Bassenthwaite

The village

Bassenthwaite is six miles north of Keswick and a similar distance from Cockermouth, a mile and a half from the shores of the lake of the same name. It has a traditional village green with wooden swings and space for ball games — a safe place for children to play — and a stream complete with ducks running through the middle of it.

The A591 rather than the village itself is served by the X4 between Penrith, Keswick, Cockermouth and Workington. Bus times and routes are on the getting here page.

Gorse in flower on the fellside above Bassenthwaite Lake and its valley

Walking from the green

There is an abundance of walking here: Skiddaw itself, Lord’s Seat, Ullock Pike, and Binsey Fell — which Wainwright called a simple walk for a big view. A gentle three miles from the village brings you to the Cumbria Way and Dash Falls.

A stroll through the fields takes you to the ancient church of St Bega, in an idyllic spot and the scene of a great many weddings. Dodd Wood, on the slopes of Skiddaw, has waymarked trails and a viewing platform for the ospreys, and those who make Dodd summit are well rewarded.

Around the lake

Lake District Wildlife Park
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Lake District Wildlife Park
Twenty-four acres of parkland with over a hundred species of wild and domestic animals.
For a family day
Plan a visit
The Lakes Distillery
eat
The Lakes Distillery
The largest whisky distillery in England, next to the lake, with tours and an informal bistro for coffee and cake, lunch or a three-course supper.
Tours and a bistro
Book a tour
Mirehouse
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Mirehouse
A family-run historic house with gardens, lakeshore and woodland playgrounds.
House and gardens
Visit
eat
Bassenthwaite Lake Station
A cafe aboard a full-size replica steam train at the restored station just off the A66 — the film set for Murder on the Orient Express in 2017.
On a film set
Find it
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Dubwath Silver Meadows
A wetland nature reserve at the northern end of the lake. Grasshopper warbler, curlew, greylag geese, reed bunting and meadow pipit.
Free to visit
Explore the reserve
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Red squirrels and ospreys
Hundreds of birds migrate to the lake, ospreys among them, and Atlantic salmon come here to spawn. The wooded slopes still hold red squirrels.
Wildlife
Wildlife around Keswick

On the water

Do I need a permit to take a boat on Bassenthwaite Lake?: Yes. There is no right of navigation on Bassenthwaite, so any craft on the lake needs a permit — boats, canoes and sailboards alike.
Boating and fishing
What do I need to fish here?: A valid lake permit and an Environment Agency rod licence.
Boating and fishing
Are there parts of the lake I should keep out of?: Yes. Boat, canoe and sailboard users must respect the no-boating zones, which protect important breeding grounds.
Can I launch my own sailing boat?: RYA members can launch from the grounds of Bassenthwaite Sailing Club at Dubwath on the north-western shore, for a daily fee. The club hosts a family regatta in the first week of August each year.

Sailing dinghies out on Bassenthwaite Lake with Skiddaw rising behind

Stay at Bassenthwaite

The most northerly of the lakes is four miles long and three quarters of a mile wide, and the village sits back from it in quiet farmland with Skiddaw behind.

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