We will be arriving by train from York to North Lake District for three nights and want to hike for two days in June. I have read that Keswick is crowded. Should we stay here, if so where? Or other towns we can get to easily with bus? Thanks.
Leslie Motley
Keswick gets busy because it is a very popular location. There are other much smaller places with fewer facilities and definitely more tricky transport for someone without a car. There are other towns elsewhere in the Lakes that would be alternatives but are you wedded to the North Lakes?
There are other much smaller places with fewer facilities and definitely more tricky transport for someone without a car
That is a very sweeping statement lacking in a lot of subtlety given the current bus services.
You don't actually say which rail route you are taking from York to the Lake District- there are at least 5 routes- via Newcastle and Carlisle, via the Settle/Carlisle line, via Preston, via Manchester or via Carnforth.
If you come up the Settle/Carlisle line and get your timings right it is possible to get off the train at Kirkby Stephen and take a bus from Kirkby Stephen station to Penrith for the bus onwards- with the best service on a Saturday.
The bus from Penrith to Keswick also stops in Threlkeld village every 30 minutes, in Braithwaite or Bassenthwaite every hour (alternate services).
All useful places to stay.
From Penrith Railway Station there are also buses every hour or two hours (hourly at weekends at that time of year when alternate services are open top) to Ullswater- Pooley Bridge or Glenridding.
Also from Keswick Bus Station there is the Borrowdale bus #78 every 30 minutes along the valley- lots of places to stay in the valley with many walking opportunities. That service is open top all year (even in mid winter, like today).
If you have come up the Settle/Carlisle or across from Newcastle there is also the 554 bus from Carlisle direct to Keswick via Bassenthwaite.
June is before the summer school holidays so Keswick will not be as crowded as it gets in high summer. But I am all for dissipating people away from what is a honeypot destination. That is one of the reasons why the Council is devoting a lot of money into supporting and improving the bus services.
Hi Leslie -
Stuart (isn31c) is right. The area beyond Keswick is well served by buses from there and Braithwaite is a good suggestion, as is the trip down Borrowdale towards Rosthwaite and Seatoller (which would be my recommendation). There’s lots of hiking straight out of the door from those places, although it must be said much of it is determinedly uphill (and thus downhill later). That said, there are enough routes which involve some ascent but don’t go all the way to the fell tops if that’s not your plan/definition of hiking.
Away from the main hub of Keswick it should be noted that the alternative settlements recommended are in no way towns, in fact some are so small as to hardly qualify as villages, so your dining options, for instance, are much reduced. If you want all facilities on tap, Keswick is your best option. The bus service will aid you in getting to and from other places in the area, but in my experience as recently as last summer, most of them do not run late into the evening.
Ian
I spent 5 days in Keswick in early September last year. I gained valuable insight into the area on this forum, especially posts from Stuart (isn31c), as he knows what he writes about as he lives in the area. I do want to say that I considered staying somewhere other than Keswick mostly due to reports of crowds. While I found Keswick a tad crowded during the day and early evening, the crowds did not take away from my trip. There are so many hiking routes from Keswick that you soon are by yourself (mostly). If you are planning on hiking during the day, I wouldn’t let the reported crowds sway you from staying in Keswick as the town is large enough to get away from people if you want to. I never had a problem finding a chair or stool to have an ale or some food after a long day of hiking. I quite enjoyed my time there.
Haven’t been there in June, but on the two occasions we stayed in Keswick the first time was at a B&B on The Heads, near Hillcrest Guest House. In 2022 we stayed just outside of town at Brookfield B&B Guest House.
We stayed at the Goodwin House in Keswick last August for 4 days. Cozy rooms with fantastic breakfast where you choose off a menu. Located on quiet street within walking distance to town square, bus stops, and Derwentwater. Like previous post, there are so many trails to start from in Keswick and there are plenty of restaurants and shops to visit. So, I would highly recommend staying in Keswick.
Be prepared for lots of rain.
After staying in Keswick, we made our way to Edinburgh (via bus and train) to the Fringe Fest. (Will post my itinerary soon!)
