Route: Derwent Water
Area: North Western Lake District
Date of walk: 29th March 2018
Walkers: Andrew, Gilly, Lucy, Phoebe and baby Bobby
Distance: 3.0 miles
Ascent: 300 feet
Weather: Sunny
With two grandchildren aged 1 and 4 in our party today, Scafell Pike wasn’t an option and we cast our minds back to one of our favourite walks when our own children were toddlers. As we’d done many times in the past we parked the car at Nichol End in good time to catch the Keswick Launch, which operates a service both clockwise and anti-clockwise around Derwent Water. Our boat duly came in and we spent an enjoyable 15 minutes sailing along the west shore of the lake before disembarking at High Brandelhow. We judged that this would be as far as Phoebe would walk and I could carry young Bobby. Anyone wanting to shorten or lengthen this walk could easily do so by disembarking at one of the other jetties
We set off along the lakeshore back through Brandelhow Park. I’d walked part of this route only 3 days ago, but the scenery is so good that it would be impossible to grow tired of it. At Otterbield Bay we climbed up past the Hawse End Outdoor Centre and walked above the shore to reach Lingholm Kitchen and Walled Garden – a perfect place for lunch, and well timed too as young legs were tiring
Energy supplies topped up, it was an easy stroll back through the woods to Nichol End to the end of a perfect walk for young and old alike. The photos which follow include a few for the family album
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
Red squirrel before we set off this morning
Skiddaw Fells from Nichol End
View along one of the jetties
Cat Bells from the boat
View to the head of Derwent Water
Causey Pike
Lucy and Bobby
We arrive at High Brandelhow
Brandelhow Park
Bobby, still finding his feet
Looking across the lake towards Blencathra
St Herbert's Island
The hands sculpture
Skiddaw
Low Brandelhow Landing Stage
Skiddaw again as one of the Keswick Launches passes by
Cat Bells from Otterbield Bay
Otterbield Bay
A last look across the lake as we leave the shore
Old barn below Cat Bells
Gilly and Phoebe
We head uphill and past the Hawes End Outdoor Centre
The Park
Weary legs
Time for lunch...
The Walled Garden at Lingholm
After an excellent lunch it was a short walk back to Nichol End
Later that day, more red squirrel activity
