--- title: "Bassenthwaite Lake | Visit Keswick, Lake District" url: https://visitkeswick.com/explore/lakes/bassenthwaite-lake description: "The district’s only true lake: a shore path on the western side, Mirehouse and St Bega’s on the east, ospreys in summer and salmon spawning in the becks." --- ## Along the A66 Head west out of Keswick towards Cockermouth on the busy A66 and you drive alongside Bassenthwaite Lake — the only true lake in the Lake District, as all the others are meres or waters. You can follow a lakeside path the whole way along the western shore. There is no access to the eastern shore except at Mirehouse. A country house behind a rose garden with a long pillared veranda ## Mirehouse and St Bega’s This fine country house and its grounds are open to the public. You can get down to the lakeshore from them, and to the tiny, peaceful church of St Bega. There are strong links between Mirehouse and Tennyson, and it is thought that much of Morte d’Arthur was written here. A heron standing motionless in the shallows with the fells behind ## A very important place for wildlife Hundreds of birds migrate to the lake, the osprey among them, and fish such as Atlantic salmon come here to spawn. A major regeneration project was undertaken to bring the water up to the quality that best supports all of this — including the vendace, and the feeding grounds of the ospreys, now a regular summer visitor. Much of the problem came from surface run-off washing sediment into the lake, and from the seepage of agricultural fertilisers, which encourage algae. At the northern end is the Lake District’s first wetland nature reserve, [Dubwath Silver Meadows](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/not-to-miss/dubwath-silver-meadows) , where you can expect grasshopper warbler, curlew, greylag geese, reed bunting and meadow pipit. Sailing dinghies out on Bassenthwaite Lake with Skiddaw behind ## On the water — and the rules At Dubwath on the north-western shore is Bassenthwaite Sailing Club, which hosts a family regatta in the first week of August every year. RYA members can launch sailing boats from the club’s grounds for a daily fee. Boat, canoe and sailboard users must respect the no-boating zones, which protect important breeding grounds. There is no right of navigation on Bassenthwaite: to take any craft onto the lake you need a permit. Fishing needs a valid lake permit and an Environment Agency rod licence — see [fishing and boating](https://visitkeswick.com/do/fishing-boating) . Bassenthwaite Lake laid out below the grassy slopes of Sale Fell Yachts at their moorings on Bassenthwaite Lake with the long fell ridge behind Bassenthwaite Lake lying still and framed by overhanging trees Loading map… - Bassenthwaite Lake - [Keswick](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/town) - [Dodd Wood](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/woodland) - [Dubwath Silver Meadows](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/not-to-miss/dubwath-silver-meadows) - [Bassenthwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/bassenthwaite) - Skiddaw ## Start your trip here Plan your perfect escape with our Keswick guide. From places to stay and things to do, where to eat, explore and unwind. ## Stories from our blog [See all blog posts](https://visitkeswick.com/blog) The Moot Hall and Keswick main street lit with Christmas lights Blog ### Keswick Victorian Fayre Keswick's Christmas fayre returns to the Market Square on Sunday 6 December 2026, with free entertainment, charity stalls and a children's funfair. 30 October 2026 derwentwater keswick ### Planning Your Stay In Keswick Keswick is a vibrant and lively town nestled in a stunning part of the Lake District and theres something for everyone here. Read on for some inspiration and ideas for where to stay and what to do whe Original publication date not recorded ### Festive Walks to do over the Christmas Period If you are staying in Keswick or the North Lakes over the Christmas period, you are probably planning on going for a walk? ## For AI agents - API catalogue: https://visitkeswick.com/.well-known/api-catalog - Guide for AI agents: https://visitkeswick.com/llms.txt - A2A agent card: https://visitkeswick.com/.well-known/agent-card.json - MCP server card: https://visitkeswick.com/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json - Personal Agent Protocol: https://visitkeswick.com/.well-known/poppy.json - Live availability and booking: the site's tools above (MCP connector at https://visitkeswick.com/mcp).