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You are here: Home > Explore Cumbria > Keswick
Keswick is both the most northerly of the Lake District’s towns and maybe its best located: at the northern end of beautiful Derwentwater, it’s surrounded by large fells including Skiddaw and Blencathra, two of the most popular among walkers and hikers. It’s also the perfect spot to explore this part of the national park, notably the valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere.
Right in the heart of the Lake District National Park, Keswick is still only 20 minutes from the M6 – and close enough to some of the Lake District’s best-known lakes, including Bassenthwaite, Thirlmere and Ullswater as well as Derwentwater. Fancy some fell-waking? There’s Skiddaw and Blencathra, but don’t forget Grizedale Pike and Catbells, a fell that is popular with walkers of all ages and abilities.
Keswick is both the most northerly of the Lake District’s towns and maybe its best located: at the northern end of beautiful Derwentwater, it’s surrounded by large fells including Skiddaw and Blencathra, two of the most popular among walkers and hikers. It’s also the perfect spot to explore this part of the national park, notably the valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere.
Right in the heart of the Lake District National Park, Keswick is still only 20 minutes from the M6 – and close enough to some of the Lake District’s best-known lakes, including Bassenthwaite, Thirlmere and Ullswater as well as Derwentwater. Fancy some fell-waking? There’s Skiddaw and Blencathra, but don’t forget Grizedale Pike and Catbells, a fell that is popular with walkers of all ages and abilities.
Little is known about the early history of Keswick, but St Kentigern is known to have preached at Crosthwaite (to the east of the town centre) in AD 556. A Norman church was built on the spot in 1181, followed by a small settlement.
The church apparently attracted unofficial markets following church services. This caused much contention until a market charter was granted in 1276 to a small cheese dairy not far away on the banks of the river Greta. This was the start of Keswick, whose name translates as ‘cheese farm'.
As Keswick grew in size, the original settlement at Crosthwaite declined, leaving the church isolated.
Prosperity came to Keswick in the 16th century with the extraction of minerals from the surrounding fells. With no local mining expertise, skilled German miners were drafted in to work the copper and lead mines in the Newlands Valley, and a large smelting plant was established at Brigham (where the A66 road bridge crosses the river Greta).
The later discovery of wadd (graphite) at Seathwaite in Borrowdale gave rise to around 14 pencil manufacturing businesses in the area, one of which - the Cumberland Pencil Company - was operational in Keswick up to 2007.
Blencathra - Set near Skiddaw forest overlooking the River Greta in the north of the Lake District, Blencathra is one of the county's most renowned peaks.
Borrowdale - From above the shores of Derwentwater, Borrowdale presents an impressive picture - high peaks reflected in the lovely lake. The valley is a paradise for all walkers with low and high routes to suit all tastes. It's a playground for rock climbers too.
Castlerigg Stone Circles - Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric and dramatically sited of all British stone circles, with panoramic views and the mountains of Helvellyn and High Seat as a backdrop.
Latrigg Fell - Latrigg is Keswick’s premier viewpoint. It sits in a superb position high above the northern edge of town with its back nestled against Skiddaw’s towering flanks and its front and sides open across the whole Vale of Derwent. From its lofty summit you can sit and have a fantastic time spotting almost the whole of the Lake District’s central fells.
