Keswick Lakeside Round

One of the draws of the small town of Keswick is its proximity to Derwent Water and the tranquillity that the lake can bring. This walk starts at the edge of the town, and is therefore ideal if you are staying somewhere within Keswick and simply want to stretch your legs for an hour, or want to give the children a run around before heading into the delightful array of shops that the town has to offer.

Although short, there is plenty for little eyes to spot along the way, including a woodland play area and a population of hungry ducks, geese, and swans. You can stroll along the shore of Derwent Water and watch the boats coming and going. You can also finish the walk with a stroll through Hope Park, where you will find some remote control steamer boats and a crazy golf course.

The Lakeside Car Park

The Lakeside Car Park is signposted from Keswick town centre, and is just off the B5289 that leads from Keswick to Borrowdale. As you enter into the car park, the mountain rescue centre is on your left, and the grey slate buildings of the public toilets and the Theatre by the Lake are on your right. The walk starts at the very back of the car park, on the side closest to the public toilets, in the corner, where there are a number of bird feeders hanging from trees, and an opening onto a path into woodland.

The Woodland Path

The path is fairly well maintained and accessible for most types of pushchair. In the early autumn, blackberries grow in abundance in this small patch of ancient woodland, known as Cockshot Wood. After a short distance, the path joins with another path, and here you should turn left.

The Crossroads

You will presently arrive at a crossroads. There is a bridleway on your left that leads up to Castlehead Wood, where for a bit more effort you could take a short detour and ascend up Castlehead Wood, where you will be rewarded with a magnificent view of Derwent Water. However, this is not pushchair friendly. To carry on this pushchair friendly route, turn right at the crossroads.

Den Building

You will come to another crossroads on the path. On the left hand side, you will see an area that has been partly cleared by the owners – the National Trust – to allow den building activities to take place, and various dens have been constructed here. Your children can add to existing dens, or perhaps start building their own. At the crossroads, go straight on to reach the lakeshore.

Alternatively, you can turn right to take a slight detour to another play area, where tree trunks have been used to create stepping stones, and logs have been carved into crocodile shapes and mushroom seats. Your children can pretend to be escaping the crocodiles by using the stepping-stones. You can also reach the lake shore this way, but there are steps and the route isn’t ideal for pushchairs.

Along the Lake Shore

The path will lead you onto a promenade overlooking the lake shore. You need to turn left here, keeping the lake on your right. You can either walk along the promenade, or take the steps down to the lakeshore. The shore can sometimes be high, and sometimes this route is not always accessible.

Arriving at Friars Crag

If you have walked along the shore, then you will re-join the promenade when you reach the National Trust boat house (rocks make it impossible to continue along the shore). Shortly after the boathouse, the promenade ends and you will be on a wooded path, signposted for Friars Crag. Continue straight along this path, going past, but making note of, the turning on the left that is signposted for Strandshag Bay.

The View Point

The path continues until the end of the crag. On the left, at the highest point of the crag, there is a monument to John Ruskin. At the very end of the crag, there are a number of benches and a spectacular view of the lake. John Ruskin described this view as one of the best in Europe. From here, you can see the peak of Cat Bells, Brandelhow Woods, and the start of the Borrowdale range of fells.

Strandshag Bay

If you are not using a pushchair, you can continue on the route by heading towards the John Ruskin monument, and walk down the stone steps on the other side, where you will see a gate that you will need to go through. Pushchair users can retrace their steps back to the turning on the right signposted for Strandshag Bay and turn here, arriving at the same gate. After you have gone through the gate, you will be on a large bay with a path running along the opposite side to the lake along a field wall. This is a great place for picnics and paddling in the summer.

The Path off the Bay

Continue to follow the path around the bay. This eventually leads to a junction. Straight on you will see a gate and bridge. Going through this gate and over the bridge will take you on a slightly longer woodland walk that leads to the Borrowdale road that you can then follow back to the car park. However, this route is frequently flooded and not always passable without wellies. Instead, you can turn left just before this gate. The path is clear for a short while, before turning into firm grassland that is firm enough for pushchairs.

Return to the Woodland

Keep heading straight along the grass, keeping the boundary on your right. You are heading for a gate at the other end of the field in the corner on your right. Eventually the path reappears just before the gate. Go through this gate and you will be back in Cockshot Wood where you started the walk. If you continue straight on, you will arrive back at the car park. Alternatively, if you turn left at the small waymark post, you will arrive back at the lakeshore. Turn right when you reach the shore this time and you will arrive at the landing stage for the Derwent Steamers.

Prolonging the Adventure

At the landing stage, you can purchase duck food for 50p from either the steamer boat house, or the National Trust shop opposite. Walking away from the lake up the road that leads past the café, theatre, and car park you will eventually arrive at the entrance to Hope Park (clearly signposted). Here you will find remote control steamer boats that can be used for £1, and a crazy golf course.

Continue through the park and you will arrive at an underpass that leads into the town centre where is a great array of shops. For a bite to eat, the Royal Oak on Main Street does great pub food and has a good children’s menu. Booths supermarket, at the other end of the town, has a large café with a good children’s pick and mix lunch box section and a hot children’s food menu. Both have baby changing facilities and the Royal Oak welcomes dogs.