Castlerigg Stone Circle, Ashness Bridge, & Surprise View
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Breakfast at The Edwardene was served in a small dining room on the ground floor from 8:00-9:00 am. I came down right at 8:00. The man who checked me in the day prior was the one taking orders from the menu offering the full English breakfast. I got bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast. They also had coffee, tea, juices, yogurt, fruit, cereal, and oatmeal available on a buffet. It was a pretty little Victorian looking room. (Or I guess maybe Edwardian?) I sat near the window each day.
The bed and breakfast even had a little lounge room for guests to hang out in. I definitely recommend The Edwardene!
Enjoyed my breakfast and coffee, finished getting ready, and headed out for my first hike of the day to Castlerigg Stone Circle.
I was blessed by this sweetie on the street. I saw him and another orange cat later in the day too. 😇
The walk took about 35 minutes. And then the stone circle appeared behind some hedges.
I saw another solo female visitor, so I asked her if she could take my photo and then I took hers. 😊 I like how far away she was because you can see the scale of the circle.
Castlerigg Stone Circle is a prominent Neolithic monument, thought to be one of the oldest in Britain, dating back to around 3000 BC. It's a collection of 38 large stones, some standing up to 3 meters (10 feet) high, arranged in a circle on a plateau surrounded by mountains. The circle is believed to have been constructed during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages, part of a megalithic tradition.
The mountains in the background are so beautiful. It definitely feels mystical.
It would've been more gorgeous on a sunny day, but honestly I kinda liked the vibe with the low clouds.
Headed back the way I came to catch the bus back to Keswick. A fairly quick 30 minute walk. I had to pee real bad and not that you need to know this, but I did find a very secluded spot and just did my thing out there in the English countryside! Sometimes you gotta. 🤷
I set up my tripod for that one and didn't edit it and you can sure tell. So dark and not centered. Oh well!
That evening I went to a theater production called Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Theatre by the Lake. Fun fact: this theater was opened by Dame Judi Dench in 1999. Some parts of the show were certainly giving tiny community theater, but there was definitely a few very talented people too. I enjoyed it! Saw this horse on my walk to the theater.
Walked through Keswick for a bit and then I was out in the countryside. It was a grey and cloudy day, but not raining yet.
Here's the map of Keswick and the nearest lake, Derwentwater. You can see where the stone circle is located outside of town. You can also see Latrigg at the very top of this graphic.
I hung out for maybe 20 minutes taking it in and then headed back into Keswick.
There's a market every Saturday in Keswick town centre so I checked out the stalls of clothing, hiking gear, meats, cheeses, desserts. After that I went back to my room for a bit and planned my next move.
It was still pretty early, but it had started raining and I wasn't sure what I should do. I decided to brave it and head out for a second hike -- to Ashness Bridge and Surprise View.
I took a short bus ride from Keswick so that my walking time was greatly reduced. You can see below how far Ashness Bridge is from Keswick, so the bus ride was definitely needed. I got off the bus near where it says Ashness Gate Derwentwater Landing. My walk from there was about 15 minutes.
The little structure behind the bridge is just a one room resting area with a fireplace for walkers. There was a volunteer in there chatting with people and a guestbook which I signed. It's cute to think that my name will always be in that guestbook!
From there, I walked a further 15 minutes to get to Surprise View.
I saw this lost sheep and baby in the road at one point and felt sad and worried, but what can ya do.
There it is! Surprise!
Apparently on a clear day you can see the distant shores of Scotland. I wish I would've got a clear day.
Headed back the way I came to catch the bus back to Keswick. A fairly quick 30 minute walk. I had to pee real bad and not that you need to know this, but I did find a very secluded spot and just did my thing out there in the English countryside! Sometimes you gotta. 🤷
The bus pick-up spot was basically on the shore of Derwentwater and I had a bit of time to wait, so strolled along the water.
That evening I went to a theater production called Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Theatre by the Lake. Fun fact: this theater was opened by Dame Judi Dench in 1999. Some parts of the show were certainly giving tiny community theater, but there was definitely a few very talented people too. I enjoyed it! Saw this horse on my walk to the theater.
Walked "home" in the pouring rain after the show, but it was kind of nice to see Keswick at night and with the rainy sheen.