The newly renovated family and dog-friendly Rooms36, VB 4-star silver award-winning bed and…
The Coppice is quintessentially a former Edwardian small country house situated on the lower slopes…
Viewed from the west Grasmoor looks like a simple pyramidal peak but this is deceiving. Behind its…
Tucked high amongst the fells in a secluded and hidden valley on the eastern side of Borrowdale is…
A rusty 'tin shed' beside a dramatic waterfall in a remote valley just outside Keswick – this…
Adrenaline filled adventure inside the belly of a Lake District mountain, ‘Climb the Mine’ is the…
A 17thC building, owned and run by family for 30 years. First licensed in 1735 as coaching inn.…
Armathwaite Hall has created a timeless, yet contemporary countryside spa within a stunning rural…
Experience the beauty of the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in this…
Experience adventure at Keswick Mountain Festival (16-18 May 2025) with trail runs, hikes,…
Located next to Theatre By The Lake in Keswick, Lakeside Café Restaurant has perhaps some of the…
Gorgeously restored two-screen Edwardian cinema showing the latest blockbusters as well as indie…
Situated on what was once the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith railway line, Bassenthwaite Lake…
Get up close and personal with our Alpacas, for participants aged 16 years and over. Alpacas are…
Open every day, The Lingholm Kitchen & Walled Garden has quickly become a popular Lakeland…
The Bistro at the Distillery aims to embrace the spirit of the Lake District, which is achieved by…
The Full Grain Moon in Aquarius invites us to celebrate the harvest of our personal growth and…
A 3-hour workshop with a foraging expert, which includes ID guidance, picking wild ingredients and…
Whinlatter is a great place for walking with many miles of gravel roads, paths and tracks to…
You’ve never experienced anything like this… Take on the UK’s original classic Via Ferrata against…
North of Skiddaw lies an area of high moors and rolling hills. Bleak and lonely – these fells do…
Go wild & experience a world of wildlife! There's over 100 species from Anaconda to Zebra. Rare and…
Some of Britain’s most famous landscapes lie to the south of Keswick.
A 3-hour session with a foraging expert, including ID work, tasting wild ingredients and a wild…
The newly renovated family and dog-friendly Rooms36, VB 4-star silver award-winning bed and…
The Coppice is quintessentially a former Edwardian small country house situated on the lower slopes…
Viewed from the west Grasmoor looks like a simple pyramidal peak but this is deceiving. Behind its…
Tucked high amongst the fells in a secluded and hidden valley on the eastern side of Borrowdale is…
A rusty 'tin shed' beside a dramatic waterfall in a remote valley just outside Keswick – this…
Adrenaline filled adventure inside the belly of a Lake District mountain, ‘Climb the Mine’ is the…
Tucked high amongst the fells in a secluded and hidden valley on the eastern side of Borrowdale is…
A rusty 'tin shed' beside a dramatic waterfall in a remote valley just outside Keswick – this…
Adrenaline filled adventure inside the belly of a Lake District mountain, ‘Climb the Mine’ is the…
A 17thC building, owned and run by family for 30 years. First licensed in 1735 as coaching inn.…
Armathwaite Hall has created a timeless, yet contemporary countryside spa within a stunning rural…
Experience the beauty of the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in this…
Experience adventure at Keswick Mountain Festival (16-18 May 2025) with trail runs, hikes,…
Located next to Theatre By The Lake in Keswick, Lakeside Café Restaurant has perhaps some of the…
Gorgeously restored two-screen Edwardian cinema showing the latest blockbusters as well as indie…
Situated on what was once the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith railway line, Bassenthwaite Lake…
Get up close and personal with our Alpacas, for participants aged 16 years and over. Alpacas are…
Open every day, The Lingholm Kitchen & Walled Garden has quickly become a popular Lakeland…
The Bistro at the Distillery aims to embrace the spirit of the Lake District, which is achieved by…
The Full Grain Moon in Aquarius invites us to celebrate the harvest of our personal growth and…
A 3-hour workshop with a foraging expert, which includes ID guidance, picking wild ingredients and…
Whinlatter is a great place for walking with many miles of gravel roads, paths and tracks to…
You’ve never experienced anything like this… Take on the UK’s original classic Via Ferrata against…
North of Skiddaw lies an area of high moors and rolling hills. Bleak and lonely – these fells do…
Go wild & experience a world of wildlife! There's over 100 species from Anaconda to Zebra. Rare and…
Some of Britain’s most famous landscapes lie to the south of Keswick.
