Hotels in Keswick

Keswick's hotels range from grand country houses on the lower slopes of Skiddaw to unpretentious town-centre inns that have been putting up walkers for two hundred years, and the choice usually comes down to how much you want to be in the thick of things. Staying inside the town means you can leave the car for days at a time, walk to the market square for breakfast supplies, and be back at the bar within minutes of coming off the fells, though the trade-off is less space and sometimes a view of a neighbouring roofline rather than a lake.

Just outside the centre, a short walk or drive brings you to properties with gardens, parking and often a genuine view of Skiddaw or Derwentwater, aimed at guests who want a quieter night's sleep and don't mind a five or ten minute walk into town for dinner. Several of the area's best-known country house hotels sit in this bracket, built originally as Victorian villas for the wealthy families who first popularised the Lakes as a holiday destination, and many still trade on large gardens and long-standing reputations for their restaurants.

At the more modest end, Keswick has a strong tradition of family-run guesthouses and bed and breakfasts, many of them in the tall Victorian terraces around Eskin Street and Helvellyn Street, offering the kind of straightforward, well-run overnight stop that has kept walkers coming back for generations. Standards here are generally high and consistent, since the town's economy depends so heavily on repeat visitors and word of mouth, and a hearty breakfast is close to a universal given.

Whichever type of stay you choose, book ahead for anything in July, August or over the Keswick Convention in the summer, when the town's beds fill quickly and last-minute options thin out fast.