Scenic Lake District Drive : Keswick - Buttermere - Keswick

We love road trips - miles and miles of beautiful natural landscapes with small and picturesque villages intermittently dotting the route. Two scenic drives (from the recent past) that we enjoyed a lot were the Grossglockner Alpine road and driving in the Azores. Closer home, the Lake District is stunning. Wherever you go, you will be greeted with breathtaking scenery. The mountains (fells), forests, valleys, and the numerous lakes make for a stunning landscape. And the best way to savour all of this is by driving through the Lake District. If you want to see the best of the Lake District, a self-drive road journey is the best way to do it. While there are a number of beautiful driving routes, connecting the main lakes and towns within the Lake District, one of our favourites is the Keswick-Buttermere-Keswick route which is around 30-35 miles depending on the route and the diversions you take.

Contains affiliate links

The route that we took was Keswick - Surprise View - Watendlath - Borrowdale - Honister Pass - Buttermere - Whinlatter Forest/Pass - Braithwaite - Keswick.

Keswick

Our journey began from Keswick, a beautiful market town located just north of Derwentwater. Derwentwater is one of the main water bodies in the Lake District and is very scenic. It is surrounded by hills and there are a number of lakeside marinas from where you can hire boats. There are also a number of footpaths in the wooded areas and hills surrounding the lakes. We decided to explore the area around the lake at the end of the drive as our finishing point was going to be Keswick.

Keswick's popular attractions include the Theatre by the Lake (a purpose-built, 400 seat theatre), the town market, St Johns Church and Keswick Museum & Art Gallery. Outdoor activities like walking, water sports and paragliding are also quite popular.

Ashness Bridge

Our first stop was Ashness Bridge. There is a National Trust car park nearby and having parked our car there, we walked back to the bridge. The view down to Derwentwater from the bridge is stunning. It is one of the most photographed and finest views in the Lakes and you must have seen it featured in calendars and magazines or referenced to in poems. We loved it. It was so tranquil and peaceful. With such gorgeous views right at the start of our road journey, we knew this was going to be a wonderful drive.

Surprise View

And the next stop confirmed it. Around 10 minutes drive (on a steep, narrow road with cars coming down from the opposite direction) from Ashness Bridge is Surprise View. There is a National Trust operated car park here as well. And after parking, we set out to explore the area. What a wonderful viewing point Surprise View turned out to be. Outstanding views of Derwentwater! Truly breathtaking! The weather was good and there were benches to sit down and take in the views. If you visit on a clear day, you will not be disappointed. Just be careful, especially if you are travelling with kids, as there are no barriers on the cliff edge.

Watendlath

From Surprise View, we headed to Watendlath which is a little hamlet owned and managed by the National Trust. There are a few farm buildings, parking facilities and a small tea room at Watendlath. The setting is rugged and stunning. Similar to the stone bridge at Ashness, there is beautiful packhorse bridge at Watendlath. And there are some lovely walks around Watendlath. A beautiful place to enjoy nature and get some fresh air!



Watendlath would also make a lovely base for a winter walking holiday, I feel. There is a rustic bothy located in the Borrowdale Valley that can accommodate around 6 people and comes with a fully-equipped kitchen a log-burner perfect for those winter breaks.

From Watendlath, we drove back the way we arrived and rejoined the B5289 heading towards Borrowdale. En-route there was a short stop in the beautiful village of Grange, crossing an ancient (built in 1675), narrow, double-arched bridge. There is a little cafe overlooking the river which serves lovely homemade food. After the quick pit stop, we continued on our journey driving through Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, finally entering Honister Pass. As you drive along, the scenery begins to change and you will find yourself surrounded by mountains on both sides.

Honister Pass / Honister Slate Mine

Honister Pass is possibly one of the most well-known and beautiful mountain passes in the Lake District. It is narrow, perilously steep in some sections (25% gradient) and is one of Cumbria’s highest mountain passes. And what a spectacular drive it was! Amazing landscapes and so many photo opportunities. Hills on both sides, stunning scenery all along, sheep grazing on the hills, some scary bends but nothing that we couldn't manage. It was a real treat. It was one of our best scenic driving experiences in the UK. If you are visiting the Lakes, this drive is not to be missed.

In addition to the scenic drive, another highlight of this section was the Honister Slate Mine. It is the last working slate mine in England and is home to the iconic Westmoorland slate which is a striking green colour. Guided tours of the mine are offered and there are also some adventure activities for adrenaline junkies. There is a small cafe on site which was nice - plenty of seating & good food.

Related | Check out our visit to the Llanfair Slate Caverns in Wales.

Buttermere

After spending some time at Honister Slate Mine, we started the descent towards Buttermere. Again some sections of the pass were narrow and steep but offered impressive views. Once we reached Gatesgarth, the road though narrow, was more or less level. There are a number of free laybys along the route. We continued until we reached the shores of Buttermere.

Buttermere is located in a picture-postcard location. There is a footpath running around the perimeter of the lake and it would take roughly two and a half to three hours to get around depending on your walking speed and how many photo stops you take. The path is relatively easy and makes for a pleasant family stroll. It is much quieter and peaceful than most other lakes in the region and we liked that aspect. Beautiful scenery, wonderful setting!

There is a National Trust car park in Buttermere village in addition to a Pay and Display near the Fish Hotel. There are no toilet facilities near the lake but you will find them in the village.

Crummock Water

From Buttermere, we continued to Crummock Water. It is not as popular as Buttermere but it is stunning nonetheless and one of the quieter lakes like Buttermere. The scenery is beautiful and we liked the quietness and solitude. Parking is available near the access to Rannerdale.

Whilatter Pass

From Crummock Water, we continued our journey on the B5289 heading towards Lorton village from where we turned towards Keswick. The route took us through the Whinlatter Pass - beautiful but not as stunning as the Honister Pass, in my opinion. At the top of the pass is the Whilatter Forest Visitor centre where one can hire mountain bikes to explore the surrounding areas. There are many paths for walkers as well. We continued our drive to Keswick arriving back at the central car park in Keswick. A short pit stop and we headed back to Macdonald Leeming House, our holiday base in Ullswater.

The Keswick-Buttermere-Keswick route offers spectacular Lakeland scenery. Driving through the narrow mountain roads with plenty of sights to see along the way, it was a fun drive. Highly recommended if you are planning to drive in the Lake District.

Tip: The Ordnance Survey map of Penrith & Keswick would be handy to have when exploring the region around Keswick. This map features some great trails, activities and scenery to be found in the area. Some of the key highlights included in the map are Helvellyn, Scafell Pike, Derwent Water and Buttermere.

Tip: If you have time on hand and are up for some adventure, you could consider heading to the Go Ape location in Whinlatter Forest. In addition to the 'Treetop Challenge', Whinlatter Go Ape also offers a 'Segway Adventure'. Hop aboard an all-terrain Segway and hit the trail for some stunning and incredible Cumbrian views.

Visit Whinlatter Go Ape to book your adventure.

Where to stay in Keswick 

Keswick is a popular base for visitors to the Lake District. And there is an amazing selection of hotels, in and around Keswick, to match different tastes and budgets.

Booking.com