Recommended walks, pictures and videos of Derwentwater Lake in Keswick
Derwentwater Lake is located in Keswick, north Lake District, measuring approximately 3 miles in length and 1 mile in width at its widest points.
Derwentwater offers spectacular views of the surrounding hills locally known as ‘fells’.
Towards the west lies the fells of Cat Bells and towards the east is Friar’s Crag view point.
The lake is 15 feet deep on average and reaches 72 feet at the deepest point. The general shallow nature of the lake makes it one of the first lakes to freeze in cold winters.
The lakeside walk is approximately 8 miles altogether and offers remarkable scenic views. The walk passes through the extensively wooded slopes of the fells and via the seven lakeshore jetties that are served by the Derwentwater lake cruises.
Derwentwater Lake Facts
Location – Keswick, Lake District
Area – 3 miles by 1 miles
Depth – 15 feet in average, deepest point 72 feet approx.
Main departure – Keswick, 10 minutes from Town Centre
Jetties – 7 altogether
Islands – 4 major islands
Cruise service – Available
Walk around the lake – 8 miles approx.
Post code for Derwent Water Lake
Lakeside car park – CA12 5DJ
Public toilets – Available near the car park
This offers visitors the chance to hop on and off the frequent launches that cruise around the lake.
A complete cruise around the lake takes approximately 50 minutes and can be a good option for visitors who just wish to absorb the beautiful landscape from the comfort of the launch with just a gentle breeze in tow.
The walk around the Derwentwater Lake
Distance – 8 miles (13 km)
Difficulty – Easy involving gravel paths, woodlands and minor slopes
Time – 5-6 hours approximately
You can either choose to walk the whole 8 mile route around the lake or if you want to shorten your walk to one-third then you can board the launch from Keswick jetty and head to High Brandelhow on the other side of the lake.
You can then walk around the lake from High Brandelhow to Ashness gate jetty and board the launch again back to Keswick.
For details of a shorter walk from High Brandelhow jetty in the south-west of the lake to Ashness Gate jetty in the south-east, click here for details of the shorter walk around Derwentwater Lake
Islands on Derwentwater lake
There are four major islands on Derwentwater Lake: Derwent Island, Lord’s Island, St Herbert’s Island and Rampsholme.
Derwent Island House is an 18th century residence on the little wooded island. It is an inhabited National Trust property, which can be seen from the launch and is open to the public for five days a year.
Details of open days can be found on the National Trust website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/borrowdale-and-derwent-water/features/islands-of-derwent-water
How to get to get to Derwentwater Lake
Getting to Derwentwater lake by car
Main jetty at Derwentwater lake is only 0.7 miles or 15 minute walk from Keswick.
If you are planning your whole day trip revolving around the lake, then you can park your car in the Lakeside car park near the Theatre by the Lake.
Postcode for Derwentwater Lakeside car park is CA12 5DJ
Getting to Derwentwater lake by train
The nearest train station to Keswick is Penrith station. You will have to take a bus from Penrith to Keswick which is approximately 45 minutes bus journey.
You can take X4 from bus Stand 3. You can check the timetables and prices for buses to Keswick on the Stagecoach site here:
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables
Map of car park at Derwentwater lake, Keswick
Toilets and public facilities at Derwentwater lake
There are free public toilets near the Lakeside car park in Keswick which seem to be kept in good conditions.
Derwentwater Lake Image Gallery
