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Gill Force

Gill Force is a waterfall and popular wild swimming spot tucked into woodland in Eskdale, Cumbria.

The water runs with a distinctive emerald tint when sunlight filters through the trees, though after heavy rain the flow becomes too fast and turbulent for swimming.

The name reflects the landscape itself — "gill" (or "ghyll") is an old Northern English term for a narrow, rocky stream valley, so Gill Force simply means a waterfall set within a steep, narrow gorge.

The site is sometimes referenced alongside nearby Stanley Ghyll, another Eskdale waterfall, and the two can be combined into a single loop walk of around three miles.


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