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Buses in the Lake District: a Walkers Guide

Buses in the Lake District: a Walkers Guide

Buses in the : a walkers guide

Contents

1 Key routes 2 Popular by bus 3 If you get stuck...

The information below was originally route is thus a useful one to end your compiled for visitors to , but walk on. will still be useful if you are staying in or Keswick. It is based on * There are 555s from to 2013 summer and 2012-3 winter Ambleside (and Bowness) even later timetables, which can often be picked – as late as 11pm in the summer, up on the buses themselves, or if not making it perfect for ending walks on at the Tourist Offices in Windermere, long summer evenings. Keswick or Bowness. (In Ambleside there is a kind of tourist office next to Open topped buses also operate the Salutation Hotel.) Currently the every 20 minutes during the day in timetable is a booklet called "The summer between Bowness, Lakes Connection", but it changes its Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere format from year to year. until about 6pm. In winter there are hourly buses from Bowness to The bus stop in Ambleside is in Ambleside only Kelsick Road, a small square just off the main high street. In Keswick, the * Another key route is the 78 from bus stops are outside Booths Keswick to : half hourly supermarket: the same is true of Monday to Saturday, roughly hourly on Windermere, where the stop is also Sundays, this has late buses back from by the railway station Seatoller (6pm in summer) which connect easily with the 555 from Buses marked with a * operate year Keswick, making walking in round: the others are only summer very easy by bus from routes. Ambleside. There are often open topped buses on this route in summer. On longer journeys (eg to Keswick and beyond) you can reduce costs by The 77A goes from Keswick via the asking for a day ticket, giving you foot of Catbells to Seatoller, up over unlimited bus travel in the Lake the , to District. There are also four day and back via the pass to tickets. Keswick four times a day in summer: its sister bus, the 77, does the route in Key routes reverse. Last bus back from Buttermere is a slightly early 5.15pm, * The trunk route in the Lake District and from the Honster pass 5.30pm, is the hourly 555 from Windermere connecting with the 555 at Keswick for and Ambleside to Keswick (556 the return to Ambleside. when going to or from Lancaster). The * The 516 bus also runs from last bus back from Keswick is after 7pm in the summer months. This Ambleside to Old Dungeon Ghyll in Langdale daily, though last buses back are only 4.15pm Monday to Friday (as late as 6pm on summer Threkeld to Keswick daily, with the last weekend days, however). Langdale is bus connecting for Ambleside the thus a better place to start a walk than 18.49 Monday to Saturday and 17.43 finish it from a bus point of view: an on Sunday in summer. alternative if you want to stay out later is to finish your walk in Grasmere. * The very useful boats around should also not be * Coniston is also served by regular forgotten: they bring Catbells, buses from Ambleside on the 505 Newlands and Grange within route, with last buses back at 6pm on range, and connect quite well with the Monday to Saturday in summer, and Keswick buses: it takes no more than 5pm on Sundays. There is enough 10 minutes to walk from the boat time between the first and last buses landing stage to the bus stop in to do the whole Coniston circuit if you Kewsick outside Booths. don’t dawdle too much. Popular peaks by bus There is also a Rambler bus from Ambleside on summer PIKE Buses enable you to Sundays and Bank Holidays only, go up by one route and opening up this remote valley, which down another, which is impossible by has minimal parking, to walkers: last car. Catch the 9.00 bus from Langdale, bus back is 5pm. you will be starting up Mickleden at 9.30am. In summer you then have For , you need the until 6.30pm to get down to Seatoller Kirkstone Rambler from

Windermere: this runs daily in July etc Late buses from and August, and at weekends from Grasmere mean it is easiest, though March to October, but from Ambleside less exciting, to climb Helvellyn from involves a slightly awkward change, this side (you can use the bus to walk getting the bus to Windermere and the whole ridge, for example, from changing: however, last buses are a Thirlspot, via the Stake Pass, up onto reasonable 5.15pm from Patterdale Helvellyn and down to Grasmere). But

