Great Cockup

Bassenfell Manor Christian Centre (opens in new tab) hostel

about 3.1 km from the start, in a straight line

Both routes off this start are ~23 km loops of 6.7-7 hours whose own warnings say the middle is trackless deep heather and pathless rough grazing. That makes wet boots the certainty, and Bassenfell is the ONLY property in the whole 4.83 km radius whose page names a drying room. It also parks 21 cars, has a ground-floor en-suite bedroom, and runs its own walking weeks - the September Walking Week 2026 blocks 14-19 September on its own availability calendar.

It is an outdoor-activity centre run by a charity, and its dining room seats seventy-five people looking straight out over Bassenthwaite Lake.

• Drying room “Drying Room and Laundry Space to dry wet coats and shoes.”
• Family rooms “Accommodation 68 Bed spaces in 19 Bedrooms on 3 floors. Rooms range from twin/double up to 6 people each with en-suite or a private bathroom.”
• Evening meal “Friendly relaxed atmosphere, comfy accommodation, great food, and quality leadership are the hallmarks of our holiday weeks.”
• Parking “Parking Car park space for up to 21 cars.”
• Children “A wonderful venue for residential groups whether adults, children, youth or mixed ages.”

Puddleduck Cottages (opens in new tab) guest house

about 1.9 km from the start, in a straight line

The check-in window runs to ten at night, which is the single most useful arrival fact in this cluster: both routes off this start are seven-hour days over trackless heather and finishing late is the norm, not the exception. Free cots and high chairs, and a note that early arrivals can dump the car and wander, cover the other end of the day.

Worth knowing: “One dog is allowed provided all doggy rules are followed. All dog hairs should be removed before the cottage is vacated. Dogs are not allowed in bedrooms or on furniture and must not be left unattended in the cottage. Dogs MUST be on a lead in the communal courtyard”

Guests are invited to let the ducks out of their shed in the morning and keep the eggs, and the cottages were called Loft Holiday Cottages before they were named after the ducks.

• Dogs “One dog is allowed provided all doggy rules are followed. All dog hairs should be removed before the cottage is vacated. Dogs are not allowed in bedrooms or on furniture and must not be left unattended in the cottage. Dogs MUST be on a lead in the communal courtyard”
• Family rooms “Jemima's Cottage sleeps up to 5 in 2 bedrooms and Rebecca's Cottage sleeps up to 2 in 1 bedroom.”
• Parking “Early arrivals can always leave their car and go for a wander or take their car and go and explore the local area.”
• Children “Cots and high chairs are available free of charge but must be requested in advance of arrival.”

Woodlands Country House & Cottage (opens in new tab) guest house

about 4.5 km from the start, in a straight line

The furthest of the four at 4.45 km and the only one with a restaurant you can eat in whether or not you are staying: "Our restaurant, lounge, bar and gardens are open to non-residents too". Given the route file records nothing mapped at the start or on the round, that is a real option for the evening after — and, unlike Overwater, it does not shut two days a week. It also offers two different shapes of stay from one address: licensed B&B rooms in the house, or the converted stable block as a self-catering cottage, which is the one to ask about if you are bringing the dog. Be clear about what the evidence will and will not carry. The dog line is not a policy statement: it is a caption inside the site's own embedded Instagram feed — "Happy International Cat Day! Your furry friends are most welcome in Woodlands Cottage" — and it names the Cottage, not the House. Treat it as a lead to confirm, not a booking guarantee, and remember the route file's dog verdict is green (three gates, no stiles), so this is worth a phone call rather than a shrug. On children the site publishes a "Family Friendly" page in its own navigation, but our cache holds only the homepage and the contact page, so the policy itself is unread and this record states nothing about it. Pushchairs are out either way: the route's buggy verdict is red.

A Victorian rectory turned licensed B&B, with the old stable block converted into the self-catering cottage; it looks straight out at Skiddaw and Binsey.

• Evening meal “Our restaurant, lounge, bar and gardens are open to non-residents too; please see our Dine page for more details.”