Our drawing of the route — the shape of the walk, not a navigation aid. Carry OS Explorer on the hill.
Four and a half miles from the Great Wood car park on the Borrowdale road, up through oak and larch to the edge of Walla Crag, then south along the rim above Falcon Crag and down to Ashness Bridge. The outward leg follows Brockle Beck past Rakefoot Farm; the top of the crag is an unfenced edge with a straight drop to the lake, which is the reason the National Trust puts leads on the whole route rather than just the fields. The return runs along the lakeside road and back into Great Wood. Note that the car park is not where the Ordnance Survey map shows it.
The quiet western shore of Derwent Water, on the side with no road, reached by the Keswick Launch to Hawes End jetty. The outward leg runs south along the lake edge through the parkland at Brandelhow, the first ground the National Trust ever bought in the Lake District, past the Low Brandelhow jetty and the bronze hands sculpture to the picnic table at High Brandelhow. The return doubles back on the upper woodland track beneath a line of Douglas firs to the Hawes End Adventure Centre. It is flat, shaded and lined with shallow gravel entries to the water, which makes it one of the better hot-afternoon walks in the northern Lakes.
Thirty-eight stones in a field east of Keswick with Blencathra and the Helvellyn range around them, free to visit and open at any reasonable hour. Dogs on leads are welcome; the field is grazed by sheep and the ground churns up after rain.
Eight and three quarter miles and 410 metres of climb, four and a half hours: out of Keswick by Portinscale and the west shore to Hawes End, up Skelgill Bank onto Catbells, then down to the Newlands valley and back. Start from the Lakeside car park in Keswick, or take the Keswick Launch to Hawes End - dogs travel for a small fare and it removes three road miles. The ridge is superb for a dog with the head for it, but be honest about the two rock steps low on Skelgill Bank, which are hands-on for people and awkward for a short-legged dog, and the summit ridge is narrow with drops both sides; the fell is grazed throughout and there is no water above the Hawes End gate.
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