6. Ashness Bridge and Surprise View
For another walk with stunning views, the walk from Derwentwater up to Ashness Bridge and Surprise View is another of the best walks in the Lake District. This walk will give you some of the best views for the lowest effort. There’s some uphill walking involved, but it’s mostly along a quiet road so there’s nothing too technical.
Park at one of the car parks next to Derwentwater lake. There’s several to choose from. I usually choose the Great Wood National Trust car park at Derwentwater. It’s not huge, so make sure you get there fairly early on sunny weekends and school holidays.
There are car parks at Ashness Bridge and Surprise View. So if you really don’t want to walk, there is the option to drive here. However, I definitely would not recommend driving. The road up is steep and narrow. It’s mostly single track, with few passing places. In the winter, the road can be really icy. And the car parks at Ashness Bridge and Surprise View are small, so they fill up quickly and there’s no space to wait or turn around. It’s much better to park next to the lake and walk uphill.
Derwentwater up to Ashness Bridge
From the car park next to Derwentwater, follow the lakeside path south. The lake will be on your right as you walk next to it. I did this walk on a sunny but icy day in the winter. And the views across the lake were lovely. There are several beach areas next to the lake, where you can take photos of the lake and mountains.
You’ll see the narrow road that’s signposted up to Ashness Bridge. Walk up this road. Be careful of cars that might be trying to drive up or down. But hopefully there won’t be too many cars, so you can enjoy the walk and the views. The views are stunning as soon as you start to climb uphill towards Ashness Bridge.
Ashness Bridge
It doesn’t take long to reach Ashness Bridge. The walk from Great Wood car park to Ashness Bridge will only take you about 40 minutes. So you’ll have plenty of time to stop for photos. It’s definitely worth stopping at Ashness Bridge for a while.
Ashness Bridge is such a cute little bridge, with a river running underneath. The views of the bridge, with the tall mountains in the background, are just stunning.
In the summer, Ashness Bridge can be really busy, with lots of children playing in the water in the stream. But I last visited here in the winter. It was really peaceful, and the ice and snow looked great in the photos.
Ashness Bridge up to Surprise View
Continue walking up the narrow road from Ashness Bridge to Surprise view. Again, the views on the way up are stunning.
But nothing beats the views you get once you get to Surprise View. There’s a small car park here, so you’ll easily notice when you get to the viewpoint. It only takes about 20 minutes to walk from Ashness Bridge up to Surprise View. From here, you get a stunning view out across Derwentwater.
On a clear, sunny day, the view is just amazing. I still prefer the view over Derwentwater from the top of Catbells. But the view from Surprise View is beautiful as well, and the walk to get here is a lot easier.
From the edge of Derwentwater, you can be enjoying the view at Surprise View in under an hour. And it’s just an easy, but uphill, walk along the side of the road. So this walk is one of the best walks in the Lake District if you want to see classic postcard-worthy views with slightly less time and effort.
7. Keswick to Castlerigg Stone Circle
Another of the best walks in the Lake District is the walk from Keswick to Castlerigg Stone Circle. The walk is about 4 miles long, and takes you from the popular town of Keswick up to the amazing historical sight, and viewpoint, of Castlerigg Stone Circle.
You can find details of the walk here. It’s a fairly accessible walk, but you’ll still need to have proper hiking gear to enjoy the walk safely. I did this walk in winter, which was lovely as there was some snow at the tops of the mountains. But I’d love to come back at do this walk in the summer as well.
The start of this walk focusses on walking through Keswick to the edge of the town. It’s a pretty town, with plenty of pubs to enjoy at the end of your walk.
Once you reach the edge of the town, your uphill climb begins. The path isn’t too steep or difficult, but the uphill gradient is still noticeable.
Castlerigg Stone Circle
As you reach the brow of the hill, the stone circle suddenly comes into view. Castlerigg Stone Circle dates back to the Neolithic time, and is thought to be around 4000-5000 years old. It’s similar to some of the other stone circles in England, such as Stonehenge and Avebury in Wiltshire. And, like the other stone circles, its exact purpose isn’t known.
I really enjoyed walking around the stone circle and feeling like I was in part of history. It’s amazing to be walking the same area that people would have walked 5000 years ago.
And the views from here are amazing as well. Even without knowing the true purpose of the Castlerigg Stone Circle, I can definitely understand why they would have chosen to build something here. The views are great. You can full 360 degree views of the mountains on all sides around you.
Once you’ve taken enough photos of the views and appreciated the history, head back down to Keswick and enjoy some time in this popular town after your walk.
8. Skelwith Force waterfall to Elterwater
The last of my best walks in the Lake District is the walk around Skelwith Force. Skelwith Force is one of the best waterfalls in the Lake District. It’s hugely impressive all year round, but I think it’s at its best in winter. Winter in the Lake District has a lot of rain, so the waterfall is really impressive.
I visited Skelwith Force and did a great walk here in winter. It was really cold and snowy, so it wasn’t the easiest weather conditions for walking. But it meant the scenery was great. You can walk from Skelwith Force to the nearby lake called Elterwater by following this route here. It’s a relatively easy and flat walk – at least compared to a lot of walks in the Lake District! But it’s still important to take care in bad weather.
Skelwith Force waterfall
Start your walk by spending some time at the Skelwith Force waterfall. This waterfall is the highlight of this walk, so take plenty of time to explore. You can follow the footpath next to the waterfall. And for even better views, you can climb over some of the rocks to get up close to the waterfall.
Be careful climbing over the rocks as they can be slippery – especially as it was icy and snowy when I visited! But it felt worth climbing over the rocks to get to see this amazing waterfall up close.
Skelwith Force to Elterwater walk
After enjoying your time at the waterfall, continue your walk to Elterwater. The majority of this walk goes through fields, with the river next to you. It’s a pleasant walk, and it’s easy to do this walk in a variety of different weather conditions. It was great to walk through these fields in the snow – and even make a snowman!
Elterwater is a really pretty lake, so take some time to enjoy the lake when you get here. Then, retrace your steps back to Skelwith Force and back to the car.
Hope you enjoy the best walks in the Lake District! Make sure you also check out my guide to the best viewpoints in the Lake District, and also my guide to visiting the Lake District in winter. If you’re looking for more scenic walks, check out the nearby Peak District, with the top things to do in the Peak District.
