How to find us

On foot: this is a great way to arrive and there are so many route options!

We recommend that you use the Ordnance Survey OL4 map and/or OS Get-a-map to plan your route to the hostel. If it is dark then you will also need a torch. 

Flat 5km walk from Keswick: follow signs for the Theatre by the Lake. From the theatre follow the lake-shore path all the way to Ashness Gate jetty. About 150 metres beyond the jetty you will see our driveway on the opposite side of the Borrowdale Road. Cross the road with care.

A slightly more direct route (and a drier one if there has been a lot of rain) is to walk on the footpath along the Borrowdale Road. From the theatre walk towards the Keswick Launch jetties and past the National Trust shop. Take the first footpath on your left and follow it straight through Cockshot Wood and up to the Borrowdale Road. Turn right onto the path which runs parallel to the Borrowdale Road (the road will be on your left). This path finishes at the steps to the Ashness Gate jetty (opposite the minor road to Ashness Bridge and Watendlath). From here you can either walk along the edge of the road or go down to the lake shore for the remaining 150 metres to our driveway.

By bicycle: 4km from Keswick with gentle undulations (on-road)

From Keswick: follow signs for Grange and the Borrowdale Road (B5289). We are about 2 miles (4 km) along the Borrowdale Road. Once you see the launch jetty on your right and the road to Ashness and Watendlath on your left, you can prepare to signal left and turn into our driveway. Be careful of the large farm vehicles that use the Borrowdale Road.

By boat: 10 minutes by the Keswick Launch from Keswick (seasonal)

From the Keswick Launch jetties, opposite the Theatre by the Lake, you can take the beautiful launch to Ashness Gate, the nearest stopping point to the hostel. It is a 10 minute journey on the clockwise route, or a 40 minute journey on the anti-clockwise route. Please note that the launch runs a very limited weekend-only timetable between mid-November and March. When you get onto the Ashness Gate jetty, turn right and walk about 150m along the lake-shore to the bus stop. The bus stop is opposite our driveway - cross the road and walk up our driveway.

By train: Penrith is the nearest mainline station (20 miles away)

The nearest train stations are Penrith and Windermere. If you are coming from the Cumbrian west coast then the nearest train station is Workington. You will then need to get a bus to Keswick or a taxi all the way to the hostel. The bus is the cheaper option!

Virgin Trains provide a direct service between London Euston and Penrith (about a 3 hour journey). There are more frequent, later-running buses from Penrith to Keswick and so we recommend Penrith as the best station to use. 

By bus: the 78 bus from Keswick to Barrow House (7 minute journey)

Once you have got to Keswick you can get the 78 bus from outside Booths supermarket. The journey to the hostel takes about 7 minutes and the bus stop (called Derwentwater Hostel) is at the bottom of our driveway. But first you need to get to Keswick! Here are some of the options:

From Penrith: X4/X5 towards Keswick and Workington

From Cockermouth and Workington: X4/X5 towards Keswick and Penrith

From Lancaster, Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside, and Grasmere: 555 (more buses in the summer)

From Wigton and Carlisle: 554 towards Keswick

National Express: weekly service from London to Keswick

To see up-to-date timetables and to plan your journey click here.

By taxi:

There is a taxi rank outside Booths supermarket. There is a free phone in Booths supermarket and the Theatre by the Lake to call Davies Taxis.

Davies Taxis: 017687 72676. http://daviestaxis.co.uk/

By car: 4 km from Keswick on the Borrowdale Road (B5289)

From Keswick: follow signs for Grange and the Borrowdale Road (B5289). We are about 2 miles (4 km) along the Borrowdale Road. Once you see the launch jetty on your right and the road to Ashness and Watendlath on your left, you can prepare to signal left and turn into our driveway. But first you need to get to Keswick! Here are some options:

From the south: we recommend driving up the M6 to Junction 40 and then taking the A66 to Keswick. This is quicker than driving on the A591 through Windermere, Ambleside, and Grasmere. However, if you want to visit some attractions on your journey, then the A591 route will provide you with plenty of options. 

Nearest airports: Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. 

Our address:

Derwentwater Independent Hostel
Barrow House
Borrowdale
Keswick
Cumbria
CA12 5UR

Tel: +44 (0) 17687 77246

Fax: 017687 77396

Email: reception@derwentwater.org