Kevin's Guidebook
Sightseeing
Ullswater Steamers
Grisedale BridgeFantastic day out no matter what the weather.
Keswick, situated between the huge bulk of Skiddaw and the gentle beauty of Derwentwater, has become the major centre for tourism in the northern Lake District. This pretty market town offers a wide range of attractions for visitors, from shops and restaurants to museums with a difference, and boating trips around lake Derwentwater. Fantastic pizzas in the Square Orange
205 personas locales recomiendan
Keswick
Keswick, situated between the huge bulk of Skiddaw and the gentle beauty of Derwentwater, has become the major centre for tourism in the northern Lake District. This pretty market town offers a wide range of attractions for visitors, from shops and restaurants to museums with a difference, and boating trips around lake Derwentwater. Fantastic pizzas in the Square Orange
Whinlatter is England's only true mountain forest. Rising 1000ft above sea level, the forest and visitor centre provides a whole range of outdoor activities for everyone.
Start at the visitor centre where the staff will give information and help plan your day. Enjoy some retail therapy in the forest shop or sample the home made food at Siskins café, eating out on the balcony whilst viewing the woods, red squirrels and woodland birds.
For children, the Whinlatter WildPlay trail is a fantastic 600m long trail with 9 different play zones. Try the climbing wall or giant timber climbing frame, the archimedes screw to move water uphill and the fairy kingdom with its secret path. Whinlatter is great for walking, with miles of waymarked trails that start near the Centre. There are suitable walks for people of all abilities, which take in spectacular views across the fells and forests. For people who are less mobile we also have a Tramper for hire, which you can take up into the forest on the specially designed route.
The forest also offers excellent mountain biking, with the red-graded Altura trail, blue graded Quercus trail and the Gorse trail which isn’t a nationally graded route and is on forest fire roads. If you've never tried orienteering, Whinlatter's permanent orienteering courses are the perfect place to start.
The Bassenthwaite Ospreys can be seen live from their nest on the giant screen in the exhibition or in their natural environment from the Dodd Wood open air viewpoint (April - Aug). The Viewpoint will be unmanned for the 2020 season
67 personas locales recomiendan
Whinlatter Forest Park
Whinlatter PassWhinlatter is England's only true mountain forest. Rising 1000ft above sea level, the forest and visitor centre provides a whole range of outdoor activities for everyone.
Start at the visitor centre where the staff will give information and help plan your day. Enjoy some retail therapy in the forest shop or sample the home made food at Siskins café, eating out on the balcony whilst viewing the woods, red squirrels and woodland birds.
For children, the Whinlatter WildPlay trail is a fantastic 600m long trail with 9 different play zones. Try the climbing wall or giant timber climbing frame, the archimedes screw to move water uphill and the fairy kingdom with its secret path. Whinlatter is great for walking, with miles of waymarked trails that start near the Centre. There are suitable walks for people of all abilities, which take in spectacular views across the fells and forests. For people who are less mobile we also have a Tramper for hire, which you can take up into the forest on the specially designed route.
The forest also offers excellent mountain biking, with the red-graded Altura trail, blue graded Quercus trail and the Gorse trail which isn’t a nationally graded route and is on forest fire roads. If you've never tried orienteering, Whinlatter's permanent orienteering courses are the perfect place to start.
The Bassenthwaite Ospreys can be seen live from their nest on the giant screen in the exhibition or in their natural environment from the Dodd Wood open air viewpoint (April - Aug). The Viewpoint will be unmanned for the 2020 season
Aira Force is a showcase for the power and beauty of nature; it’s a place to escape the ordinary.
An 18th-century pleasure ground, Aira Force was the backdrop for William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Somnambulist’ – a Gothic tale of love and tragedy. There are so many woodland trails to discover in this landscape of contrasts. Quiet glades give way to dramatic waterfalls, with Aira Beck thundering down a 65-foot drop past ferns and rocks. If you walk to the summit of Gowbarrow, you will be rewarded with panoramic views over Ullswater. Starting your day in Glenridding, arriving at Aira Force by boat then strolling back along the lakeshore, allows you to take in the wonderful Ullswater Valley sights
Aira Force Tea Rooms
Park BrowAira Force is a showcase for the power and beauty of nature; it’s a place to escape the ordinary.
