Castle Crag
View from the Summit
Despite its height being less than 1000ft above sea level, Alfred Wainwright admired Castle Crag for its majestic appearance so much that he included it in his Pictorial Guide to the Lake District Fells. Located south of Derwent Water, in the heart of Borrowdale, this delightful fell offers views across the lake and the surrounding fells from its summit, where there are rocks aplenty for young limbs to clamber upon.
This walk starts in the small village of Rosthwaite, accessed via the B5289 that leads from Keswick. Be advised that this road is liable to flooding during periods of heavy rain. The walk takes you on a loop that takes in both the summit of Castle Crag and part of the Cumbria Way that runs alongside the River Derwent. It is not suitable for pushchairs, and children under 4 years old are likely to struggle with the distance and steeper sections.
Quick Facts
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 3-4 hours
Terrain: Mixture of steep stepped sections, loose scree, and level sections
Suitable For: Children Over 4 Years, Babies and Toddlers in Carriers
Parking: National Trust pay and display parking is available in the village of Rosthwaite, Grid Ref NY 257 148. Turn right off the B5289 into the village and the car park is a short distance on the right.
Facilities: There are toilets located adjacent to the car park, and the Flock In Tea Room is located on the edge of the village, serving hot and cold drinks, cakes, ice cream, and Herdwick Stew.
The Start of the Walk
Lane leading from Rosthwaite Car Park
Exit the car park via a gap in the wall adjacent to the National Trust information board. This brings you out onto the lane that you entered the village by. Continue walking up the lane, in the opposite direction to the way you came in via car.
Heading to the River Derwent
Small Stone Bridge over the River Derwent
The lane goes past the Flock In Tea Room and a number of farm buildings before becoming more like a track through the farmland. The track eventually arrives at the river bank. Follow the track, keeping the river to your left, and you will come to a small stone bridge that you will need to cross.
Two Gates
Two Gates in the Track
After crossing the bridge, turn right. Follow this track until you reach two gates next to one another. The left hand gate offers an alternative route up to Castle Crag, but for this walk, take the stile over the right hand gate to continue following the river.
Leaving the Track
The Gate Leading off the Track
At a fork in the track, take the left fork to veer away from the river. Shortly after, the path splits again, with the main track continuing off to the right. Here you will need to take the left fork again to go over the stile and join a grassy path leading up the hill.
The Climb up the Hill
The Gate in the Wall
The path climbs steeply up the hill with both grassy and rocky terrain in places. You will come to a stone wall with a gate where you will need to go through and immediately turn right to follow the stepped path.
A Climb With A View
The Stile over the Wall
The path continues to climb steeply. Make sure you look back occasionally at the views over the Borrowdale Fells. You will then come to a stile over another stone wall that you will need to climb over.
Heading towards the Slate Scree
The Slate Scree Mound
After crossing over the stile the path is not so well defined thanks to a mass of protruding tree roots but if you head left you will see a mound ahead of you covered in slate scree (loose stone). This is where you need to head towards and after a few metres the path reveals itself once more.
Climbing up the Mound
The View from the Mound
The path zig zags up the mound. Take care here as it can be slippery thanks to the loose slate that covers the area. It is best to let others coming from the opposite way pass before you attempt to climb up, as the path is narrow in places. At the top of this mound there is a delightful view point.
Stone Towers
Path Leading off to the Quarry
Continue beyond the view point. There is a path leading off to the left that leads to an abandoned quarry brimming with loose pieces of slate. Here numerous visitors have created standing stone towers and you are welcome to try and create your own.
The Final Ascent
Path through the Trees
To reach the summit, come out of the quarry and take the path to the left leading up through the trees. Again the path is less defined here but there are very few alternative routes other than back the way you came so you are unlikely to get lost.
The Summit
The View from the Summit
The path leads to the top of Castle Crag. The actual summit is a rocky outcrop that is accessible via a small amount of scrambling on one side and sits a couple of metres higher than the rest of the fairly open summit area. From here you can see across Derwentwater over to Keswick, with the fells of Skiddaw and Blencathra in the background. There is a war memorial here and a natural low rock wall that is the perfect height for sitting on and enjoying a picnic.
Starting the Descent
Two Paths
To start your return walk, retrace your steps back down past the quarry and down the slate scree covered mound, heading towards the stile over the stone wall. If you want a shorter walk, you can simply retrace your steps all the way, but for a longer, circular route, take the path that leads right away from the stile.
Descending off the Fell
A Gate in the Path
This path leads to a small gate. Go through the gate and continue to follow the path down the fell, taking care on the rough terrain. You will go through another gap in a stone wall before heading down a little more, eventually coming to the end of this path. Here, turn right to join the path that follows Broadslack Gill.
Following the Gill
Broadslack Gill & Path
Stay on this path as it travels through a narrow valley. You may have to cross the gill in places if there has been a lot of heavy rainfall prior to your walk. You will come to a gate that you need to go through.
Crossing the Bridge
The Small Wooden Bridge
After you have gone through the gate, there is a short distance before you reach a junction in the path. There is a path leading off to the left and a narrow wooden bridge almost directly in front of you. Cross this bridge and take the path that follows the boundary wall. This path will take you down to the riverbank where you need to turn right, joining the Cumbria Way. There is a bench on this stretch where you can take a rest, and plenty of boulders for children to climb on. There is also a tree swing.
Return to Rosthwaite
A Junction in the Path
The Cumbria Way leaves the river after a short distance and beings to ascend slightly, before taking you through a gap in a boundary wall. You will then reach a junction where you will need to turn left (it is signposted for Rosthwaite). You will pass a large cave during this section of the walk that is worth viewing. You will eventually reach a gate that you will need to go through, and the track then follows the River Derwent back to the stone bridge that you crossed at the beginning of the walk just outside of Rosthwaite.