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Calling all Witcher fans, did you know that there are some incredible The Witcher Lake District Filming Locations you can visit for yourself in Cumbria?
That’s right, the Netflix team visited this breathtaking national park in England to film some of the most spectacular scenes from series 2.
So, if you wanted to visit where Geralt, Ciri, Vesemir, Jaskier, and Yarpen amongst others were in the Lake District keep reading this post.
Here are all the epic The Witcher Lake District filming locations you can visit with a suggested itinerary and FREE map!
Witcher fans: there are some major spoilers for series 2 below. Please make sure you’ve watched the series first before you head Back on The Path.
The Witcher Lake District connection
Netflix’s The Witcher team visited the Lake District in late 2020 to film scenes for the series in England.
It wasn’t just Cumbria they visited, there were also locations around London, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North Pennines in County Durham as well.
Henry Cavill posted a few Instagram Stories of his Witcher training while in the Lake District and how it was one of his favourite places to go;
Where in the Lake District was The Witcher filmed?
The Witcher production team filmed at some lesser-known locations in the Lake District and these are all centrally located in the National Park.
You’ll recognise scenes from Rydal Cave, Rydal Water, Blea Tarn, and Hodge Close Quarry which is near Little Langdale.
The great news for Witcher fans is that these are all locations you can easily visit for yourself in the Cumbria.
Here is a list of all The Witcher Lake District filming locations and the episodes they featured in during series 2!
The Witcher Lake District Filming Locations
1. Hodge Close Quarry lake
The Witcher series 2, episode 3
We first see Hodge Close Quarry during The Witcher series 2, episode 3 ‘What is Lost’ shortly after the fight that happens at Kaer Morhen keep.
If you remember in the series, Geralt discovers that Eskel is actually a Leshy monster and so has to end his life.
Just before we see Geralt and Vesemir lay Eskel to rest in Morhen Valley, we see a scene of a skull reflection in Hodge Close Quarry lagoon.
You may be surprised that this skull reflection is not CGI and is totally real. It’s what gives Hodge Close Quarry the title of the ‘scariest cave in Britain’.
You can visit this location by heading to Hodge Close Cottage at LA21 8DJ or click here for a Google Pin.
The roads to get here are very narrow, steep, and winding with limited passing places so drive carefully.
There is a dedicated Hodge Close car park that is free and the quarry viewpoint with the skull reflection is only a minute’s walk away. It’s open 24 hours a day.
Capturing the mirror image skull reflection requires a dry day with a limited breeze. But, it’s easily done from the viewpoint if the conditions are good.
Click here to read my complete guide for visiting Hodge Close Quarry
2. Hodge Close Quarry cave
The Witcher series 2, episode 3
Just after the skull reflection at Hodge Close Quarry, we see Geralt and Vesemir discuss what happened to Eskel in the Hodge Close Quarry cave.
The inside of this cave looks like a huge skull as the two cave entrances give the illusion of giant eyes. There is a small stone circle in the middle where they lay Eskel’s body to rest.
You can easily visit this cave from Hodge Close car park and the viewpoint but make sure to follow my detailed instructions on how to find the Skull Cave safely.
I wouldn’t recommend heading down to the cave from the viewpoint itself as it’s extremely steep and surrounded by very deep water.
You’ll need to head over to Hodge Close Cottages and it should only take 5-10 minutes with a bit of a scramble at the very end to access the entrance of the cave.
Once you reach the cave, you’ll find the stone circle where Henry Cavill and Kim Bodnia sat and you can get some epic photos inside the skull!
3. Blea Tarn
The Witcher series 2, episodes 4 and 7
The next time we see the Lake District in The Witcher series 2 is in episode 4, ‘Redanian Intelligence’.
This is where Geralt is training Ciri on the Witcher Trials and we see them both hopping across stones on a lake in Morhen Valley.
This picture-perfect scene of the snowy mountains reflected in the water is actually Blea Tarn in Cumbria!
We see this location again a little later in episode 7, ‘Voleth Meir’. This is when Geralt and Jaskier travel with Varpin’s crew to find Yennefer and Ciri.
It’s owned and protected by the National Trust and you can visit it on a short drive from Ambleside and Little Langdale. Use the postcode LA22 9PG or click here for a Google Pin!
It’s free to visit, you just need to pay for parking (free for National Trust members) and there is a lovely easy circular walk you can take surrounded by the Langdake Pikes!
Click here to read my complete guide for visiting Blea Tarn
4. Rydal Cave
The Witcher series 2, episode 7
Rydal Cave in the Lake District is the place where Jaskier takes a bath in episode 7 ‘Voleth Meir’.
If you remember, Geralt releases Jaskier from Oxenfurt Prison. Then, Jaskier takes a bath while telling Geralt about Yennefer losing her powers.
The two discuss the riddle of the Deathless Mother and the fact Yen has Ciri with her with a plan to sacrifice Geralt’s child surprise in order to get her powers back.
You can visit this location on a short 30-minute walk from White Moss Car Park which is found between Grasmere and Rydal villages in the Lake District.
This is a short distance from Ambleside. Use postcode LA22 9SE or click here for a Google Pin!
It’s an incredibly short walk in the Lake District with spectacular views of Rydal Water and beyond.
If you hop over the stepping stones through the water, you can enter the cave. Turn back and you’ll find a reflection that looks like a giant set of teeth!
Click here to read my Rydal Cave walking guide
5. Temple of Melitele view
The Witcher series 2, episode 6
Another The Witcher Lake District filming location is when Geralt and Ciri are travelling to the Temple of Melitele in episode 6 ‘Dear Friend’.