An 18th-century pleasure ground, Aira Force was the backdrop for William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Somnambulist’ – a Gothic tale of love and tragedy. There are so many woodland trails to discover in this landscape of contrasts. Quiet glades give way to dramatic waterfalls, with Aira Beck thundering down a 65-foot drop past ferns and rocks. If you walk to the summit of Gowbarrow, you will be rewarded with panoramic views over Ullswater. Starting your day in Glenridding, arriving at Aira Force by boat then strolling back along the lakeshore, allows you to take in the wonderful Ullswater Valley sights
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.
It is also among the earliest British circles, raised in about 3000 BC during the Neolithic period.
44 personas locales recomiendan
Castlerigg Stone Circle
Castle LaneCastlerigg 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.
It is also among the earliest British circles, raised in about 3000 BC during the Neolithic period.
We provide Stand Up Paddleboarding lessons, adventure tours and board hire on the wonderful Ullswater in the Lake District.
Our instructors are qualified through the British Stand Up Paddleboard Association to ensure your safety and enjoyment at all times
Ullswater Paddleboarding
The LakeWe provide Stand Up Paddleboarding lessons, adventure tours and board hire on the wonderful Ullswater in the Lake District.
Our instructors are qualified through the British Stand Up Paddleboard Association to ensure your safety and enjoyment at all times
Great for an easy walk or cycleride. Relatively flat and clean under foot.
11 personas locales recomiendan
Keswick to Threlkeld railway trail
FieldsideGreat for an easy walk or cycleride. Relatively flat and clean under foot.
Food Scene
Great little cosy pub just two miles down the road.
11 personas locales recomiendan
The Boot & Shoe Inn
GreystokeGreat little cosy pub just two miles down the road.
Horse & Farrier
The Crafty Baa Keswick
The Square Orange Café
20 St John's StThe Pheasant Inn Hotel & Restaurant
The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (JD Wetherspoon)
2 Bank StFantastic, award winning food for
special occasions.
10 personas locales recomiendan
The Dog and Gun Inn
Fantastic, award winning food for
special occasions.
Days out
Good on days when the weather is not so good.
Remodelled and refurbished with a 100-seat café at its heart, Rheged celebrates the produce, people and places all around it.
Rheged was built by the Westmorland Family, the local family business behind Tebay Services on the M6.
We opened in 2000 close to the M6 at Penrith, a thriving market town between the Eden Valley and Northern Lake District. Built discreetly into a hillside with three-storey window overlooking an 18th-century lime kiln, Rheged has been cherished for two decades by locals and visitors alike.
Our giant-screen cinema offers an immersive escape into the latest movies and live-streamed events from theatres and opera houses around the world. Our gallery is a leading venue in our region for both touring and original exhibitions. Our shops sell a collection of clothing, design and craft chosen for its provenance and beauty.
During 2020 we redesigned the ground floor, creating a relaxed and spacious new cafe and deli at the heart of Rheged. A new first-floor meeting space (with table service via an app) can be used flexibly for work or gathering socially, while new meeting rooms and work spaces on the second floor are coming soon.
34 personas locales recomiendan
Rheged
Remodelled and refurbished with a 100-seat café at its heart, Rheged celebrates the produce, people and places all around it.
Rheged was built by the Westmorland Family, the local family business behind Tebay Services on the M6.
We opened in 2000 close to the M6 at Penrith, a thriving market town between the Eden Valley and Northern Lake District. Built discreetly into a hillside with three-storey window overlooking an 18th-century lime kiln, Rheged has been cherished for two decades by locals and visitors alike.
Our giant-screen cinema offers an immersive escape into the latest movies and live-streamed events from theatres and opera houses around the world. Our gallery is a leading venue in our region for both touring and original exhibitions. Our shops sell a collection of clothing, design and craft chosen for its provenance and beauty.
During 2020 we redesigned the ground floor, creating a relaxed and spacious new cafe and deli at the heart of Rheged. A new first-floor meeting space (with table service via an app) can be used flexibly for work or gathering socially, while new meeting rooms and work spaces on the second floor are coming soon.