The length of St Johns in the Vale seen from high on the fell with the valley road below

St John’s in the Vale

A quiet valley three miles east of Keswick under the crags of the Helvellyn range, with a small church, a long view to Blencathra, and the 555 running past the end of it.

Under the Helvellyn range

St John’s in the Vale is a very scenic and peaceful valley lying under the craggy slopes of the Helvellyn range, with splendid views towards Blencathra. It has a small church dating from 1845 in a beautiful setting, next to the Diocesan Youth Centre.

Tranquil as it is, it is an accessible base for touring: three miles east of Keswick, with Grasmere, Ambleside and Windermere all easy to reach. The 555 runs along the A591 at the foot of the valley, between Lancaster and Keswick via Kendal, Windermere railway station, Ambleside and Grasmere. Bus times and routes are on the getting here page.

A range of mountains reflected whole in a lake lying completely still

South to Thirlmere

Travelling south on the A591, the huge mass of Helvellyn on the left creates the narrow valley of Thirlmere, occupied by its large reservoir. Over a hundred years ago two small lakes and a hamlet were drowned by the building of a dam at the northern end of the valley.

It now supplies Manchester with water through nearly a hundred miles of tunnels, pipes and channels. Thirlmere is increasingly accessible, especially from the quieter minor road on the western side, where there are car parks, vantage points and walking trails — and the severe dark conifer plantation is being managed back into mixed woodland.

United Utilities have established the woodland around Thirlmere as a red squirrel refuge, which makes it one of the more reliable places in the district to see them.

Close by

  • The Castlerigg stone circle on open grass under a wide sky of scattered cloud

    general

    Castlerigg Stone Circle

    Between the vale and Keswick, and one of Britain’s most impressive prehistoric monuments — thirty-eight stones, five thousand years old, ringed by fells.

    An hour

    Read more
  • A shallow tarn in rough pasture with the long green ridge of Blencathra behind

    do

    Tewet Tarn

    A lovely circular walk from Castlerigg to the tarn, with superb fell views the whole way round and very few people on it.

    Quiet

    See walking routes
  • Two climbers working brightly coloured routes on an indoor climbing wall

    do

    Keswick Climbing Wall

    A hundred and fifty metres from the stone circle: indoor climbing and outdoor activities for groups, families and individuals, plus Wild Play Woodland Adventures for younger children.

    Whatever the weather

    Read more
Daffodils in the churchyard of the small stone church at St Johns in the Vale

Walking from the vale

There is everything here from an ascent of Helvellyn to the short pull up High Rigg, and low-level riverside walking along the valley floor for a day when the tops are in cloud.

The church makes the natural starting point for most of them — there is parking at the foot of High Rigg, and the ridge path runs the length of the vale from there.

Find somewhere to stay

The other valleys