Arrival in Keswick & Hiking Latrigg Fell

Friday, May 23, 2025

I had told the guesthouse owner in Penrith that I was leaving too early for breakfast, but that was a lie because I knew I wanted to eat once I got to Keswick. So I caught a 9:50 am bus and arrived at Keswick at 10:40 am. (Side note: Keswick is pronounced "Kessick.")

I had messaged my bed and breakfast in Keswick beforehand to ask if I could drop my bag off prior to check-in so I could explore unencumbered and they allowed me to do that! So I stopped by The Edwardene and left my bag with the nice man.

The first order of business from here was coffee and breakfast. I will admit that sometimes it takes me a bit of time to work up the courage to go into an establishment and sit down to eat in England, and this was the first time I had done that during this trip. It's not that I feel awkward sitting alone with a meal. I actually enjoy eating by myself; I think it's peaceful. The thing that's awkward is figuring out the situation on where to sit and how to order. (This might not even clock to a more normal person, but for me... it's a thing.)

Each place is different, which I'm sure you could also say about restaurants in America, but for some reason it seems more complicated in England. Dining situations you might find:

1. Go to the counter to order, wait there for your food, and take it to wherever you want to sit.
2. Go to the counter to order, find a spot to sit, and the food is brought to you.
3. Go to the counter to order, but be expected to already have a seat picked out and be able to tell the person taking your order at the counter where you are sitting. This seating situation is the one that's tough for me as a solo traveler. I can't really set my stuff down at a table and then go up to the counter to order for fear of thievery. Jacket weather is nice for this reason; I can leave the jacket on the seat to save my spot and then go to the counter. You might be wondering why I need to leave something at the seat at all. It's because by the time I go up to the counter and order and make my way back to the table, it's a real possibility and probability that another party will come in and take the spot I wanted.
   
   If it's an "order at the counter" place, you really don't know until you are at the counter what situation you are in -- if you wait for your food there, if they bring it to you at a table, or if you need to know where you're sitting before ordering.
   
   
4. Go to the counter (or in this case, the bar) and be escorted by a barmaid/bartender to a table and order with them or a waiter/waitress. First, you must ask them what the food ordering situation is (Do I order here? Do I seat myself? Do I need a table number?), because they are probably assuming you're standing at the bar just to order a drink.
5. Be escorted to a table by a host/hostess waiting near the entrance and order at your seat with a waiter/waitress. (This is obviously the preferred method, but seems somewhat rare unless you're in a fancier spot. You may or may not be expected to have a reservation, but needing a reservation is becoming more and more common. If you say, "I have a reservation," they might not understand you. You need to say, "I've booked in.")

I'm always hopeful when I go in somewhere that it's not too busy but that I am also not the sole customer. Most places are so busy, perhaps because I've researched and know what's good. I can't tell you how many times I've gone in somewhere, done a little turnabout to try to find a spot, and left because there are no open seats. This feels embarrassing somehow, even though I've seen it done tons of times. And then if I'm the only one in the establishment, it's probably not a great place and I feel like the focus is totally on me, which I also don't like. (Am I thinking about this too much? I'm probably thinking about this too much.)

Anyway... all of that to say, eating a meal out takes some courage for me at first. Once I've done it a few times it's not a big deal anymore. Thank you for reading all that if you made your way through it. 😆

Luckily I found Jasper's not too busy and around the corner from my bed and breakfast where I had dropped my bag. I ordered a mocha and a breakfast sandwich and it was just what I wanted/needed.

Next, I was off on the hike -- Latrigg Fell. I started through town and into the outskirts of Keswick. The views were already so pretty and it was another gorgeous day.

The first bit was uphill, but nothing crazy. I saw horses and sheep in fields, and passed a young woman walking a horse with enormous furry hooves on the trail. But then it started to get challenging.

I was breathing heavy and stopping to catch my breath, but it definitely was not as bad as my first hike at Hallin Fell.

I was walking for about 45 minutes and then I reached the summit.

This was honestly the best part of the trip so far and probably one of the highlights, overall. It was just incredibly beautiful. And I felt free and calm and happy and alive.

I chatted for a few minutes with a couple older gentlemen at the summit (who I had asked to take my photo). We talked about where we are from; I always say Chicago because people know of Chicago and it's easier than "Illinois" or "Central Illinois." They talked about how they had visited Chicago once. They were from Sussex and Cornwall, England. We talked about other hikes nearby and I must be a weenie because they mentioned they had done Helvellyn the day before and I would never have the balls to hike that one. I mean, this is what that mountain looks like.

That's a no for me, dog. It's stunning, though.

I enjoyed the view at Latrigg for quite a while and really wanted to stay up there all day, but eventually I headed down and took a different route. I fell on my actual butt when I was descending. It was steep and gravelly. I feared in the moment I was gonna tumble and keep on going downhill somersault-style, but luckily I stopped after only skidding on my butt for a few feet. I crab-walked my way down for several minutes after that.

It was nice to take a different route back into town because I walked through a wooded area which afforded me some shade.

Here is Latrigg Fell from basically back in town and it looks somewhat pathetic haha. So much more impressive when you're up there.

Keswick Museum was on the way back to my bed and breakfast, so I stopped in to see what it was all about. Would not recommend spending £5 on it. There was not much going on at all, but I did spend about 20 minutes in there trying to seem engaged. Used their toilet and headed on into the town centre where I popped in to some antique and gift shops. Saw the mural below which made me smile. (It's a young Queen Elizabeth II. She loved corgis!)

Got these little cupcake truffles from a candy store. Adorable!

The man at the bed and breakfast had given me my key for later, so I was able to go back and actually get settled into my room. This is what The Edwardene and my little room inside looked like.

My room looked out over the street and I realized on my second day I could see Latrigg Fell poking out over the townhouses!

Took a load off my feet and legs for a bit and then headed back out to look for dinner. I ended up at a pizza place called Woodstone, which is a small chain. I opted for takeaway and stopped into a convenience store to get a pop to go with my pizza. Took it all back to my room and enjoyed!