Ruskin's view
From the last bench the whole lake runs to the 'Jaws of Borrowdale', the view Ruskin ranked among Europe's finest four.
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Ten minutes on a level path from the Keswick boat landings puts you on the spot John Ruskin, the great Victorian art critic, ranked among the three or four finest views in Europe. Friars' Crag is neither a summit nor a castle but a low, pine-topped promontory pushing into Derwentwater; from the last bench the lake runs away south until it is pinched between the fells at the 'Jaws of Borrowdale', with the soft ridge of Catbells stepping down on the right. The name remembers medieval monks who rowed from here to tiny St Herbert's Island, home to a seventh-century hermit. For a rock this size it carries a remarkable literary load: Turner drew the view from here, Southey said that if he had the means he would build his house on it, and Arthur Ransome turned it into 'Darien' in Swallows and Amazons. A slate memorial to Ruskin was unveiled in October 1900 where the crag begins, and beside it stands a memorial, put up in 1922, to Canon Rawnsley, a founder of the National Trust: after his death in 1920 the Trust acquired the crag and the land around it in his memory. There are no fees, gates or hours. From Lakeside car park the route passes the Theatre by the Lake and follows the shore on a surfaced path fit for pushchairs and wheelchairs, with plenty of benches and a small shingle beach children love. Only the final edge needs care: the rock drops straight into the water. Be clear about what this is: a viewpoint and a stroll, not a site to fill half a day. Its worth lies in the low light of sunset or an early morning, when the lake is still and the bench is yours. A sunny July or August lunchtime turns it into something like a town square. The smart move is to fold it into a boat trip: Keswick Launch cruises leave from the Keswick landings, the same ten minutes back along the shore, and circle the lake in about fifty minutes (GBP 16 per adult, 9 per child aged 5 to 15, family ticket 41.50 for two adults and three children); the ticket lets you hop on and off at the piers until you come back to where you started. Keswick sits at the northern end of the Lake District, roughly 35 to 45 minutes by car from Windermere on the A591. Lakeside car park (CA12 5DJ) is the nearest, pay and display and a few pounds for a couple of hours, and it fills early in summer. In winter the crag is as open as ever, but the light goes before four and the path edges turn muddy; the reward is an emptier, moodier view, provided you have a proper coat.
From the last bench the whole lake runs to the 'Jaws of Borrowdale', the view Ruskin ranked among Europe's finest four.
A level surfaced path from the car park to the crag, fine for pushchairs and wheelchairs, with benches and a small beach.
Keswick Launch's fifty-minute circuit leaves from the Keswick landings ten minutes away, and the ticket lets you hop on and off at the piers.
Lake Road, Keswick CA12 5DJ
On its own, no; it is a ten-minute view. But Keswick and Derwentwater deserve a full day of boat and shoreline walking, and the crag is the best start or finish to it, especially towards sunset.
Yes, the path is level and surfaced all the way, with a small shingle beach en route. Just keep hold of small children at the final edge: there is no railing and the rock drops into the lake.