--- title: "Thornthwaite | Visit Keswick, Lake District" url: https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/thornthwaite description: "A quiet village on the edge of Whinlatter Forest with views across to Skiddaw, a gallery of 140 local artists, and the Bishop on the fell above." --- ## The village Thornthwaite, in the northern Lake District, is bypassed by the A66, which is the making of it: a quiet village on the edge of Whinlatter Forest with wonderful views across the valley and Bassenthwaite Lake towards Skiddaw. It lies three miles west of Keswick, a short drive from the town’s shops, pubs, restaurants, theatre and cinema. It is a good base for walking and cycling, with forest tracks linking the village to Whinlatter Forest Park and the fells beyond. A popular footpath from the centre climbs beside the tumbling water of Comb Beck — steep in places, and very attractive — into the heart of the forest. There are also walks around Powter How wood to Bassenthwaite Lake, an elevated route across to Braithwaite, and a path over the valley to Dodd and Skiddaw. The village is served by the X4 and X5 between Workington, Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith. [Bus times and routes](https://visitkeswick.com/visitor-info/getting-to-keswick) are on the getting here page. ## On the doorstep The red door and slate frontage of the gallery at Thornthwaite behind clipped hedges do ### [Thornthwaite Galleries](https://visitkeswick.com/do) Over 140 local artists showing paintings, wood turning, jewellery, pottery and textiles, with a teashop for home-made cakes, scones, soups and toasted sandwiches. In the village [Visit the galleries](https://visitkeswick.com/do) Straight conifer trunks in ranks with light and the valley showing between them ### [Whinlatter Forest](https://visitkeswick.com/do) England’s only true mountain forest, on the doorstep — graded walking and mountain biking trails, children’s play areas, bike hire from Cyclewise, and the Go Ape treetop course for over-tens. The visitor centre is reached by car through Braithwaite. Walk in from the village [Visit the forest](https://visitkeswick.com/do) Golden birch trees in the foreground with the forested fellside turning behind ### [Up Comb Beck](https://visitkeswick.com/do/walking-routes) The path from the centre of the village that climbs beside the beck into the forest. Steep in places, and the quickest way from a doorstep to a canopy anywhere near Keswick. From the village centre [Walking routes](https://visitkeswick.com/do/walking-routes) Gorse in flower along a hedge above hedged fields with the fells beyond ## The Bishop of Barf A whitewashed rock outcrop stands on the side of Barf, looking down on the village. It is known as the Bishop, and it is said to mark an eighteenth-century wager. The story goes that the Bishop of Londonderry, drunk, set out to ride his packhorse up the hillside to settle a bet with the landlord of the local inn — and fell from his mount and died. Somebody has kept the rock whitewashed ever since. [Find somewhere to stay](https://visitkeswick.com/stay) ## Other villages nearby Whitewashed cottages and a hotel along the road through Portinscale Portinscale Derwentwater boats, lakeside paths and a fifteen-minute walk over the suspension bridge from Keswick. Explore Portinscale 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 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 stone bridge over a river Bassenthwaite A village green and duck-filled stream, with the lake, ospreys and St Bega’s church close by. Explore Bassenthwaite A row of village cottages with one washed pink beside the road at Ireby Ireby and Caldbeck The quiet north of Skiddaw: Ireby’s market cross, Caldbeck’s old mills and fellside walks. Explore Ireby and Caldbeck Loading map… - Thornthwaite - [Keswick](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/town) - [Braithwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/braithwaite) - [Portinscale](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/portinscale) - [Millbeck](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/applethwaite-and-millbeck) ## Where to stay For somewhere to stay close by, see [places to stay in Thornthwaite](https://visitkeswick.com/stay/thornthwaite) . ## 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).