We are planning a 5 night, 4 day stay in the Lake District after traveling the previous 2+ weeks in England. We are using Keswick as our homebase and will not be renting a car. We hope to get in some hiking each day, weather permitting. I was thinking about taking a day to visit the Ullswater Lake area, stopping first at the Aira Force Waterfall and then going on to Glenridding to take the steamer boat, roundtrip to Pooley Bridge and back. It looks like it will be a fairly tight schedule, leaving Keswick at 9:15, (Bus # 509 both ways) stopping at Aira Force Waterfall area for about 1.5 hours and then going on to Glenridding to take the midday boat ride. The last 'efficient' bus (half the time) leaves Glenridding at 4pm. Does anyone have recommendations or advice on whether this would be a desirable way to spend the day? There won't be time to do any hiking, other than around the Aira Force waterfall area. We are planning on doing other hikes and walks such as Catbells, Derwentwater Lake, Castlerigg and Buttermere. We're also planning on doing the Derwentwater Lake cruise. Is it worthwhile to cruise on both lakes? Any other recommendations, considering that we won't have a car?
Thank you in advance for your advice.
Posted by
Somerset, UK
70 posts
It sounds like a great day out.
The lakes are wonderful and get very little overseas tourism really given how amazing they are. Visitors seem to associate Scotland with outdoors stuff and forget England has 10 quite varied national parks.
Grasmere is a very pretty little town easily accessible on the bus from Keswick, and the circular walk to Easedale Tarn, which takes about 3-4 hours, is fabulous
Posted by
Lake District, England
11613 posts
Very worth it to cruise both lakes. Are you also aware that there is a shuttle launch from Aira Force to Glenridding?
The 1745 #559 connects at Troutbeck with an X4/X5 direct to Keswick.
Posted by
Yorkshire
1487 posts
Hi Cheryl -
I assume you plan to walk into Glenridding from Aira Force? Follow the Ullswater Way signs. These, going in the opposite direction, will also take you to the summit of Gowbarrow Fell, a great viewpoint on a good day, if you can find the extra time (it’s not far!). If you hit Glenridding first you can pick up an Ullswater Way guide from the outdoor shop Catstycam (I bought my own copy there a few weeks back).
If you are smitten with Ullswater (and why wouldn’t you be?!) there’s another short climb to the summit of Hallin Fell accessed from the cruise pier at Howtown on the opposite side of the lake from Aira Force. There’s also a nice tearoom behind the Howtown Hotel where we spent a rather wet lunchtime a couple of months ago.
On Derwentwater, you access Catbells from the Hawse End pier from Keswick, one of the earlier stops on the anti-clockwise circuit of the lake (make sure you are going in the right direction!). Catbells is an ‘easy’ peak but that’s not to say it is without effort and there’s definitely a couple of ‘hands out of pockets’ places which are slightly scramble-y. Again though, if the weather is kind, a fabulous viewpoint. Our usual preferred option from Catbells is to walk back to Keswick via Nichol End (the launch pier here was closed a couple of weeks ago, no idea why) and Portinscale. There is a cafe at Lingholm which has connections to Beatrix Potter on the way. Launch pier here also currently non operational.
Catbells I’ve heard called the smallest of the ‘Wainwright peaks’. It’s not. That lies just beyond the foot of Derwentwater at Castle Crag. A craggy little hill with a fascinating history (ancient hill fort, quarry, cave home of early naturalist Millican Dalton) and gives a feel of real mountain climbing without the protracted effort (again, it’s not effort free!). Also at the foot of the lake is the Lodore Swiss Hotel, behind which are the Lodore Falls, best seen after rain, so if you have a poor weather day….. These are accessed by bus from Keswick (or launch) and there’s a walk from the falls (go left initially at the top) along Caffel Side leading to the tiny hamlet of Watendlath (may be a cafe there, may be not…it’s been a while) famous only for its inclusion in the almost forgotten ‘Rogue Herries’ novel by Hugh Walpole, and from there a path leads back into Borrowdale and descends to Rosthwaite where you can catch a bus back to Keswick, or if feeling strong, go on to climb Castle Crag, descending either to catch a launch at the foot of Derwentwater (High Brandelhow pier) or walk along the shores of Derwentwater back to Keswick.
Hope that’s given you some food for thought. I also hope the weather is kind and you have a great trip!
Ian
Posted by
Lake District, England
11613 posts
Gosh, the Lodore Swiss Hotel- it hasn't officially been called that for about 20 years now. It is now the Lodore Falls Hotel and Spa.