Whinlatter Forest
England's only true mountain forest: the Room on the Broom trail, Gruffalo orienteering, the WildPlay trail, red squirrels if you are lucky, and Go Ape for older kids. Views over Derwentwater thrown in.
Keswick Launch on Derwentwater
- Cost
- Round trip adults £16, kids £9, under 5s free
- Ages
- 0 to 16
- Where
- Keswick, Cumbria
- Weather
- Mostly outdoors
- Booking
- Just turn up and pay at the Keswick ticket office
Derwentwater's launch goes round the lake in about 50 minutes, clockwise and anticlockwise, from the boat landings a ten-minute walk from Keswick's Moot Hall via Hope Park. The round trip ticket doubles as a day ticket: hop off at a jetty, walk a stretch of shore or head up to Lodore Falls, and get back on later, as long as you finish where you started. Under 5s travel free, up to three per adult.
Prices are fair for the Lakes. A round trip is £16 for adults and £9 for 5 to 15 year olds, or £41.50 for two adults and three children. Single fares start at £3.75 for adults and £1.90 for children for one stage. Pay at the ticket office in Keswick, or on the boat if you join at another jetty, card preferred. Dogs ride free.
Two things to know this autumn. Nichol End jetty is closed and Lingholm has no stop, so it is a 15 to 20 minute walk from Hawes End for the Lingholm cafe. And the summer timetable ends on 8 November; after that the launch only sails on listed winter dates, a few times a day, and not at all through December and January. Rowing and motor boats are for hire until 1 November, with under 16s free.
What it costs: Round trip adult £16, child (5 to 15) £9, family (2 adults and 3 children) £41.50, under 5s free (up to three per adult). Single fares from £3.75 adult and £1.90 child for one stage. Rowing boats from £17 a half hour for two adults, motor boats from £34, under 16s free on hired boats.
Know before you go
- The launch company's own family walk: get off at Hawes End and walk the flat 1.5 to 2 miles to High Brandelhow, then catch the boat back. A family ticket usually works out cheapest unless the children are under 5.
- Lakeside Car Park is a three-minute walk from the ticket office. Nichol End jetty is closed at the moment, so do not plan a walk that ends there.
- From 9 November only a few sailings a day run, on listed dates, and none at all in December and January. Check the winter timetable before you drive.
Seasonal: Closed Dec and Jan, limited winter days. Check before travelling.
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