Keswick’s biggest
Lower Fitz Park
Playing field
11 ha (28 acres)2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Keswick
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Richard Humphrey · CC BY-SA 2.0A+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Keswick · parks, paths & countryside
Keswick is inside the Lake District National Park
A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 100% of residents. Parks and playing fields in Keswick add up to 9.1 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Keswick grades A+ for the outdoors: #1 of 23 in Cumbria. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
9.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
58 km
4.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
100%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Lake District National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Keswick?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Inside the Lake District National ParkKeswick sits inside it: 2,362 km² of protected landscape.Room to roam9.1 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 95% of UK towns.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Hills with a view6 mapped viewpoints, about 12× as many per resident as the typical town its size.
Keswick’s strongest suit is a protected landscape all round, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Keswick grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Keswick, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A+
Better than almost every UK town#1 of 23 in Cumbria · 1st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space9.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
95out of
100
100
A park within a walk100%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
89out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape100%of the land within 5 km
100out of
100
100
Footpaths4.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
83out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland
42out of
100
100
Graded, never part of the overall grade (like History and Civic life). It measures what is mapped: OS Open Greenspace leaves out woodland and open-access land that isn’t a park, and OpenStreetMap’s rural paths are more complete in some places than others.
Towns its size
Keswick is 1st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,300 to 4,600 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Outdoors score: the share of UK towns each one beats
Footpath, km per km²
Keswick4.1
Towns its size2.7
Cumbria towns2.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Keswick9.1
Towns its size2.1
Cumbria towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Keswick100%
Towns its size88%
Cumbria towns84%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Keswick stands out most for park space per resident: only 5 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keswick Cumbria | A+ | 9.1 | 100% | 4.1 | 100% |
| 2 | Lawford Essex | A+ | 3.4 | 94% | 2.8 | 40% |
| 3 | Chipstead and Woodmansterne Surrey | A+ | 10.3 | 92% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 4 | Great Denham Bedfordshire | A | 14.7 | 100% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 5 | Monkton Heathfield Somerset | A | 2.4 | 100% | 4.4 | 8% |
| 6 | Aberbargoed Gwent | A | 22.8 | 95% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 7 | Overton Hampshire | A | 3.7 | 92% | 2.5 | 45% |
| 8 | Fortuneswell Dorset | A | 1.1 | 100% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 9 | Kimberley Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Stanton Hill and Skegby Nottinghamshire | A− | 16.1 | 83% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 11 | Whittle-le-Woods Lancashire | A− | 7.7 | 91% | 4 | 0% |
| 12 | Exminster Devon | A− | 2.5 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 13 | Nantyglo Gwent | A− | 2.5 | 82% | 3.7 | 29% |
| 14 | Stokenchurch Buckinghamshire | A− | 2.3 | 90% | 2.6 | 86% |
| 15 | Wheathampstead Hertfordshire | A− | 3.1 | 93% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 16 | Horsford Norfolk | B+ | 6.5 | 97% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 17 | Girton Cambridgeshire | B+ | 2.8 | 92% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Elmswell Suffolk | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 19 | Clayton West and Scissett West Yorkshire | B | 1.4 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire | B | 4.5 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Blackhall Colliery County Durham | B | 1.1 | 95% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Earby Lancashire | B− | 1.4 | 93% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Alderley Edge Cheshire | B− | 2.2 | 86% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Finedon Northamptonshire | B− | 3.9 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Cwmavon West Glamorgan | B− | 2.3 | 75% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Irchester Northamptonshire | B− | 8.2 | 83% | 2 | 0% |
| 27 | Tibshelf Derbyshire | B− | 1.4 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Toddington Bedfordshire | B− | 0.9 | 86% | 3.1 | 8% |
| 29 | Milford on Sea Hampshire | C+ | 1.2 | 50% | 2.1 | 21% |
| 30 | Blaina Gwent | C+ | 2.1 | 53% | 3.1 | 13% |
| 31 | Stamford Bridge East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Brinsley and Underwood Nottinghamshire | C+ | 3.3 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Iwade Kent | C+ | 0.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Howden East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 3.6 | 94% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Southminster Essex | C+ | 1.8 | 92% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Halfway Houses Kent | C | 1.8 | 71% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Queen's Hills Norfolk | C | 0.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 38 | Backworth Tyne and Wear | C | 2 | 59% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 39 | Hope Clwyd | C | 8.5 | 64% | 2 | 0% |
| 40 | Eccleston Lancashire | C | 2.4 | 83% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Clapham Bedfordshire | C | 1.3 | 94% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 42 | Kilburn and Horsley Woodhouse Derbyshire | C | 1.6 | 75% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Skelmanthorpe West Yorkshire | C | 1 | 88% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Brundall Norfolk | C | 1.6 | 62% | 2.3 | 20% |
| 45 | Meopham Kent | C | 1.3 | 53% | 2.5 | 35% |
| 46 | Coxhoe County Durham | C | 1.4 | 66% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Long Lawford Warwickshire | C | 1.2 | 91% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Cuffley Hertfordshire | C− | 13.6 | 19% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Wesham Lancashire | C− | 1.7 | 87% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Saxilby Lincolnshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Chudleigh Devon | C− | 0.3 | 83% | 1.4 | 15% |
| 52 | Epworth Lincolnshire | C− | 1.6 | 75% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Freckleton Lancashire | D | 0.4 | 73% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Linton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.1 | 67% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Shepperton Green Surrey | D | 1.4 | 73% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Ynysybwl Mid Glamorgan | D | 2.3 | 60% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Banks Lancashire | D | 0.3 | 33% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Lakenheath Suffolk | D | 1.1 | 57% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Broughton Lincolnshire | D | 0.9 | 39% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Elm and Emneth Norfolk | D | 2.2 | 45% | 0.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Keswick’s built-up area.
