--- title: "Portinscale | Visit Keswick, Lake District" url: https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/portinscale description: "A mile from Keswick on the shore of Derwentwater: boats, the launch from Nichol End, and the gardens that gave Beatrix Potter Mr McGregor." --- ## A mile from town Portinscale, in the northern Lake District, is the village closest to Keswick, just a mile away and adjacent to the shores of Derwentwater. It has a good choice of guest houses and self-catering, which makes it an easy base without being in the town. On the doorstep are the starts of the popular walks up Catbells, Causey Pike and the Coledale Horseshoe, as well as the Newlands Round and the quieter walking in the Newlands valley itself. A short walk brings you to the landing stage at Nichol End, where you can join the Keswick launch and combine a walk with a boat. By car it is a few minutes off the A66. The X4 and X5 stop on the A66 rather than coming into the village, and the seasonal 77 and 77A Honister Rambler passes through. [Bus times and routes](https://visitkeswick.com/visitor-info/getting-to-keswick) are on the getting here page. ## Where Beatrix Potter spent her summers Between 1885 and 1907 the Potter family took their summer holidays at Lingholm and Fawe Park, on the western shore of Derwentwater just beyond the village. Beatrix spent many hours there sketching the woods, the gardens and the landscape, and a good deal of it turned up later in the books. The red squirrels at Lingholm — still there, in smaller numbers — are said to have given her Squirrel Nutkin. Owl Island is St Herbert’s Island out on the lake. The octagonal walled garden at Lingholm stands where the old kitchen garden was, and Potter credited it as the original of Mr McGregor’s garden in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. [Visit the Lingholm Kitchen](https://visitkeswick.com/eat/the-lingholm-kitchen-and-walled-garden) ## In and around the village Kayakers paddling past moored sailing dinghies on a lake do ### [Derwentwater Marina](https://visitkeswick.com/do/derwent-water-marina) Canoes, kayaks, rowing boats, dinghies and windsurfers for hire, with tuition if you want it. On the water [Hire a boat](https://visitkeswick.com/do/derwent-water-marina) The walled kitchen garden at Lingholm, with Lingholm Kitchen beyond eat ### [The Lingholm Kitchen and Walled Garden](https://visitkeswick.com/eat/the-lingholm-kitchen-and-walled-garden) A cafe with a hundred-foot glass wall looking down into the octagonal walled garden, ten minutes’ stroll from Keswick. Potter’s garden [Visit](https://visitkeswick.com/eat/the-lingholm-kitchen-and-walled-garden) Two walkers crossing a suspension footbridge over the river with Skiddaw beyond ## The bridge and the Howrahs The pleasant way into Keswick on foot is over the suspension bridge across the river Greta and along the Howrahs footpath — a level walk of about fifteen minutes. The main road to Cockermouth used to run through the village over a two-arched stone crossing known as the Long Bridge. Plans to replace it in 1911 were opposed, and it stood until flood damage in 1954 forced a temporary metal structure. When the bypass was built in the 1960s a new road bridge went in downstream, and the present suspension bridge was put up for pedestrians alone. The fields it crosses are called the Howrahs after Edward Stephenson, a Governor of Bengal who lived in Calcutta — of which Howrah was a suburb — and came home wealthy to live out his days in the Governor’s House on Lake Road, giving this land its name. [Find somewhere to stay](https://visitkeswick.com/stay) ## Other villages nearby Large stepping stones crossing a shallow river between wooded banks Rosthwaite A walking base among Borrowdale’s fells, near the stepping stones, Castle Crag and Langstrath. Explore Rosthwaite The narrow street through Seatoller between old cottages hung with flowers Seatoller and Stonethwaite At the head of Borrowdale, close to Honister Pass, slate mines and routes towards Scafell Pike. Explore Seatoller and Stonethwaite The junction of Braithwaite village with its stone cottages and low walls Braithwaite Walk straight into the Coledale fells or head up Whinlatter Pass to England’s only mountain forest. Explore Braithwaite A quiet road curving through Thornthwaite between trees with the fell above Thornthwaite A quiet village by Whinlatter Forest, with views to Skiddaw and a gallery full of local artists. Explore Thornthwaite The small stone church with its bellcote standing on a rocky knoll above the valley road Buttermere and Lorton Two villages linked by Lorton Vale, with lakes, passes and walks in every direction. Explore Buttermere and Lorton Loading map… - Portinscale - [Keswick](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/town) - [Braithwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/braithwaite) - [Millbeck](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/applethwaite-and-millbeck) - [Thornthwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/thornthwaite) ## Where to stay For somewhere to stay close by, see [places to stay in Portinscale](https://visitkeswick.com/stay/portinscale) . ## 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 - Live availability and booking: the site's tools above (MCP connector at https://visitkeswick.com/mcp).