Stanley Ghyll Force

Stanley Ghyll Force is a waterfall located in the Eskdale Valley of Lake District National Park, near the village of Boot, in Cumbria, England. The fall can be accessed via a path that starts in the village of Boot, leading through woodlands that follow the course of Stanley Ghyll before reaching the waterfall.

With a height of 60 ft (18 m), Stanley Ghyll Force is notable for its impressive drop as water tumbles over a series of rocky steps. The fall is located in a narrow gorge, where rhododendrons – an invasive species planted in the 19th century, which had to be partially removed in recent years because they were rendering the rocks unstable – give an almost oriental air to the area. The humid and sheltered conditions within this Site of Special Scientific Interest offer the perfect environment for mosses, lichen, liverwort and rare ferns. The waterfall used to be a popular place for wild swimming but, due to the risk of rock fall from the rhododendron-clad cliffs, it is not recommended to swim here anymore.

There is no official Stanley Ghyll Force parking and visitors typically use the car park at Dalegarth Train Station. From Stanley Ghyll Force paths lead along the River Esk in both directions, so hikers can make a visit to the fall part of a longer walk along Eskdale.