Best of the Cumbria Way: Coniston to Keswick

Coniston to Langdale

The first night is spent in the Lakeland village of Coniston on the shores of Coniston Water.

The route follows green lanes and wooded paths to Tarn Hows, one of the celebrated features of the Lakes. More woods and moorland lead to the picturesque village of Elterwater before the path enters the Langdale Valley and continues to the famous Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel for your night’s stay. Overshadowed by the dramatic high crags of the Langdale Pikes and Bowfell, the Langdale Valley is perhaps the most famous place in the Lakes.

Langdale to Keswick

A steep climb up Stake Pass at the head of Langdale leads down to the long and remote valley of Langstrath, punctuated through its length by deep pools and waterfalls. This then leads down to Stonethwaite and Rosthwaite, two small villages at the top of Borrowdale.

The route continues through the densely wooded Borrowdale Valley before passing over the slopes of Cat Bells above Derwentwater and on to Keswick, a bustling tourist town and the hub of the Northern Lake District.

Moderate

The Cumbria Way uses well defined and maintained paths and tracks over nearly all of its route. Please bear in mind that the climb over Stake Pass is over relatively high and remote mountain terrain, where the paths are rougher. Although some of the route is waymarked, this section is not, so the ability to navigate is essential. You need some walking experience to do this route.

Terrain: Most of the walk follows valleys and lakeshores, but the climb over Stake Pass is relatively high and remote mountain terrain, where the paths are rougher.

What’s it like underfoot? On the whole the paths are well defined and maintained, but at times it can be rough underfoot with some muddy paths, so good footwear is essential.

How much up & down? Most days are rolling with gentle ascent and descents. The climb of Stake Pass is about 300m, on a well maintained path.

Signposting: Sporadic. You will need to use your guidebook and map.

Navigation: Pretty straightforward, on the lowland sections, but you may encounter hill fog or low cloud on Stake Pass and between Keswick and Caldbeck – so you need to be able to navigate.

Weather: You may be lucky enough to encounter warm, dry weather over the whole route and enjoy dry paths and tremendous views, but you must be prepared because the weather can change quickly. Good clothing and waterproofs are essential!

Good accommodation and friendly hosts are an essential part of any holiday. We understand this and go out of our way to find the best. We put a great deal of effort into hand picking our accommodation and matching it to individual customer requirements. As well as visiting the accommodation ourselves, we ask all our customers to complete a short evaluation on each night’s accommodation, which then gives us an insight into the day-to-day operation and lets us spot any potential issues before they become a problem.

We use a variety of accommodation. Over the course of your trip you might stay in a village inn, a bed and breakfast in a converted barn, a Victorian guest house, or on a working farm. In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. Occasionally we may use a chain hotel.

We always try to arrange en suite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.

We are happy to book single rooms on our holidays but cannot normally book more than two for any one group. Single room bookings include a supplement.

Here are some examples of the accommodation we use on the Cumbria Way:

The Yewdale Inn, nestled in the heart of Coniston village in the Lake District, offers a traditional country escape. Its nine en suite guest rooms ensure a comfortable and cosy stay, with views of the stunning Coniston fells or the charming village church. A welcoming retreat after a day on the Cumbria Way or exploring the Lakeland fells. Visit their website

The New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in the stunning Langdale Valley enjoys a tranquil setting beneath the impressive Langdale Pikes. Once a farmhouse, the hotel is named after its location at the base of the famous Dungeon Ghyll ravine with its 40ft waterfall. Guests can savour breathtaking mountain views from every room. Visit their website

Rivendell Guest House, a charming Victorian townhouse just a stone’s throw from Keswick town centre offers a warm and friendly welcome. Guests enjoy well-appointed, comfortable rooms and legendary breakfasts. With hospitality that is second to none, Rivendell ensures every stay is both memorable and relaxing. Visit their website

The Oddfellows Arms in Caldbeck sits beneath High Pike on the route of the Cumbria Way. Run by the Whitesmith family since 2018, it offers delicious locally sourced dishes, refreshing Jennings ales, and 10 comfortable bedrooms. Guests can start their day with a hearty Cumbrian breakfast. Visit their website

General travel information on the Cumbria Way area will be in your holiday pack including train and bus timetables where available.

Detailed instructions on getting to your first night’s accommodation by car, or on foot from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.

To view train times please visit trainline where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit traveline

If you require secure car parking whilst walking this route, please contact us for detailed information – we can usually arrange car parking either at the start or end locations of the route.

Getting There – Coniston
By Air: The nearest international airport is Manchester (MAN) – you then travel by train to Windermere (approx 2.5 hours) followed by a bus to Coniston (50 mins).
By Public Transport: Take the train to Windermere then bus to Coniston.
By Road: Coniston is situated in the south of the Lake District National Park. The closest motorway to the village is the M6.

Returning from Keswick:
By Public Transport: You can catch a bus to either Penrith railway station (approx 30 mins) or Carlisle railway station (approx 1 hour) for onward travel on the west coast mainline.
By Road: A66 to Penrith (18 miles) for the M6 motorway.

Coniston

A pleasant Lakeland Village on the shores of Lake Coniston. Take a cruise on the lake on the steam launch “Gondola”. Visit historic Brantwood, nineteenth century home of John Ruskin. For the more energetic, Coniston Old Man is a great walk with tremendous views over the Lake District and Morecambe Bay.

Keswick

Keswick is a bustling market town centred around the historic Moot Hall, with a vast array of outdoor shops – if you need any outdoor gear, you will get it here! There is a wide choice of places to eat or have a coffee, and a range of galleries to visit. Enjoy one of the easy, short walks down to the lakeshore from where there is a regular launch service around Derwentwater. Or pop into our offices to say hello or book your next holiday!