Ciri is telling Geralt about the boys she murdered near Cintra after she was running from Cahir and they both look over the valley towards the Temple of Melitele.
This is where they meet the priestess Nenneke and also where Yennefer and Geralt are (finally) reunited!
Although this is a filming location in Cumbria, it’s not been released where exactly these scenes were filmed.
Potential locations are Rydal Water above Rydal Caves near Loughrigg Fell. Derwent Water, although I think it’s too big, and Langdale Valley above the wooded area of Blea Tarn.
Let me know if you recognise this place and where this is filmed for the series?
Witcher Lake District filming locations map
Click this link or the image below to access all the filming locations on a handy Google map!
How long do you need to visit The Witcher Lake District Filming Locations?
As these Lake District locations are quite close together, I would say you’d need around half a day to the whole day to visit them all.
It completely depends if you’d like to take long walks around each area or if you’d just like to drive over to them and have a look!
It’s far easier if you have a car to drive to each Witcher filming location as the areas are quite remote.
But, if you’re up for hiking you could easily take a bus to popular places like Great Langdale, Rydal, or Ambleside and then walk to them from there.
You’d need a bit longer, say 1-2 days, to do your Witcher tour of the Lake District if you’re taking public transport.
The Witcher Lake District Filming Locations itinerary
It’s good to note that there is no right or wrong way to do this trip. For example, if a location is busy you can move on and come back later. All these filming locations are a 30-minute drive from each other.
But, here is a suggested self-guided The Witcher Lake District itinerary;
If you’re staying in the central Lake District, it’s easiest to head to Rydal first as it’s on the main A591 road that passes through Ambleside.
You can park up at White Moss Car Parks between Rydal and Grasmere and head to Rydal Cave. To extend your walk, you can also make your way up to Loughrigg Fell for some incredible views!
After you explore Rydal Cave, get back on the road and head to Blea Tarn. It will take you around 30 minutes to drive there from White Moss.
The roads are steep, narrow, and winding with limited passing places. So, drive carefully!
Once you get to Blea Tarn you can capture the spectacular views, take a nice circular walk around the lake, have some lunch in the picnic spots, or go wild swimming!
If you want to buy lunch here head to the National Trust Sticklebarn or The Three Shires Inn in Little Langdale. From here, you could also visit another Cathedral Cave via the Slater’s Bridge.
After Blea Tarn, head back in your car and visit Hodge Close. It will be another 30-minute drive.
Again, once you come off the A593 road, it is a very narrow lane to approach Hodge Close Car Park. You can then explore the viewpoint and head down to the caves!
My top tips for visiting The Lake District
- Come prepared for the weather – The Lake District is known for intermittent weather. You could have four seasons in one day. Come prepared with layers and a raincoat!
- Wear a good pair of shoes – Some of these walks are easy but require good ankle-supporting footwear. If you visit in winter, bring waterproof boots that are good in mud.
- Pack your camera – You cannot visit the Lake District and these Witcher filming locations without your camera to take photos of the spectacular views.
- Bring food and snacks – The places on this list are quite remote. Pack a lunchbox or some snacks and water before you go.
- Bring an OS map – these locations are pretty easy to locate by car. But, if you wanted to explore I would bring an OS map and compass or download maps.me. Don’t rely on Google maps as the signal is pretty bad.
- Book places to eat in advance – There are some tearooms/cafés in Rydal, Ambleside, and Great Langdale for light bites you can turn up to. But, pubs may require a booking in advance to guarantee a table.
- Keep dogs on a lead – all of these locations are dog friendly. But, they should be kept on a lead at all times as there is wildlife grazing. Also, there are steep drops, especially at Hodge Close.
Where to stay in the Lake District
As these locations are centrally located in the Lake District, you could easily stay in Ambleside, Rydal, or Great Langdale as a base and travel from them.
Here are some hotels I recommend for your visit;
- The Ambleside Inn – This is a lovely hotel centrally located in Ambleside. It’s part of the Inn Collection and I wrote a review about my stay you can read. Click here to book!
- Rydal Hall – This hotel is centrally located in Rydal and is a short walk away from Rydal Cave. Click here for dates and rates.
- The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel – Based in Great Langdale this is a short drive/walk away from Blea Tarn. Click here to book.
- Hodge Close Cottages – Why not stay right by the quarry and get it to yourself? Hodge Close Cottages are the perfect retreat in the Lake District. Click here to enquire.
Looking for more Witcher Filming Locations in the UK?
If you’re in Yorkshire, you can easily head to another Witcher filming location which is Gordale Scar in the Yorkshire Dales.
This is near the spectacular Malham Cove and the location where Geralt and Ciri fight off the Myriapod. Plumpton Rocks also featured the Chernobog fight scene.
Fountains Abbey is the location where Yennefer saves Cahir from execution. Also, the Studley Water Gardens is where Fringilla Vigo and Francesca Findabair discuss plans for Cahir.
Finally, in County Durham, you can head over to Low Force Waterfall. This spectacular location is where Yennefer teaches Ciri to use her powers to cross over the river!
Read more of my Lake District guides
A complete Cathedral Cave walking guide
Best things to do in Ambleside
Amazing places to visit in Grasmere
The best things to do in Rydal
How to visit Rydal Hall Waterfall
Why you must visit Grasmere Gingerbread
A complete guide for the Allan Bank
Places to visit on a Windermere Lake Cruise
How to visit Claife Viewing Station
Save these The Witcher Lake District Filming Locations for later!
