Getting all romantic about waterfalls? Well, they can be jaw-droppingly beautiful, especially after prolonged periods of rain, when they tend to harder to get to.
The experts at GO Outdoors have listed the top 15 most beautiful waterfalls around the UK, and explained how to get to them. The one closest to home is St. Nectan’s Glen in Cornwall, which was named by the company as the 10th most impressive waterfall in the country.
| Rank | Waterfall | Country | Grade | Terrain | Distance | Time (Approx) |
| 1 | High Force, County Durham | England | Moderate | Open, Woodland, Rocky | 11.05 km | 3:20 hrs |
| 2 | Falls of Glomach, Ross-shire | Scotland | Moderate | Open, Woodland, Hill | 18.35 km | 6:25 hrs |
| 3 | Pistyll Rhaeadr, Powys | Wales | Easy | Open | 3.40 km | 1:05 hrs |
| 4 | Steall Falls, Glen Nevis | Scotland | Moderate | Open, Woodland, Rocky | 3.30 km | 1:10 hrs |
| 5 | Hardraw Force, Yorkshire Dales | England | Easy | Open, Hill | 11.33 km | 3:20 hrs |
| 6 | Aira Force, Lake District | England | Easy | Open, Hill | 5.60 km | 2:15 hrs |
| 7 | Ingleton Waterfall Trail, Yorkshire Dales | England | Easy | Open, Woodland, Rocky | 6.80 km | 2:25 hrs |
| 8 | Waterfall Country, Brecon Beacons | Wales | Easy | Woodland | 7.80 km | 2.45 hrs |
| 9 | Becky Falls, Dartmoor | England | Easy | Woodland | 11.90 km | 3:55 hrs |
| 10 | St. Nectan’s Glen, Cornwall | England | Easy | Open, Woodland | 7.35 km | 2:20 hrs |
This info comes from the Go Outdoors Blog:
- Grade: Easy
- Terrain: Open, Woodland
- Distance: 7.35 km | Approx. Time: 2:20 hours
Not far from Tintagel in North Cornwall, you’ll find magical St Nectan’s Glen and area of woodland that features a number of waterfalls, including the 60 ft Nectan’s Kieve (above), which over time has punched a hole through the rocks. To reach the waterfalls, the glen will take you on a pretty walk through Ivy clad trees along the River Trevillet. The Kieve is considered a sacred place to some, and as you can see from the image above, the area now features numerous ribbons, crystals, inscriptions, prayers and more all over the rock and foliage near the fall.
Maps to purchase for this route: OS Explorer 111: Bude, Boscastle & Tintagel / OS Landranger 200: Newquay & Bodmin
You can download the route for this walk here.
Such a pity the present owners have commercialised an area of natural beauty and disneyfied it. Pure greed has spoilt a very special place.