--- title: "Neighbouring villages | Visit Keswick, Lake District" url: https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages description: "The twelve villages in the valleys around Keswick — where they are, what is in them, and how to get to each without a car." --- ## Which way out of town Discover at your leisure the many traditional Lakeland villages in the valleys neighbouring Keswick. You can leave the car behind and make a day of it on the local buses, the Honister and Borrowdale Ramblers among them. To the east are woods and lakeside paths around Thirlmere and the peaceful St John’s in the Vale. Threlkeld sits at the foot of Blencathra, looking across to Clough Head at the northern end of the Helvellyn range, while the quiet villages of Applethwaite and Millbeck are tucked below Skiddaw. To the north are the fellside villages of Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket and the hamlets of Ireby, Mosedale and Mungrisdale — the country known as Back o’ Skidda. South, the Borrowdale valley has been called the loveliest in England. Watendlath, one of the hidden corners of the area, was left behind as the glaciers scoured out the main valley. Grange in Borrowdale is very picturesque, and Rosthwaite, Stonethwaite and Seatoller are attractive villages at the head of the valley. West, the Newlands valley is separated from Derwentwater by a single range of hills and is easily reached from town. Portinscale and Braithwaite both make excellent bases, and Buttermere sits at the foot of the Newlands Pass between Buttermere and Crummock Water. Loading map… - [Portinscale](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/portinscale) - [Braithwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/braithwaite) - [Thornthwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/thornthwaite) - [Buttermere and Lorton](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/buttermere-and-lorton) - [Bassenthwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/bassenthwaite) - [Ireby and Caldbeck](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/ireby-and-caldbeck) - [Mosedale, Mungrisdale and Hesket Newmarket](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/mosedale-and-mungrisdale) - [Threlkeld](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/threlkeld) - [Applethwaite and Millbeck](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/applethwaite-and-millbeck) - [Grange in Borrowdale](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/grange-in-borrowdale) - [Rosthwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/rosthwaite) - [Seatoller, Seathwaite and Stonethwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/seatoller-and-stonethwaite) - [Keswick](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/town) - [Lorton](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/buttermere-and-lorton) - [Caldbeck](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/ireby-and-caldbeck) - [Mosedale](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/mosedale-and-mungrisdale) - [Millbeck](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/applethwaite-and-millbeck) - [Stonethwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/seatoller-and-stonethwaite) Whitewashed cottages and a hotel along the road through Portinscale A mile out ### Portinscale The closest village to Keswick, a mile out on the shore of Derwentwater — and where Beatrix Potter spent her summers. The junction of Braithwaite village with its stone cottages and low walls 2 miles out ### Braithwaite At the foot of the Whinlatter Pass with the Coledale fells from the door, and Force Crag Mine above. A quiet road curving through Thornthwaite between trees with the fell above 3 miles out ### Thornthwaite Bypassed by the A66, on the edge of Whinlatter Forest, with a gallery of 140 local artists and the Bishop on the fell. The small stone church with its bellcote standing on a rocky knoll above the valley road 7 miles out ### Buttermere and Lorton A hamlet between two lakes at the foot of the Newlands Pass, and a village split in two since 1158. A stone lodge with tall gothic windows set among trees near the lake 6 miles out ### Bassenthwaite A village green with swings and a stream full of ducks, six miles north, with the ospreys and St Bega’s across the fields. A row of village cottages with one washed pink beside the road at Ireby 10 miles out ### Ireby and Caldbeck A former market town and a mill village in the quiet fells north of Skiddaw, with John Peel in the churchyard. A red telephone box beside stone village houses on a quiet road ### Mosedale, Mungrisdale and Hesket Newmarket Three small places under Carrock Fell, with a summer shop in a Quaker meeting house and a pub owned by its village. The Threlkeld village sign in front of white houses with Blencathra rising behind 4 miles out ### Threlkeld A working village below Blencathra with a quarry museum, and the far end of the traffic-free railway path into Keswick. A lane running between village cottages with the long flank of Skiddaw rising above 1 miles out ### Applethwaite and Millbeck Two hamlets on the slope of Skiddaw with a mill-working past — and the classic start up the mountain. The river running past the cottages and gardens of Grange in Borrowdale ### Grange in Borrowdale A monastic farm that became a village, over a bridge of 1675, where the valley narrows into the Jaws of Borrowdale. Large stepping stones crossing a shallow river between wooded banks 5 miles out ### Rosthwaite A walking base ringed with mountains: stepping stones, Castle Crag, and the cave where Millican Dalton spent fifty summers. The narrow street through Seatoller between old cottages hung with flowers ### Seatoller, Seathwaite and Stonethwaite The head of Borrowdale, under the Honister Pass, where the world’s first pencils are said to have begun. A single-track lane between drystone walls running straight towards the fells ## Walk from the door There is an excellent choice of [walking routes](https://visitkeswick.com/do/walking-routes) around Keswick — low-level valley walks, ridge walks and fell walks. From many of these villages it would be quite possible to leave the car at your accommodation and walk from the door for a week without retracing your steps. There is a wide range of [attractions and activities](https://visitkeswick.com/do) too, with good instructors if you would like to take something up or improve your technique. Most of the villages are reachable without a car. [Bus times and routes](https://visitkeswick.com/visitor-info/getting-to-keswick) are on the getting here page. [Find somewhere to stay](https://visitkeswick.com/stay) ## 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).