Braithwaite

Where is Braithwaite?

Braithwaite near Keswick, in the Lake District. Zoom and pan to explore.

Why visit Braithwaite? Is it a good base?

Yes — Braithwaite is one of the best-value walking bases in the northern Lakes, precisely because it is quiet but minutes from Keswick and Derwentwater. You get a genuine village (pubs, a shop, a strong sense of place) rather than a resort, with the big draw being the walking straight from the door: the Coledale Horseshoe behind, Barrow above the houses, and the Force Crag valley leading into the hills.

It's also an excellent touring base — the Whinlatter and Newlands passes start here, so the western lakes (Buttermere, Crummock Water, Loweswater), Whinlatter Forest and the Bassenthwaite osprey country are all within easy reach, and Keswick's shops, launches and Derwentwater are two miles down the road. If you want the northern fells without Keswick's crowds and prices, this is the spot. Check the live "Best fells today" conditions before heading up.

Walks & fells from Braithwaite

This is Braithwaite's headline, and where our fell and route guides come into their own. Always check the live conditions and the mountain forecast first.

The Coledale Horseshoe — our walked Coledale Round starts right here. One of the great Lakeland rounds climbs from the village over Grisedale Pike, along the airy ridge to Hopegill Head, then Crag Hill and Sail, with Causey Pike, Outerside, Stile End and Barrow completing the horseshoe — six Wainwrights and some of the best ridge-walking in the north-west, on a route walked and written up from the village.

Barrow — the short, friendly fell (455 m) that rises straight from the houses: a big Coledale-and-Derwentwater view for modest effort, and one of the best easy fell walks in the area.

Force Crag Mine & the Coledale valley — a low-level there-and-back up the old mine track to the National Trust's restored mine (~2.75 miles each way; see below). Graded an accessible "Miles Without Stiles" route, it's a fine walk for a cloudy day or younger legs.

Whinlatter & Newlands — forest trails in Whinlatter just up the pass, and over into Newlands for Catbells and the Ard Crags & Knott Rigg route — both within a few minutes of the village.

Use the auto "Fells & walks nearby" block lower on this page, and the live "Best fells today" conditions to pick the right hill.

Fells & walks near Braithwaite

• Barrow 455 m · 2.0 km
• Outerside 568 m · 3.1 km
• Causey Pike 637 m · 3.2 km
• Barf 469 m · 3.5 km
• Grisedale Pike 790 m · 3.6 km
• Dodd (Skiddaw) 502 m · 3.8 km

Straight-line distances from the centre of Braithwaite — the nearest summits with a full guide on this site.

All walks from Braithwaite → — every route and fell within about 5 km, ranked, with today’s conditions.

Force Crag Mine & the Coledale valley

One of Braithwaite's most distinctive outings, and a story most guides under-tell. Force Crag Mine, about 2.75 miles up the remote Coledale valley, was the last working mine in the Lake District — it mined and processed zinc, lead and barytes until it finally closed in 1991. The National Trust now looks after the site, and the mill buildings still hold their ore-processing machinery largely intact — believed the only former mineral mine in the country to have kept its processing equipment in something like working order.

You can walk up to the mine at any time — the old track climbs gently into Coledale beneath the crags, a rewarding low-level walk with a high-mountain feel. To go inside the mill buildings and see the machinery, you need one of the National Trust's occasional guided open days/tours (booked in advance; there's no access to the underground workings). It's well worth timing a visit for one if you can.

Whinlatter Forest, Newlands & the passes

Braithwaite sits at the start of two of the Lakes' best mountain roads. The Whinlatter Pass climbs west to Whinlatter Forest — billed as England's only true mountain forest, with waymarked walking and mountain-bike trails, a Go Ape course, a visitor centre and café, and the famous osprey viewpoint (the birds nest near Bassenthwaite, viewable in season). The Newlands Pass strikes south-west over to Buttermere, a spectacular drive or cycle through one of the quietest valleys in the Lakes.

Beyond the passes lie the western lakes — Buttermere, Crummock Water and Loweswater — markedly quieter than the central honeypots, and easy to reach from Braithwaite for a day out.

Things to do, a day, a rainy day & with kids

• Walk the Coledale valley to Force Crag Mine — an easy, dramatic there-and-back with heritage at the end.
• Climb Barrow for a big view with little effort — a great first fell with children.
• Whinlatter Forest — trails, bikes, Go Ape and the café, plus the osprey viewpoint; an excellent rainy-day or family option under the trees.
• Pop into Keswick (two miles) for Derwentwater, the launches, the Theatre by the Lake and the shops when you want more bustle.
• A weekend works well as one big Coledale fell day, one easy/forest day, and an evening in the village pubs.