to climb it from the more interesting * For the foot of , the 554 Patterdale side means a slightly from Keswick to is useful, awkward change of buses in serving Mirehouse and the Ravenstone Windermere. So as not to be in a rush Hotel (for ). There are only on the way back, use this bus for the three buses a day, but one at 10.35 way out, and then descend into from Keswick connects well enough Grasmere in the evening. This with the 9.28 bus from Ambleside, and technique can also be used for a there is a 16.58 bus back to Keswick. number of interesting Patterdale ascents, for example onto the Fairfield * The X5 from Keswick to range, or , with serves , at the foot of descents to Ambleside. every hour, and buses on this route run well into the evening, SKIDDAW You can climb this from with the last bus connecting to Keswick, or use the 554 bus to Carlisle Ambleside at 19.05 Mon to Sat. to Mirehouse or the Ravenstone Hotel for or Ullock Pike. This enables * In the other direction, the X5 goes you to go up one of the more hourly from Keswick to Threkeld the interesting routes up the front or north foot of and on to Penrith: side of the , and then down buses run well into the evening from the conventional route (which is dull in BUTTERMERE The Buttermere peaks ascent, but easy in descent), bringing can be reached via the 77/77A routes you directly down to Keswick. Another described above, but you might be idea might be bus 74 which serves the pressed to get down in time for the Mirehouse Osprey Centre six times a last bus. A creative alternative is to do day at weekends April to August and a route from Buttermere to Seatoller daily in school holidays, and it would (eg , , High also not be that expensive to take a , Honister Pass and down), taxi from Keswick to a point on the which has later buses, or from base of Skiddaw. Buttermere or the Honistor pass to Derwentwater. Eg you can walk from BLENCATHRA The X5 Penrith bus the top of the Honister Pass up onto from Keswick passes Threkeld at the , then , Maiden base of the mountain, and connections Moor, Catbells and get the well with the 555. For variation, it is Derwentwater boat back to Keswick. possible to walk back from the base of One could also walk from Buttermere Blencathra over to Keswick: a up onto , Eel Crag, and very nice gentle finish to the day then down Grisedale Pike to Braithwaite and Keswick, or via LANGDALE PIKES If the bus back and to Keswick, or via Causey from Old Dungeon Ghyll is too early, Pike to Hawes End boat to Keswick. then try walking from , across , and CATBELLS RANGE: easily reached by either down over to Derwentwater boat to Hawes End, but Grasmere, or even down Far a variation is to get the boat to High Easedale, or along the lovely ridge Brandlehow, and walk up onto High beyond. Finishing on , this is Spy or and back along a favourite walk of mine. Another idea the ridge. The 77/77A bus also passes is to take the bus to Old Dungeon the foot of Catbells and Grange. Ghyll, and walk back across Lingmoor to (for lunch/tea) and then BORROWDALE Grange and on over Loughrigg to Ambleside. other favourites are easily reached via There is a lovely path too from near the Seatoller bus. A creative up onto Silver Howe and alternative is to get the 555 bus to down to Grasmere. Thirlspot, and then walk up over the wild central and down to and are Borrowdale – eg to Watendladth or a trifle problematic by bus: unless you to Walla Scar. Another favourite walk walk from Bowfell via to of mine is to get the bus to Seatoller you have no alternative to be Rosthwaite, walk over the pass to down in time for the last bus from Watendladth, and then on via the Dungeon Ghyll, which leaves at an Surprise View to Walla Scar, and even vaguely practical time only on down to Castelrigg or Keswick to get summer weekends the 555 bus home. Another really interesting walk is from Rosthwaite The via the Greenup Edge pass, to Far Coniston Rambler gives you enough Easedale and down to Grasmere. time to do the whole Coniston circuit, so long as you get up early. The While no bus Coniston bus also gives you access to serves the Newlands valley directly, it walks in (get off about is not inaccessible. For , a mile beyond Bridge) take the anti-clockwise Derwentwater boat to Hawes End, and then walk the short lovely distance across the valley www..com) and then walking to the foot of the mountain (The back the following day. 77/77A also serves the foot of Catbells, just by Hawes End). It is also An excellent day walk starting in a nice walk across the valley from , taking the Black Sail Keswick via Portinscale to the foot of pass up over the ridge brings Barrow, from where you can access you down into Ennerdale. You can then the Causey Pike ridge. If you want to go via Scarth Gap to Buttermere, or do the whole Grisedale Horseshoe, via Haystacks to the Honister Pass. use Hawes End on the way out, and from the foot of Grisedale Pike, catch The KENTMERE RANGE is best the X5 bus (every hour, last reached by the Kentmere Rambler. connection to Ambleside at 19.05) You can do the horseshoe, but for from Braithwaite to Keswick. variation, walk from Kentmere up to , then down over For the and Caudale Moor to the , ridges, you can also use Hawes End, and via the path on the far side of the though the distance up the valley is a valley to Ambleside (though this last bit further: another idea is to take the leg from the Kirkstone Pass to Seatoller bus from Keswick to Ambleside is about five miles, note, so Rosthwaite, climbing up to Dale Head this is a long day). This is also a via the path over the shoulder of High possible way to get up onto High Spy, and then down over the lovely Street or even to long ridges of either Hindscarth or overlooking Haweswater. Robinson to the Newlands Valley: the walk along the valley to Hawes End is If the Kentmere bus is not running, then a gentle ending to a lovely day. you can climb from TROUTBECK (on You could also start this walk from the the 555 bus to Windermere) up onto Honistor Pass, of course, from where it the , and side is a short climb to Dale Head. of the Kentmere Horsehoe and then down from Thornthwaite Crag to the . The 78 from Keswick Kirkstone Pass and Ambleside. It is gets you to Seatoller from where one also nice to walk from Troutbeck over can climb up onto Great Gable, but a the hills to Ambleside, or vice versa. better idea might be to take the 77 or 77A to the top of the Honister Pass, If you get stuck... and then walk the Gable ridge from there, descending to Seatoller for a .... you might have to get a taxi. It latter bus back to Keswick. might cost you £20 or so, but it is still cheaper than a tankful of petrol. (It is WASDALE and ENNERDALE are not useful for this reason to take a local easily accessible by bus (or car for taxi number with you). that matter). There is a Ennerdale Rambler bus bus from to Taxis from Windermere railway station the head of Ennerdale on Sundays and to Ambleside, if you arrive later than public holidays in high summer: in the last bus, cost about £10. Wasdale there is no public transport.

If you miss the last boat at Hawes End The answer, therefore, is to make this on Derwentwater, it is a pleasant a two day expedition, walking over to hour’s walk around the lake via Wasdale, staying in the excellent Portinscale to Keswick. Wasdale Head Hotel (019467 26229

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