A Circular Walk From Ashness Bridge To Surprise View & Lodore Hotel

Ashness Bridge is probably the most photographed bridged in The Lake District and it’s thankfully, it’s easily accessible too.  With a car park adjacent to it and another car park closer to Surprise View, it can be done by both car and on foot. Here’s how you can take the Keswick Launch anti-clockwise around Derwentwater, get off at Ashness Pier & walk up to Surprise View.

Stone bridge, Lake District

Barrow Beck under Ashness Bridge

You’ll Need To Disembark At Ashness Pier

Disembarking at Ashness Pier you arrive at the road that takes you up to Ashness Bridge. It is all well signposted.

Keswick Launch, Derwent Water

Keswick Launch leaving Ashness Pier

Ashness Pier Up to Ashness Bridge

From the Pier and walking up to the bridge is about a ten minute, up-hill walk and it is all on a tarmac road. The road runs parallel to the river of Barrow Beck so there is an opportunity to deviate a bit, if you wanted to.

Barrow beck, Cumbria

Barrow Beck – the river that runs underneath Ashness bridge and along the road

The Road Up To Ashness Bridge

The road up towards Ashness Bridge wasn’t busy but nor was it very quiet, so do be careful of vehicles, if you go.

Ashness Bridge is a traditional stone-built, pack-horse bridge that is the gateway to Surprise View and the mountain of Watendlath. It gives views across Borrowdale towards the mountain of Skiddaw and is always busy with people.

Ashness Bridge

Barrow Beck running under Ashness Bridge

Ashness Bridge

Barrow Beck running under Ashness Bridge with Watendlath in the background

Ashness Bridge

Barrow Beck from the other way

Ashness Bridge

Barrow Beck, Ashness Bridge & Skiddaw in the background

Skiddaw mountain Cumbria

Ashness bridge with Skiddaw in the background

Take The Hill Up Towards Surprise View

Carrying on walking up the hill leads you through typical Cumbrian, picturesque countryside. The snow-topped mountain of Watendlath dominates the views to the south and Skiddaw the views to the north.

Again you share the road with cars so do keep an eye out.

Surprise View

Walking from Ashness Bridge to Surprise View

Keswick Launch to surprise view

Skiddaw dominates the view to the north

Arriving At Surprise View

What awaits you at the top of the road is called ‘Surprise View’ and is quite simply a breathtaking spot to look out at, if you can get a space! Because there’s a car park adjacent to the view, it can get quite busy.

Surprise View

Surprise View

From Surprise View, you can see Borrowdale to the south, the whole of Derwent Water and on a clear day the lake of Bassenthwaite to the north. You can just make out Bassenthwaite to the top right-hand side of the photo below.

View from Surprise View

The view from Surprise View overlooking Derwent

Watch Out For Local Animals

The woodlands of the surrounding fells are oak trees, they are home to a wide range of bird species, red squirrels and deers.

Surprise View over Derwent Water

Lodore Pier below Surprise View

Ashness bridge

Lodore Hotel

Ashness bridge

Lodore Hotel

Ashness bridge

Lodore Pier

Descend Via The Victorian Water Falls

Descending back past Ashness Bridge,  on your left-hand side is a small wooden swing gate belonging to the Derwentwater Independent Hostel. The route then follows a designated path through the woodlands following Barrow Beck.

Ashness bridge

Walking through the hostel grounds

Ashness Bridge

Barrow Beck Falls

Ashness Bridge

Barrow Beck falls at the back of Derwentwater hostel

Ashness Bridge

Barrow Beck Victorian falls

Ashness Bridge

Derwentwater Independent Hostel

Ashness Bridge

The Victorian Falls at the back of the hostel

Walking Through The Hostel Grounds

We walked through the hostel grounds, around the side of the hostel and cut down the hill until we reached a path (parallel to the road) that runs through Ashness Woods and along to Lodore Hotel.

The path meanders through the woods and at times crosses the road where the path continues along the shores of Derwentwater. When we walked through, the path was wet and muddy so we were very glad we had sturdy boots on.

Ashness Bridge

View over Derwent from the woods

Ashness Bridge

The path runs next to Derwent water

Ashness Bridge

Derwentwater

Arriving at Lodore Pier

The path takes you to the Lodore Falls Hotel, where directly opposite is the entrance for Lodore Pier. Here we caught the Keswick Launch back to Keswick.

Ashness bridge

Lodore Falls Hotel from Lodore Pier

Ashness bridge

Lodore Pier

Ashness bridge

The view from Lodore Pier

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As a small child my favourite book was 'People of the World' which featured Inuits from Alaska, children from China and farmers from Peru. It was a glimpse into another world that would inspire me to wander the globe in search of something special.

 

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