Where to stay

Braithwaite is small, so book ahead in season:

• Middle Ruddings — a comfortable country inn/hotel on the edge of the village, with a restaurant and bar.
• The Coledale Inn and The Royal Oak — village pubs with rooms (the Royal Oak recently refurbished); a traditional walkers' welcome (see Food & drink).
• Guest houses, B&Bs and self-catering cottages in and around the village.
• Camping & caravanning — there's a popular Camping and Caravanning Club site by the village, plus other touring options nearby.

Food & drink

For its size Braithwaite is well served, though for a big supermarket shop you'll want Keswick two miles away.

• The pubs — the Coledale Inn, the Royal Oak and Middle Ruddings all do walkers' food and a pint by the fire; the Royal Oak has been recently refurbished. (As ever, check current opening before a special trip.)
• The village shop / general store — by Low Bridge, open seven days for papers, basics and walkers' supplies; the place to grab a sandwich before the fells.

History & character

A quiet village with more story than its size suggests. The name is Old Norse — breiðr þveit, "broad clearing" (the -thwaite ending, a clearing, recurs all over the Norse-settled Lakes) — and is famously pronounced "BRETH-it," not as it's spelt. Braithwaite once had its own railway station on the Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith line, long since closed. There's a small Orthodox church in a former Methodist chapel, dedicated to the British saints Bega, Mungo and Herbert — an unusual and lovely detail for such a small place — and, north-west of the village, the Hope Memorial Camp, an outdoor centre founded in 1923 by A. H. Hope, a London headmaster, to give city children time in the hills.

Weather & when to visit

Braithwaite has the classic, honest Lakeland climate — mild, green and frequently wet, with the Coledale fells wringing the weather out of the sky. Late spring and early autumn give the best balance of long days and settled spells; high summer is busiest; winter brings full winter conditions to the Coledale tops (for experienced, equipped walkers), while the valley walk to Force Crag and the forest trails at Whinlatter stay rewarding year-round. Whatever the season, check the live "Best fells today" conditions and the mountain forecast before heading up.

Getting there & parking

Braithwaite is about two miles west of Keswick, just off the A66 — which bypasses the village, so you turn off the main road into a quiet centre. The Whinlatter and Newlands passes both start here, so it's a natural hub for the western fells and lakes.

There is no railway station (the old Cockermouth–Keswick–Penrith line closed decades ago). The nearest railhead is Penrith (~20 miles, on the West Coast Main Line); from Keswick (~2 miles) the X5 bus (Penrith–Keswick–Cockermouth–Workington) stops in the village, so you can reach Braithwaite car-free via Keswick.

Parking is limited — there is no large public car park, just on-street and a few spaces, so please park considerately and legally with respect for residents. Many walkers park in Keswick and bus or walk in, or start the higher fells from the small parking areas on the Whinlatter Pass road above the village.

Practical info

• Dogs: very welcome — the fells, the Coledale valley and the village pubs.
• Toilets: limited in the village; the nearest public toilets are in Keswick.
• Cash & cards: cards are widely accepted; cash machines are scarce in such a small village — draw cash in Keswick.
• EV charging: very limited in the village — check your charging app; Keswick has more.
• Mountain Rescue & safety: the area is covered by Keswick Mountain Rescue Team; mobile signal is patchy on the Coledale fells, so carry a map and compass. In an emergency, call 999 and ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Day trips & nearby

• Keswick — the northern Lakes' hub, two miles east: Derwentwater, the launches, shops and services.
• Whinlatter Forest — trails, bikes, Go Ape and the osprey viewpoint, up the pass.
• The Newlands valley — quiet, beautiful, and the way over to Buttermere.
• Buttermere, Crummock Water & Loweswater — the quieter western lakes, over the Newlands or Whinlatter passes.
• Bassenthwaite & the osprey viewpoint — the lake north of Keswick, with the Dodd Wood ospreys in season.
• Cockermouth — the handsome Georgian market town (Wordsworth's birthplace) to the north-west.

Events & festivals

Planning a trip around a show or festival? See our Lake District events & festivals guide for what's on near Braithwaite — traditional Lakeland sports, agricultural shows and seasonal events, month by month.