Walks from Farrier House

Farrier House is the ideal place to stay if you're coming to the Lake District for walking. Here are some walks that start at the front door. Click on the map link at the end of each description to see the walk on an Ordnance Survey map.

Walking to Keswick

Walk up the road past the Derwentwater Hotel, cross the footbridge of the River Derwent. After a short distance, a path leads off to the right across the fields. Follow the path and you will come out on Main Street. Turn right and head into the centre of Keswick. About 1 mile. Map.(The route on the map takes you to the Moot Hall which houses the tourist information office)

Walking to Catbells

The top of the popular fell of Catbells is a 3-mile walk from Farrier Houses. It's the last mile and a half that will test your commitment to getting there. Allow at least 2 hours to get there. Map.

You can also shorten the walk you can take the Keswick launch between Hawes End (near Catbells) and Nicol End (nearest jetty to Farrier House)

Ashness Bridge & Surprise View by launch to Ashness Gate jetty

The great thing about staying on the shores of Derwentwater is that there are many walks that originate on the shores of Derwentwater and are within easy reach of a Keswick Launch jetty.

Surprise View offers a spectacular view of Derwentwater as a reward for a modest 1-mile walk (OK, it's uphill the whole way) from the Ashness Gate jetty. Along the way, you will cross over Ashness Bridge, a packhorse bridge on the road from Keswick to Watendlath. Allow about 30 minutes for the launch trip if you take the clockwise launch (via Keswick) and 1 hour to walk from the jetty to Surprise View. Map.

Walking Around Derwentwater

Circumnavigating Derwentwater is a delightful 9-mile walk. For the most part, it is level and there is a clearly marked path. The tourist information office in the Moot Hall in Keswick's market square has a guide with directions as to the route to take. We recommend walking clockwise around the lake, stopping for tea and scones at Nichol End marina or a late lunch at The Chalet before getting back to Farrier House. Approx 9 miles. Allow at least 5 hours. Map.

Walking to Latrigg

The walk to Latrigg, a fell with wonderful views over Keswick and Derwentwater, is just under 4 miles. The walk takes you through the centre of Keswick so you'll have plenty of opportunity for refreshments on the way back. Plan on 2.5 hours to get there. Map.

Walla Cragg by launch to Ashness Gate

Another walk from Ashness Gate is Walla Crag. There are two routes. Both start by taking the Keswick launch from Nichol End to Ashness Gate. Check the launch schedule, it is seasonal.

The round trip route leads from the Ashness Gate jetty to the top of Walla Crag returning to the jetty via Big Wood. Map.

Alternatively, and our recommendation, is that instead of returning through Big Wood, you can carry on walking down through Castlehead Wood to the Keswick landing. Map.

Allow about 30 minutes for the launch trip to Ashness Gate, it's about 10 minutes for the trip from Keswick to Nicol End. Both routes are 4 miles from jetty to jetty. Allow 3 hours.

How realistic are the time estimates?

A very good question. The time estimates come from plotting the routes on the Ordnance Survey website and they are probably the minimum time the walk will take you unless you are a fell runner. Some hikes take us twice as long (or more!) as the estimate. A lot depends on the terrain, the weather, how many times to stop to take pictures and, let's face it, sometimes you just want to sit down and admire the view.