Keswick to Threlkeld railway trail
The Keswick to Threlkeld railway trail is a fantastic accessible walk, in fact, it’s one of my favourite pram-friendly walks Lake District. This 5km path was reopened on the fifth anniversary of storm Desmond. In this post, I tell you more about the fascinating history of this track, where to park and what to expect on this walk which is fantastic for all the family.
Where to park for this Keswick to Threlkeld railway path
There are lots of places to park in Keswick that are perfect places to park for this Keswick to Threlkeld tunnel walk. You could also use public transport as it starts very near to the centre of Keswick.
We usually park at the Rugby club which offers great value all day parking charges. This will add at least a mile to this walk but it is an option if you want to combine your walk with a trip to Keswick town centre.
If you want to park closer to the trail’s starting point, which is behind Fitz park, then there is a public car park at the start of the path behind the Keswick leisure pool, by the former railway station. This is the closest car park to the trail.
Although you can start the trail at the Threlkeld end, there are far fewer parking places available, so starting in Keswick is encouraged.
How far is the Keswick to Threkeld walk?
If you are walking one way it is 3 miles (5 km). If you need to return to Keswick following the same route, you will walk 6 miles.
Walking the Keswick to Threlkeld railway trail
Summary
Start and finish – Behind Keswick leisure pool, see above for car parking options
Approximate duration – 3 hours plus but this obviously depends on your walking speed and how often and for how long you stop along the route
Distance – 6 miles if you complete the full path but you can walk as much or as little as you like.
Accessibility – The whole 5km path is a miles without stiles route. It is a popular cycle path (mainly families with kids on bikes on our visit), dog walkers, mobility scooters and families with kids of all ages. The path surface is perfect for all on this old railway line.
Public toilets – There are toilets in the car park at Keswick end and toilets in Threlkeld Village Hall and Coffee Shop are open to the public, in the middle of the village 300m from the trail end.
Other Facilities – we spotted an ice cream van just off the trail about a mile from the Threlkeld end serving local artisan ice creams.
If you are approaching the path from Keswick town centre, head along Station road past Fitz park. You will pass Keswick museum on your left shortly before spotting a sign for the trail pointing you towards Keswick leisure pool.
This is a popular and well-used route and it’s not hard to see why. The walk itself is easy as it is flat and it is a very smooth path.
We loved learning about the heritage story of the trail as we followed the path. There are numerous boards along the way with information on local history and the history of this trail. I’ll talk more about the history of the trail below. It’s also a great place to see local wildlife. It’s a fantastic walking route for Lake District visitors and locals too.
There are plenty of places to stop for a rest including new picnic benches and regular benches too and even a couple of small shelters (possibly old railway station shelters from the looks of them.
I’m not going to write out full route details as you can’t go wrong. The path is one 5km/3 mile path from Keswick to Threlkeld without any place to get lost or take the wrong turning.
The path follows the route of the old Keswick railway line alongside the River Greta. There are several new bridges along the route as you cross backwards and forwards across the river. The countryside you are walking through is beautiful and hard to beat in my opinion.
You’ll know when you reach the end of the route and need to turn round to return to Keswick by the same route.
There’s plenty of interest along the route like the river, the bridges and all the information panels. My kids particularly enjoyed the Bobbins mill railway tunnel. This is about 1km from the start of the trail and the tunnel itself is 80 meters long.
This was our first time walking this route but I’m sure it won’t be our last.
History of the Keswick railway path
The original Keswick to Threlkeld trail was destroyed by storm Desmond in 2015 which brought some of the worst floods the country had seen. 174 mm of rain fell in Keswick causing significant damage including to this trail.
Two of the original Victorian railway bridges and 200 meters of the path were washed away by the fast-flowing river. Rawsomes Bridge survived but it was deemed unsafe. As a result, the path from Keswick to Threlkeld was cut off.
Reconnection of the trail was incredibly important to the local community and was made possible due to a funding package from organisations including Highways England and Lake District Foundation.
Bobbin mill tunnel was opened up for the first time in over 40 years too. It’s a really impressive tunnel and my kids loved this part of the path.
Find full details of the trail here – Miles Without Stiles 37: Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Trail : Lake District National Park.
Have you walked the Keswick to Threlkeld walk before?
More local walks
- You could add in a walk to Castlerigg stone circle or the nearby village of Threlkeld.
- This is just one of my suggestions for Easy walks near Keswick.
- Find more fantastic Family walks Lake District here.
- Find more Family walks near Bassenthwaite here.
- Another fantastic family walk nearby is this Latrigg from Keswick walk. This is a great starter Wainwright hike for families.
- Mirehouse Keswick is another place for walking that is mostly suitable for pushchairs and great for kids of all ages.
- This is a great walk to do on a wet day. Find more Things to do in Keswick in the rain here.
- Whinlatter forest walks are great for kids but they’re not as accessible as this walk.
Find more Family walks North West here.
Thank you for sharing this walk my husband and I have walked some of this walk but it is a walk I have wanted to do all the way