Nestled up against the shore of Derwentwater and surrounded by the picturesque mountains of the northern Lake District, the town of Keswick is about as close to the perfect hillwalking base camp as you can get. So to help you plan a great weekend of Lakeland peak-bagging, we've picked out four of favourite walks from Keswick.
Keswick doubles up as both a pretty Cumbrian market town and also the unofficial centre of tourism for the whole of the northern Lakes. It’s a place where you can shop for all the Beatrix Potter junk and fridge magnets you’ll ever need, while also using the town as a launchpad for adventures ranging from hikes and trail runs to paragliding and paddleboarding.
There’s plenty going on in the town itself, which is packed with more gear shops, bars, cafes and pubs than you’ll be able to make the most of in one visit. Plus, when the weather bites you can even find ways to fill your time indoors thanks to tourist attractions like the Keswick Museum & Art Gallery, the town’s famous pencil museum, or even by delving deep into the bowels of Honister Slate Mine just a short drive down the road into Borrowdale.
But the real appeal of this town is the hills and mountains that surround it. Everywhere you look from Keswick there are mountain summits and ridges to aim for, from the sprawling mass of Skiddaw to the north to the perennial family favourite of Cat Bells across the lake. This is the kind of town you could visit 50 times and still somehow find an exciting new walk or hike every single time.
So to help you get started, we’ve picked out a few of our favourite walks from Keswick below. They don’t all begin directly from the town, but you can reach the start of all four easily by some form of transport. Whether that be on foot, or by boat, car, bike, or bus.
Suggested walking kit: Walking boots | Hiking daypack | Waterproof jacket | Walking trousers | Walking poles | Walking mid-layers | Base layers
Route 1: The Newlands Round
View and download our mapped Newlands Round route from OS Maps: HERE
The first of our walks from Keswick is a Lakeland classic, starting a few miles away in Little Town. There is something very satisfying about a circular ridge walk in the Lake District. A slow ascent at the start of the day to warm you up, a nice central arc with undulating summits, then a slow descent back to civilisation.
Ideally with perfect weather and 360° views, with mostly obvious paths and straightforward navigation so you can look up from the map occasionally. Well, this walk ticks all of those boxes – although we can’t guarantee the weather.
The Newlands Round is a hike that you’ll want to do again and again. It’s easy to make an early exit, just past Dale Head, if the weather’s turned sour, and you can skip Cat Bells if you’re running late. Even without making variations, it just doesn’t get old. Be aware that there isn’t much parking, so you’ll need an early start in busier months. Or stay nearby and walk to the start.
This walk isn’t recommended if high winds are forecast – Hindscarth to Dale Head is very exposed to the elements and people can be genuinely blown off their feet.
Route 2: Blencathra via Hall’s Fell Ridge
View and download our mapped Hall’s Fell Ridge route from OS Maps: HERE
A lot of people make a fairly strong argument that Blencathra is the finest peak in all of the Lakes, and Hall’s Fell offers a thrilling line of enjoyable Grade 1 ridge scrambling directly to the summit of the mountain. With Lakeland guidebook legend Alfred Wainwright commenting: “For active walkers and scramblers, this route is positively the finest way to any mountain top in the district.”
Truthfully, after a gentle approach through some picturesque farmland, the slog up the toe of the ridge will leave you questioning this bold declaration from Wainwright, maybe even with a few choice words. But on gaining the main attraction and setting sight on the ridge – and the awesome, rocky amphitheatre between you and Scales Fell – your skepticism will undoubtedly fade.
For best results, choose a good weather day and start early to catch the soft morning light illuminating the lichen-splashed mountainside. The walk-off isn’t half bad either, with Skiddaw looming in the distance, enticing you to return.
Stopping for lunch on the quiet outcrop above Gategill Fell offers a rewarding final look back to the ridge. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Route 3: Skiddaw via Longside Edge
View and download our mapped Skiddaw route from OS Maps: HERE
Many ascents of Skiddaw are rather boring: long, arduous slogs with scant visual appeal until you reach the summit plateau. But not so with this route – the unrivalled best way up the affable giant of the northern fells.