A 3-hour session with a foraging expert, including ID work, tasting wild ingredients and a wild…
The newly renovated family and dog-friendly Rooms36, VB 4-star silver award-winning bed and…
The Coppice is quintessentially a former Edwardian small country house situated on the lower slopes…
Viewed from the west Grasmoor looks like a simple pyramidal peak but this is deceiving. Behind its…
The Lake District Where modern tourism was born
Number of results: 273
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Cumbria
Tucked high amongst the fells in a secluded and hidden valley on the eastern side of Borrowdale is the picture perfect hamlet of Watendlath. It sits nestling in a glacier-carved hollow beside the mirrored waters of a tarn and surrounded by trees,…
Braithwaite, Keswick
A rusty 'tin shed' beside a dramatic waterfall in a remote valley just outside Keswick – this building is a tribute to human engineering and ingenuity, and it has a powerful story to tell about humanity's impact on the planet. Before closing in…
Borrowdale, Keswick
Adrenaline filled adventure inside the belly of a Lake District mountain, ‘Climb the Mine’ is the only one of its type in England.
The English, Buttermere
A 17thC building, owned and run by family for 30 years. First licensed in 1735 as coaching inn. Apartments built in grounds 17 years ago and continually upgraded.
Bassenthwaite Lake, Bassenthwaite
Armathwaite Hall has created a timeless, yet contemporary countryside spa within a stunning rural setting, offering a relaxed, high comfort, luxurious spa facility.
Keswick
Experience the beauty of the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in this triathlon-style team challenge. Combining biking, hiking, and paddling, teams of two or four will race from dawn to dusk, pushing their limits across…
Keswick
Experience adventure at Keswick Mountain Festival (16-18 May 2025) with trail runs, hikes, triathlons, live music, outdoor brands & more in the stunning Lake District. Book now!
Keswick
Located next to Theatre By The Lake in Keswick, Lakeside Café Restaurant has perhaps some of the country's best views. Our locally-sourced produce helps us create delicious dishes to complement the fantastic views, making it truly an experience to…
Keswick
Here at Castlerigg Hall, our holiday park is well set up to help you enjoy a night under the stars. Holiday under the night’s sky in one of our Hex Pod glamping pods, fitted with skylights so that you can appreciate the beautiful stars from the…
Keswick
Gorgeously restored two-screen Edwardian cinema showing the latest blockbusters as well as indie movies, and live-streamed theatre, ballet and music.
Cockermouth
Situated on what was once the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith railway line, Bassenthwaite Lake Station offers a unique place to enjoy breakfast, brunch and lunch aboard the replica Orient Express train, right here in the Lake District.
Vale of Lorton - a bucolic landscape of verdant pastures, riverside hay meadows, fellside woods and hidden farmhouses.
Bassenthwaite
Get up close and personal with our Alpacas, for participants aged 16 years and over. Alpacas are friendly and inquisitive animals and just like us they enjoy a bit of fresh air and exercise. Meet our five boys Hugo, Hector, Herbie, Dougal and…
Portinscale, Keswick
Open every day, The Lingholm Kitchen & Walled Garden has quickly become a popular Lakeland destination for Breakfast, Lunch and Afternoon Tea.
Nr Bassenthwaite Lake
The Bistro at the Distillery aims to embrace the spirit of the Lake District, which is achieved by using regional ingredients where possible and having a key focus on freshness, flavour and simplicity.
Braithwaite, Keswick
The Full Grain Moon in Aquarius invites us to celebrate the harvest of our personal growth and spiritual journey. Traditionally known as the Grain Moon, this is a time to reflect on the fruits of our labor—what we've sown and what we're ready to…
Cockermouth
A 3-hour workshop with a foraging expert, which includes ID guidance, picking wild ingredients and using them to prepare dinner.
Braithwaite, Keswick
Whinlatter is a great place for walking with many miles of gravel roads, paths and tracks to explore. Each junction is marked with a numbered post which is shown on the Forest guide map making it easy to create your own route.
Borrowdale, Keswick
You’ve never experienced anything like this…
Take on the UK’s original classic Via Ferrata against the backdrop of the stunning Lake District mountains.
Climb up the massive Cargo net to one of the finest views of Lake District. Buttermere, Crummock…
Cumbria
North of Skiddaw lies an area of high moors and rolling hills. Bleak and lonely – these fells do not attract the crowds as do their southern neighbours. Great sweeps of open fells dominate the landscape relieved only by the becks. Penetrating this…
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