Ravenglass to the Roman bath house
An easy, step-free walk from Ravenglass along Walls Drive to one of the tallest Roman buildings still standing in northern Britain.
- Distance
- 1.8 km
- 1.1 miles
- Ascent
- 5 m
- High point 17 m
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Walking time, no stops
- Grade
- Easy
- There and back
Take this walk with you
This route is on paths Google Maps knows, so the walking link follows it closely. The GPX is still the exact line. To see the line in Google Maps, open Google My Maps, create a map, choose Import and pick the KML file. It then appears in the Google Maps app under Saved, Maps.
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Ravenglass was a Roman naval base, and the bath house of its fort is one of the most remarkable survivals in the north: walls standing almost four metres high, with doorways and window splays you can walk right up to. It dates from around AD 130 and is free to visit at any reasonable time in daylight.
The walk to it is short and level, along the private road of Walls Drive from the village, and it is a Miles without Stiles route graded for all. Just past the bath house, the earthworks of the fort itself lie to the right of the road.
Pair it with a ride on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, which leaves from beside the car park, or with a wander along the estuary front in the village.
The route
- 1
Out of the car park
Leave the car park by the entrance, turn right and go under the railway bridge onto the tarmac private road, past the caravan site entrance. For an off-road start, climb the slope past the playground to the railway bridge and follow the gravel path down to the road.
- 2
Along Walls Drive
Follow the road for about a kilometre through trees. There is no pavement, so watch for vehicles; a separate path runs beside the road on the left for part of the way.
- 3
The bath house
The Roman bath house stands beside the road with information panels and a bench. The site of the fort is just beyond, to the right; walk a little further along Walls Drive to the turning point, then return the same way.
Questions people ask
Is the Ravenglass Roman bath house free?
Yes. It is cared for by English Heritage, free to visit and open at any reasonable time in daylight. It is exterior viewing only.
How far is the bath house from Ravenglass?
About a kilometre along Walls Drive from the station car park, roughly 20 minutes' walk each way.
Is the walk to Ravenglass bath house accessible?
Yes. It is Lake District National Park Miles without Stiles route 20, graded for all. Mobility scooters must be class 2 or 3.
Where do you park for Ravenglass bath house?
Ravenglass station car park is pay and display and is signposted to the bath house. The parking is not run by English Heritage.
More walks nearby
Muncaster Fell from Ravenglass to Irton Road
Moderate, 9.6 km, 303 m up, about 2 hours 30 minutes
A one-way walk from Ravenglass past the Roman bath house and over Muncaster Fell, returning on the Ravenglass and Eskdale steam railway.
Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head
Mountain, 8.7 km, 969 m up, about 3 hours 30 minutes
The shortest way up England's highest mountain: from the head of Wastwater by Lingmell Gill and Brown Tongue to the summit of Scafell Pike.
