10 miles, allow 5 hours with stops.
There’s nothing more satisfying than walking around a Lake. Throw in spectacular views and frequent refreshment opportunities along the way and you get all the ingredients for a perfect day’s walking.
The lakeside at Keswick is your starting and finishing place. From here you can see Derwentwater in all its magnificence. Across to your right, on the west side of the Lake is the iconic Catbells; not the Lake District’s biggest peak by any means, but surely one of its most iconic and striking.
To your left you have the woods stretching up to Walla Crag and the imposing High Seat above. Directly in front of you, across the length of the lake, Castle Crag juts out as if guarding Borrowdale beyond.
To start the walk turn into Crow Park, a National Trust parkland which is sandwiched between the lake and Keswick town itself. This is clearly signposted to the right, opposite a theatre to your left.
The gravel path crosses the open parkland.
You then swing back into town following Crow Park Road. This leads to the back of Booths supermarket and onto the Main Street, the main throughfare through Keswick.
Turn left on Main Street (as if heading westwards). Just after crossing the river before you reach the Premier Inn you will see a signpost to Portinscale on your left.
The flat footpath crosses fields.
Within half a mile you reach a footbridge and then enter the pretty village of Portinscale. The Chalet Tearooms are here if you need refreshments or a bit to eat.
Follow the road for around half a mile heading south adjacent to the Lake’s shoreline. You will soon reach a sign on your left for Nichol End, a marine centre (and another café) which rents out boats and canoes for the more adventurous.
Just before you reach the café there’s a pathway heading upwards on your right.
This path leads all the way down the west side of the lake. The wooded landscaped passes by the Lingholm Estate. You can stop here to enjoy the Estate’s gardens free of charge or enjoy lunch at its café.
Back on the path you pass through more woodlands before the vista opens up. As the path bends towards the lake (on your left) there’s a sign post marking the way up to Catbells for those energetic enough to want to reach its peak. In summertime there’s also a pop up coffee shack at this spot.
You now have two options. You can either take a higher path or dip down toward to treelined lakeside.
We took the path near the lakeside weaving through pleasant wooded terrain.
After about a mile and half you reach a junction. Head straight if you want to venture into Borrowdale itself via the village of Grange.
Otherwise kept left over a serious of boardwalks.
Cross over a footbridge, known as the Chinese Bridge and keep walking straight ahead. Sometimes the path here can be flooded. If that’s the case turn right and head southwards to detour via the Borrowdale Hotel.
Either way, you soon meet the road on the east side of the lake. For those tired and weary you can catch a bus back to Keswick here. During summertime they pass by quite frequently, every 20 minutes or so.
To walk on, past the Lodore Falls Hotel and then past the Mary Mount Hotel (which offers great views over the lake if you want to stop for refreshments). There are jetties next to both these hotels if you want to catch the ferry back to Keswick.
For those on foot keep to the path which hugs to roadside until it dips down closer to the lake.
You soon reach the beaches of Calfclose Bay where there’s a distinctive carved stone in the water.
From Calfclose Bay you can sense you are nearing Keswick as the footpath, boardwalks and waterside beaches get busier.
The path becomes enclosed for a short while until it reaches Strandshag Bay another beached area and Friar’s Crag. At it’s premonitory there’s a wooded area with a fantastic benched viewpoint over the lake.
Your walk back into Keswick lakeside will now only take 10 minutes.
When you reach your starting point at Keswick Pier you can look back over the water to appreciate where you’ve been and what you’ve achieved.
