Lake District: How to Spend a Weekend in Keswick

KESWICK

How to get there

Hop on a train at London Euston and you’ll be in Penrith within 3 hours. From there, get on a local double decker bus which will take you through the beautiful hilly countryside and drop you off right in the center of Keswick. It’s a bit of a bumpy ride and will make you feel like you’re on a rollercoaster if you sit on the top deck!

Where to stay

Lakeside House Hotel

There’s a reason why Lakeside House has a 5 star rating on Tripadvisor! The staff are extra friendly and helpful, and the location is great, close to the lake and the town center. Our room was big, comfortable and had a nice view of a mini golf course with mountains in the distance. We could even see the sunset from our window! Breakfast was awesome, with different hot options that the chef will cook for you.

Where to eat

Dessert: Roly’s Fudge

Freshly made fudge in lots of different flavours – favourites were vanilla and butterscotch. Chris went for the lemon meringue flavour which was a poor choice. Pop in for a taste!

Quick Lunch: The Cornish Pasty

We had the best pasty ever at this adorable little shop in the centre of town. This will be the first place we visit if we ever go back.

Dinner: Merienda

As soon as I saw the Merienda’s pretty storefront I knew that we had to eat there. Go there for a cosy atmosphere and dinner by candlelight. The food is fresh and seasonal, with local ingredients and Tex-Mex flavours in some of the dishes. I don’t drink coffee but theirs is supposed to be very good.

Afternoon Tea: Bryson’s

This is a Keswick institution! Bryson’s have been baking fresh, handmade bread and cakes for almost seventy years. The local speciality is plum bread, which is sort of like a toasted brioche with cinnamon and sultanas. Go upstairs to the tearoom for a proper afternoon tea or if it’s sunny, grab a scone and a table outside overlooking the town market. This is for a hotspot for lovely grannies.

Fish and Chips: The Kingfisher

We didn’t get a chance to visit The Kingfisher on our last day, but the owner of our B&B swore that it is the best fish & chip shop in town, with super-fresh fish. Next time!

What to do around Keswick

Hike up the Catbells

This hike is perfect if you’re not super fit (like me!) but you want to see the amazing views that the Lake District is known for. People of all ages (yes, we even saw an 80 year old lady and a new born baby) can do it, but I’m warning you, my legs are still sore three days later! It should take you around two hours to go up and down. If you’re staying in Keswick, just get on the boat that goes around the lake and get off at Hawse End.

Go Rowing

For £8 per half hour, you can rent out a little row boat and go out onto the Lake. It’s a lovely activity for sunny days and you will get 360 views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. It’s also good if you want to rest your legs after a hike, but be warned – rowing isn’t as easy as Chris makes it look!

Find a Waterfall

Get the boat that goes around Derwentwater lake and get off at Lodore. Look for the Lodore Falls behind Lodore Falls Hotel.

Say hi to the sheep

As our bus approached Keswick, I squealed with excitement – there were so many lamb everywhere! As an animal lover, I just had to get closer to them and take lots of photos. How adorable are they? Seems like early May was the perfect time to catch (metaphorically) some baby lamb while they’re still small and bouncing around.

Watch the sunset

Great tip from the owner of our hotel: grab fish & chips and a bottle of wine and head down to the lake for sunset. If you’re in luck and it’s not cloudy it should be wonderful!

Explore!

Some of the most fun we had over the weekend was when we just wandered around and found quiet pebble beaches, abandoned speedboats, and random tree swings.

COCKSHOT WOOD! The name made me chuckle.

There you go – everything you need for the most perfect weekend in the Lake District! I’ve tried to cram everything into this one big blog post, so thanks for reading all the way through. Let me know if I can help you plan your trip!