Straight conifer trunks in ranks with light and the valley showing between them

Forests and woods

An Atlantic oakwood a mile from the Market Square, Douglas firs under Skiddaw, and England’s only true mountain forest — all within twenty minutes of the town.

Four woods, none of them far

Two of these are a walk from the town centre, and the other two are a short drive or a bus ride. Between them they cover everything from a fifteen-minute loop with a pushchair to a full day on a mountain bike.

A leaf-strewn track between fences leading up to the autumn woods on Castlehead

Great Wood and Cockshot Wood

An extensive woodland south of Keswick, running up to Walla Crag and overlooking Derwentwater. There is a fairly easy walk to the top of Walla Crag by way of Ashness Bridge, and the views from the top are genuinely breathtaking.

The National Trust has created seven waymarked walks through the woods and along the lakeshore, ranging from fifteen minutes to an hour and three quarters, and all easy to follow.

The shortest, around Cockshot Wood, starts next to the Trust’s lakeside shop and takes in wild play areas for den building, a magic climbing tree and dragons — with the trees giving some shelter from the wind for families with young children.

The longest, around Great Wood, starts from the Great Wood car park a mile outside Keswick and climbs into an internationally significant Atlantic oakwood. People often spot red squirrels and even roe deer, and a few windows through the trees near the top give glimpses out over Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite.

A wooden bench and picnic table in a forest clearing looking out to the fells

Dodd Wood

A few miles north of Keswick is Forestry England’s Dodd Wood, with a network of forest walks through some huge Douglas firs — some of which carry on up onto Skiddaw. The routes run from short trails suited to younger children up to the Dodd summit trail, and the top of Dodd gives fabulous views the whole way round.

Dodd is also where you park for Mirehouse, the family home of the Speddings. The house and grounds are wonderful to explore, with playgrounds, a lakeside walk and a heather maze.

Golden birch trees in the foreground with the forested fellside turning behind

Whinlatter Forest

Whinlatter, just up the hill from Braithwaite, is England’s only true mountain forest. It rises to 790 metres and offers views across the Lake District and as far as Scotland, and is easily reached by car, bus or bike.

Owned by the Forestry Commission, it carries a number of graded walks on marked trails, and is a haven for wildlife — including the ospreys, which are watched here from the visitor centre.

For children, and for bikes

  • Swings and picnic tables in a clearing among tall conifers

    do

    The play area

    A giant Archimedes screw, secret doors in trees hiding surprises, and a series of pulleys and buckets for moving millions of little pebbles about.

    Whinlatter

    Things to do
  • Two children playing among carved stone stools in a forest clearing

    do

    Go Ape

    A treetop adventure course for over-tens — bridges, Tarzan swings and zip slides up to forty feet in the trees. A head for heights and lots of energy.

    Age 10 and up

    Things to do
  • A timber play den and picnic benches in a clearing among tall forest conifers

    do

    Mountain biking at Whinlatter

    Four routes: the red-graded Altura with its two loops, the blue Quercus at around 8km, the 10km Gorse trail on forest roads, and mountain-bike orienteering.

    Blue to red

    Cycling routes
A red squirrel stretched along a bare branch in dappled light

What lives in them

Dodd Wood and Whinlatter are the two best places near Keswick to look for red squirrels, and Whinlatter’s visitor centre carries the osprey webcam through the breeding season.

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