Route: Friars Crag
Area: North Western Lake District
Date of walk: 15th April 2016
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 2.5 miles
Ascent: 100 feet
Weather: cloudy
We’d planned a longer walk for today, but incessant rain in the morning put paid to that, so we went into Keswick to run a few errands. Whilst in the town the rain stopped at last and we decided to visit nearby Friar’s Crag. John Ruskin described the view from here as one of the three most beautiful scenes in Europe
We parked at the public car park near the Theatre by the Lake and walked along the shore of Derwent Water past the landing stages. Friars Crag is soon reached. After admiring the view and taking the obligatory photo we continued round Strandshag Bay and then headed back to the start via Cockshot Wood
This was a stroll rather than a proper walk but I’ve included it partly because of the beauty of the surroundings, but also because I receive quite a few emails asking for recommendations for short family walks. For anyone with small children or only an hour or so to spare I can recommend this walk without hesitation
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Looking across the woods below Crow Park at the start of our walk
Derwent Isle
Looking across Derwent Water
One of the Keswick launches about to depart from the landing stages
Catbells
The boathouse on Derwent Isle
We reach Friar’s Crag
View along Derwent Water from Friar’s Crag
One of the Keswick launches passing by Rampsholme Island
St Herbert’s Island
Stable Hills below Walla Crag
Derwent Isle again
The words of John Ruskin on the Ruskin memorial stone
Causey Pike
We leave Friar’s Crag and walk round Strandshag Bay
Stable Hills
Lord’s Island
…and again
Maiden Moor and Catbells
Rampsholme Island from the bay
A long exposure photo along Derwent Water
St John’s Church as we walk back into Keswick through Cockshot Wood
We make a short detour to walk round Hope Park
A pleasant end to a lovely short walk
Back home, a red squirrel in the garden
…and a pheasant
A rainy and overcast morning turned into a beautiful afternoon, so I drove to nearby Crummock Water to take some photos
Head of Crummock Water and Haystacks
