Threlkeld

Why base here

Threlkeld sits at the foot of Blencathra, about four miles east of Keswick, and the climb starts on Blease Road above the village. That is the honest case for sleeping here: one of the northern Lakes’ big fells is at the back door, with two pubs and a village hall coffee shop in place of a town. The Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum, just off the A66 opposite the village, runs an underground tour for anyone with a wet day to fill. Keswick is the larger base with the wider bus network and the shops, and Threlkeld suits somebody who would rather trade those for an earlier start on the hill.

On foot versus by car

Blencathra from Threlkeld begins at the small car park on Blease Road above the Blencathra Field Centre, up the lane from the village, so it needs no bus or long drive. The Keswick to Threlkeld railway path, which reopened in December 2020 after five years closed following Storm Desmond, gives a low-level walk along the old line to Keswick and back by bus. Skiddaw starts from the Latrigg car park above Keswick and needs a car or a bus into town first, and Castlerigg Stone Circle is a drive from the village.

Practicalities

Threlkeld is served by the X4 and X5, the Stagecoach services that link Penrith, Keswick, Cockermouth and Workington, so Penrith, on the West Coast Main Line, is the nearest railway station and the link to it is a single bus along the A66. Parking in the village is limited: the Blease Road car parks are small, and the cricket club and old station car parks are the alternatives. Check operators’ current times and payment methods before you travel.