--- title: "St John's in the Vale | Visit Keswick, Lake District" url: https://visitkeswick.com/explore/valleys/st-johns-in-the-vale description: "The scenic valley between Keswick and Thirlmere — its 1845 church, the walks up Helvellyn and High Rigg, and the reservoir and red squirrels to the south." --- ## Under the Helvellyn range St John’s in the Vale is a very scenic and peaceful valley in the northern Lake District, lying under the craggy slopes of the Helvellyn range, with splendid views towards Blencathra. It has a small church dating from 1845 in a beautiful setting, next to the Diocesan Youth Centre. Tranquil as it is, it is an accessible base for touring: three miles east of Keswick, with Grasmere, Ambleside and Windermere all easy to reach. The 555 runs along the A591 at the foot of the valley, between Lancaster and Keswick via Kendal, Windermere railway station, Ambleside and Grasmere. [Bus times and routes](https://visitkeswick.com/visitor-info/getting-to-keswick) are on the getting here page. Looking south along St John's in the Vale, the valley road winding towards Thirlmere ## South to Thirlmere Travelling south on the A591, the huge mass of Helvellyn on the left creates the narrow valley of Thirlmere, occupied by its large reservoir. Over a hundred years ago two small lakes and a hamlet were drowned by the building of a dam at the northern end of the valley. It now supplies Manchester with water through nearly a hundred miles of tunnels, pipes and channels. Thirlmere is increasingly accessible, especially from the quieter minor road on the western side, where there are car parks, vantage points and walking trails — and the severe dark conifer plantation is being managed back into mixed woodland. United Utilities have established the woodland around Thirlmere as a red squirrel refuge, which makes it one of the more reliable places in the district to see them. ## Close by The Castlerigg stone circle on open grass under a wide sky of scattered cloud general ### [Castlerigg Stone Circle](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/not-to-miss/castlerigg-stone-circle) Between the vale and Keswick, and one of Britain’s most impressive prehistoric monuments — thirty-eight stones, five thousand years old, ringed by fells. An hour [Read more](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/not-to-miss/castlerigg-stone-circle) A shallow tarn in rough pasture with the long green ridge of Blencathra behind do ### [Tewet Tarn](https://visitkeswick.com/do/walking-routes) A lovely circular walk from Castlerigg to the tarn, with superb fell views the whole way round and very few people on it. Quiet [See walking routes](https://visitkeswick.com/do/walking-routes) Two climbers working brightly coloured routes on an indoor climbing wall ### [Keswick Climbing Wall](https://visitkeswick.com/do) A hundred and fifty metres from the stone circle: indoor climbing and outdoor activities for groups, families and individuals, plus Wild Play Woodland Adventures for younger children. Whatever the weather [Read more](https://visitkeswick.com/do) Daffodils in the churchyard of the small stone church at St Johns in the Vale ## Walking from the vale There is everything here from an ascent of Helvellyn to the short pull up High Rigg, and low-level riverside walking along the valley floor for a day when the tops are in cloud. The church makes the natural starting point for most of them — there is parking at the foot of High Rigg, and the ridge path runs the length of the vale from there. [Find somewhere to stay](https://visitkeswick.com/stay) ## The other valleys A wide green valley of hedged fields with a long fell ridge above it Borrowdale A valley running from Derwentwater to Scafell Pike, with villages, climbing crags and the Rambler bus all the way through. Explore Borrowdale Cattle grazing rough pasture on the valley floor with fells rising on both sides Watendlath A quiet hamlet and tarn at the end of a lane above Borrowdale, best reached on foot from Surprise View. Explore Watendlath A shingle beach curving into the lake below steep bracken-covered fells Buttermere Three lakes in one glaciated valley, with Rannerdale bluebells in May and walks beneath the highest fells. Explore Buttermere A valley of fields and farms seen across the top of a drystone wall with pointed fells beyond Newlands The quiet valley behind Catbells, with Goldscope mine, Beatrix Potter connections and walks from the valley floor to the tops. Explore Newlands Loading map… - St John's in the Vale - [Keswick](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/town) - [Threlkeld](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/neighbouring-villages/threlkeld) - [Castlerigg Stone Circle](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/not-to-miss/castlerigg-stone-circle) - [Thirlmere](https://visitkeswick.com/explore/lakes/thirlmere) ## 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).