Moss Force Waterfall

To the south of the road through the Newlands Pass, on the way into Buttermere sits the triple tiered waterfall of Moss Force. The word Force comes from the old Norse word “Fors” meaning waterfall, and this example is much easier to get to than most of the ones in the Lake District.

Draining the upland areas of Robinson and Buttermere Moss, Moss Force cascades around 100 meters down the rocky northern face of the Wainwright, Robinson before heading on its way down the Newlands Valley. Moss Force is formed from the igneous rocks within the Borrowdale Volcanic Group which are roughly 450 million years old.

Situated near the top of the Newlands Pass, Moss Force is just a short walk from a small parking area and can be broken down into three distinct sections. There is an upper fall, comprising a steep drop from the higher ground of the fells; a middle section, comprising a series of smaller drops and cascades and a lower fall, which is the final drop to the pool below and is visible from the roadside.

Like all waterfalls it changes depending on the weather. It can be a narrow thread during drier spells, and a thundering wall of water following the more usual Lakeland rain. In years gone by it would have been a dramatic landmark for miners using the packhorse route of Newlands Pass as they transported their lead and copper ore from the nearby Goldscope and Dale Head mines.

There are two routes from the car park up to the waterfall, a north path which gives a more elevated perspective, and the south path which gives a slightly easier route to the lower part of the falls. As the falls face roughly west / north west you can apparently get some wonderful views of it during the evening “Golden Hour” at the right time of year. The waters appear to glow in the light!