We’ve previously mentioned Cat Bells in our discussion of our top 4 Autumn Colour Walks in the Lake District, but in truth, Cat Bells is a walk that can be enjoyed all year round. In this article you can find out where to park, the difficulty and routes for this walk, and a great pub to celebrate your achievement in afterwards.
Cat Bells paws into 451 metres of skyline, rising up from the western shore of Derwent Water next to Keswick. It’s well loved by visitors to the Lake District and has been so at least since Alfred Wainwright’s time. Alfred Wainwright has spoken about Cat Bells and this is what he said:
‘It is one of the great favourites, a family fell where grandmothers and infants can climb the heights together, a place beloved. Its popularity is well deserved: its shapely topknott attracts the eye offering a steep but obviously simple scramble.’
As Wainwright has suggested, this is a walk that is well suited to families, or new walkers who enjoy the concept of hiking but are a little intimidated by some of the more aggressive fells and mountains in Cumbria, such as Langdale or Glaramara.
There is a lot of paid parking available in Keswick, but you shouldn’t hope to find dedicated free parking here. Keswick is a very popular town in the Lake District and, as a result, it’s often very busy. The cheapest car parks are on Crosthwaite Road (Football Club and Fitz Park) which charge £3 for the whole day, but you’ll have to do a little walking to get into Keswick town.
On the other hand, if you’re planning to go walking anyway, adding the extra 5-10 minutes to your walk is probably worth it when you no longer have to worry about getting back to your vehicle in an allotted time.
Alternatively, you could get a Lake District bus to Keswick from the central Lake District but be aware that the buses to Keswick take a long time to reach their destination.
Once you’re in Keswick, you’ll need to get to the foot of Cat Bells to begin your walk. There are a few ways you can do this:
We hope that you are successful in finding the perfect parking space!
Most hikers approach Cat Bells from its northern route at Hawse End, which is also one of the routes that Alfred Wainwright used, and this is the route that we will describe here.
From the starting position at Gutherscale car park, walkers will curve round the foot of Cat Bells until they reach a footpath that ascends the hill. During the ascent, walkers will be afforded views of Skiddaw and Swinside behind them.
Walkers should note four ‘bumps’ during their ascent; sections of the route which are steep for a while then flatten out for a bit. Ascending each successive bump is an achievement that will bring you closer to your goal of reaching the summit.
When you are approaching the fourth bump, you will be able to see the summit of Cat Bells to the left of the bump. On ascending the fourth bump, you can proudly announce to your fellow walkers that you have reached ‘Skelgill Bank’ and will shortly be at the finish line.
Once you reach the top of Cat Bells, it’s time to crack out the hot thermos of tea and enjoy a snack to prepare you for the return journey. Assuming you’ve hiked on a good day, you should also take this chance to admire the views from the summit, looking out over the other fells like Blencathra, Walla Crag and Clough Head.
A good walk always works up an amazing appetite, so your final stop should be one of Keswick’s many pubs or restaurants. We recommend a stop by the Java café if you finish your walk in the afternoon, there is also a Wetherspoons set in an old courtroom. For a more refined experience, you might choose to stop by The Sizzling Stone steak house, or if you’re feeling thematic you might try a drink and a Sunday lunch at The Wainwright pub.
Alternatively, you could grab yourself a small bite to eat and drive back to one of our self catering holiday cottages to rustle up a grand meal of your own. Our Lake District cottages are the perfect place to retreat to after along day’s hike, so we invite you to make the most of our comfy furnishings for your next holiday soon.
When exploring Cumbria in the Winter period, whether or not you can find a winter warmer to keep you going may decide whether you have the energy to keep exploring - or whether you will head back to one of our stunning self catering holiday cottages or luxury holiday cottage in the Lake District for some TLC. We’ve made a note of all the best places to take a breather during an excursion to Cumbria’s most scenic places. We hope you get to try some of these fantastic winter warmers soon!
A Hot Chocolate is the cure to a pair of frozen hands and wobbly legs, especially after a day’s ascension up towards the Stickle Tarn!
The Stickle Ghyll Barn is a small pub turned restaurant turned hotel, hidden away in the depths of the mighty Langdale Peaks. Whether your intention is to scale the sides of these impressive peaks or walk amongst them down the humble road that gently meanders between them, we’re convinced that the best way to end your adventure is at a table in the Stickle Ghyll Barn with your hands wrapped around a hot drink.
After such exertion, it can be good to restore some of the blood sugar that you have lost, and we reckon that the most enjoyable way to do this is through a hot chocolate.
If you’ve ventured for a cold day out shopping in Keswick, then you’ll need to keep your energy up to get the job finished. For this, we recommend that you swing by the Java café for a sumptuous chocolate skewer.
The Java Coffee Shop is a quaint café with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free friendly options. If you’re looking for a place to go walking, Keswick also has various walks in its vicinity, including Catbells. Java is also very dog-friendly so if you are staying in our dog friendly cottages in the Lake District with your pet, you’ll be sure to have a great time together.
Windermere is a must-see for anyone visiting the Lake District, whether you’re going for a visit or just passing through. On a cold wintry day, however, the concept of walking along the lake shore might not seem like such a romantic concept as it might during the summer months – unless you’re equipped with a cone of chips, that is.
You can’t pass up a hot cone of chips to keep you warm on or around Lake Windermere. By virtue of being outside, this is another dog-friendly winter warmer to keep you going.
You might be journeying to Red Screes for an energetic walk or just for a view of Lake Windermere that you can’t get anywhere else. Red Screes is situated up in the mountains looking out over Windermere and is a secluded place that’s perfect for taking a few photographs and enjoying a quiet rest – but in winter it gets pretty cold up there. Luckily, Red Screes is also home to the Kirkstone Pass Inn where you can dive in for a bit of shelter and hot soup. This is the highest pub in England and frequently experiences high numbers of people hoping to get a meal here, so visiting during the winter should promise a quieter environment for you.
Grasmere is a hotspot for tourists visiting the Lake District, but it is fairly quiet during the winter. This is good news for you because it means that you’ll be able to enjoy Grasmere’s best views uninterrupted by the usual throngs of tourists, and we’ve got the perfect thing to help you withstand the cold air.
In Grasmere, you can visit Wordsworth’s cottage and grave, partake in some light shopping and try out the famous gingerbread sold here, but you would be missing a trick if you didn’t stop by Faery Land before retiring back to your holiday cottage for two in the Lake District.
At Faery Land, you can enjoy a beautiful hot mulled apple juice to warm your bones for the trip home. Finding Faery Land can be a little difficult if you’ve never visited before, so we suggest using Google Maps to help you to find your way. Luckily, the hot pink apple juice you’ll get to try at the end will be well worth finding this hidden gem.
Be aware that Faery Land is prone to closing a little earlier during wet weather and off-season and will sometimes stop serving an hour before closing time. This is done so that the staff can retrieve the boats which you can hire to journey out onto Lake Grasmere. Make sure you get there early if this is on your list of places to visit.
Aside from all the winter warmers that you can enjoy during your adventures in the Lake District, our self-catering holiday cottages also offer you the opportunity to make your own winter warmers. Our kitchens are beautifully clean and modern, enabling you to try out various culinary fancies during your holiday. We hope to see you soon.