The Ullock Pike and Longside Edge ridge is not a knife-edge arête by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a “splendid high-level way for walkers,” as Wainwright put it – “narrow enough in places to give startling glimpses downwards and heathery enough to supply springy couches for better enjoyment of the delectable views”. And that beats the tourist routes up from Keswick hands down.
This suggested route is a circular walk, starting near the hamlet of Barkbeth. It takes in the full length of the Ullock Pike and Long Side ridge, and then bags the top of Carl Side before a rather soul-destroying struggle up scree to Skiddaw (even the best way up has some trudging).
Next comes a delightful, if not slighty tricky, descent via the little-known Randel Crag, Buzzard Knott and Great Knott ridge – a quiet, almost-secretive side to mighty Skiddaw.
Route 4: The Coledale Round
View and download our mapped Coledale Round route from OS Maps: HERE
There is fierce competition for the title of ‘best horseshoe walk’ in the Lakes. Do you favour the rollercoaster ride of the Kentmere Horseshoe? Or perhaps you prefer the ruggedness of the Mosedale Horseshoe from Wasdale Head, or the majesty of the Newlands Round from Little Town (see above)?
Another strong candidate is this walk: the Coledale Round from Braithwaite, a small village just a couple of miles from Keswick. The bulk of this route is a high level, summit-bagging loop of Coledale Beck. It is one of the finest walks in the northwestern fells – and an efficient outing for Wainwright-baggers.
There are many versions of the round, but we suggest starting with an ascent of the shapely eastern ridge of Trail 100 peak Grisedale Pike, where you are greeted with panoramic views over Keswick, northern leviathan Skiddaw and ahead to the brooding cliffs of Hobcarton Crag.
And the delights keep coming. Hopegill Head has grandstand views of the Vale of Lorton; the lumpy-bumpy ridge from Scar Crags to Causey Pike’s knobbly summit is airy and delightful; and the grassy humps of Outerside and Barrow feel like two freebies for your Wainwright box-ticking.
All of this might just make it Lakeland’s best horseshoe.
How to get to Keswick
Keswick is very accessible, particularly by road via the busy A66 which connects to the M6 motorway near Penrith (junction 40). If you fancy a more scenic approach, leave the M6 at junction 36 and follow the A591 through Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere up to Keswick.
The nearest train station is 17 miles away in Penrith, on the West Coast Main Line. From there you can catch a bus that takes about 40 minutes to reach Keswick bus station.
Where to eat, sleep & drink
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The Wainwright Inn: traditional pub right in the heart of Keswick town centre, which is dog-friendly and serves real ales and homecooked food.
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The Dog and Gun: famous for its Hungarian goulash and great atmosphere. If you can grab a table in this small Greene King pub, you’re in for a good night.
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Old Keswickian Fish & Chip Restaurant: whether you’re looking for a takeaway to scoff at the end of a long walk or a place to sit down for a proper chippy tea, we’d definitely recommend the Old Keswickian.
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YHA Keswick Hostel: overlooking the River Greta and Fitz Park with excellent views of Latrigg and Skiddaw, this is one of the YHA’s finest hostels. Just a short walk from Keswick’s pubs and shops and ideally placed for all of the town’s best walks.
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Castlerigg Farm campsite: open all year, pet friendly, and with magical views over Derwentwater and the surrounding fells. This is a great place to stay if you prefer nights under the stars
5 facts about walking around Keswick
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Some of the most memorable scenes of Star Wars movie The Force Awakens were shot around Keswick and Derwentwater. Famous local peaks like Blencathra, Cat Bells and Skiddaw all take centre stage: WATCH ON YOUTUBE
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Keswick was home to the world’s first ever pencil, and the world’s largest pencil (at least we think it is) can be found in the town’s pencil museum.
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The local Borrowdale Mountain Rescue Team was the first of its kind in the UK and was founded in Keswick 1947. Four years later it changed its name to Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.
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Keswick’s Moot Hall is the traditional start and finish point of the iconic Bob Graham Round – a 66-mile, 27,000ft circuit of 42 of the highest peaks in the Lake District. To nail the challenge and join the exclusive Bob Graham 24-hour Club, runners must complete the circuit in less than 24 hours.
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The famous Castlerigg Stone Circle is just a short walk from Keswick. This atmospheric and dramatic site of standing stones is thought to have been raised around 3000 BC during the Neolithic Period.
