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13.43 km · ~322 m ascent · ~3–4.5 h · loop

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Ashness Bridge & Surprise View

13.43 km
Distance
~3–4.5 h
Typical time
~322 m
Ascent
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 13.43 km
Ascent ~322 m
Descent ~322 m
Time ~3–4.5 h
Type Loop
Start Keswick (lakeside)
A circular of about 8.3 miles along the eastern shore of Derwentwater taking in the iconic Ashness Bridge and the Surprise View over the lake. Mostly low-level (it passes below Walla Crag, not over it).
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

🧭 The automated detail on this page — distance, climb, pacing and a first-pass difficulty read — is live. Hand-written field notes are being added.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate13.43 km round.
SteepnessHardSteepest sustained pull about 31% around the 7.2 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationEasyLow-level and on clear paths or lanes — easy to follow even in poor visibility.
ExposureNot assessedExposure (drops, scrambling, how bad a slip would be) can’t be judged from gradient data alone, so we don’t guess. A rating appears once the route is editorially assessed or walked.

Five independent axes, not one score. “Desk” ratings come from maps and guidebooks, not yet walked — treat them as a guide, not a survey.

☀️ Daylight & turnaround

Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.

Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.

OpenTopoMap
Elevation profile
Elevation profile Rises from about 73 m to 257 m over 13.4 km, with the summits marked in order. 257 m 73 m 0 km 13.4 km
~322 m
Total ascent
257 m
High point
84 m
Start height

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).

This walk covers about 13.43 km with around 322 m of ascent. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.

Access & barriers

Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.

Dog
Gates only
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Steep in places
  • Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
  • Buggy: Not a pushchair route.
  • Knees: A sustained ~21% descent around the 1.0 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.

On the line: 10 gates

These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Finish13.4 km322 m3:13–4:17

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.

The walk, stage by stage

Keswick (lakeside) → Finish (13.4 km, 322 m)

Climb of about 322 m over 13.4 km (around 2% average).

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (0)

    🅿️ Getting there & parking

    Keswick town (various paid) — 0.4 km from the start (straight line)
    Hub for the Northern and North Western fells; bus interchange for the Ramblers.
    Directions
    Great Wood, Keswick (NT, paid) — 1.9 km from the start (straight line)
    Under Walla Crag on the Borrowdale road.
    Directions

    Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

    💧 Water, shelter & getting away

    🚌 Theatre by the Lake (4 m)🚌 Wishing Well (50 m)🚌 Landing Stage (N) (174 m)🚌 The Daleview Hotel (304 m)

    On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.

    🚌 Buses

    Stagecoach 555
    Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
    Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
    Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.
    Stagecoach X4 / X5
    Penrith – Rheged – Threlkeld – Keswick – Braithwaite – Cockermouth – Workington
    Catch it from: Penrith
    Year-round, frequent. From Penrith this is your way into Keswick and the Northern fells — Threlkeld/Scales stops serve Blencathra directly, Braithwaite serves the Coledale fells.
    Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
    Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
    Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
    Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.
    Stagecoach 78 “Borrowdale Rambler”
    Keswick – Lodore – Grange – Rosthwaite – Seatoller
    Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 or X4/X5)
    Year-round, frequent in season. Serves all the Borrowdale starts — Glaramara, the Scafells and Great Gable via Seathwaite (alight Seatoller, 20 min walk up the lane).

    Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before travelling.

    ⚠️ Safety & conditions

    Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast before you set off.

    Make it easier or harder

    Easier and harder options coming soon.

    ⬇️ Download

    Download GPX

    GPX track for your GPS or phone.

    Appears in these collections
    Dog-friendly walksEasy walks