the Wordsworth Museum, which houses an unsurpassed collection of the Wordsworths’ letters, journals and poems.

Culture Guides