Green space: parks, gardens, playing fields and play spaces, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · Contains OS data © Crown copyright · Natural England / NRW
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Keswick
The biggest is Lower Fitz Park, 11 ha (28 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 5 named parks by size: 33 ha (81 acres) and 5 km of path
Parks & gardens 18 haPlaying fields 15 ha
The two biggest, Lower Fitz Park and The Town's Field, are 58% of the named green space and carry 3 km of path between them.
The Town's Field
Park or garden
7.8 ha (19 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi north-eastfrom the centre
2 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Crow Park
Park or garden
7.8 ha (19 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Upper Fitz Park
Park or garden
2.1 ha (5 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Keswick
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Davidson Park Rugby Football Ground
Playing field
3.9 ha (10 acres)
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
Everyone in Keswick lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace).
Within 400 m (100%)Further (0%)
Keswick100%
Towns its size88%
Cumbria towns84%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 4 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,116 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Keswick
Protected landscapes within 30 km, by direction and distance from the edge of the built-up area; circle size shows each one’s area. National Landscapes were called Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty until 2023.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
National Park
Lake District
Keswick is inside it2,362 km²since 1951100% of the land within 5 km
Official site100% of the land within 5 km of Keswick is National Park or National Landscape, more than 99% of UK towns. Lake District National Park covers 2,362 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
8 waymarked walks pass through or near Keswick
58 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Keswick and the kilometre around it, 4.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Cumbria Way8.8 km
Accessible walk to Broomhill Point, North Lakes Outdoors5.2 km
Lakeside Amble, North Lakes Outdoors5.2 km
Walla Crag to Ashness Bridge walk, North Lakes Outdoors5.0 km
Great Wood Walk, North Lakes Outdoors2.7 km
Castle Head Viewpoint, North Lakes Outdoors2.1 km
Derwent Water and Cockshot Wood Accessible Loop, North Lakes Outdoors1.6 km
Stargazing Walk at Friars Crag, North Lakes Outdoors1.4 km
Close to home, the Accessible walk to Broomhill Point, North Lakes Outdoors has 5 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Cumbria Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
When to get out
The best walking months in Keswick: May to September
The town’s 1991–2020 averages (Met Office HadUK-Grid) and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15 °C or more and little rain for the town.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 7.8 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.3 | 7.3 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 193 | 163 | 121 | 80 | 93 | 104 | 117 | 149 | 143 | 193 | 189 | 221 |
April is the driest month (80 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 221 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 47 nights a year. The climate in Keswick →
Things to do
6 viewpoints, 4 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the town in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK town its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Keswick is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Double Mills Beach9.2 mi from Keswick’s edge
DirectionsNorth Beach18 mi from Keswick’s edge
DirectionsThe Beach18 mi from Keswick’s edge
DirectionsFleswick Bay20 mi from Keswick’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Up high. Castlehead, at 162 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Keswick.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Castlehead0.1 mi from town
DirectionsFriar's Crag0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 7
Castlehead162 m (531 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsLatrigg369 m (1,211 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPike359 m (1,178 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsWalla Crag379 m (1,243 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsStub Hill1.0 mi from town
DirectionsCopperheap Hill1.1 mi from town
DirectionsSwinside245 m (803 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 3
Plus 3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 4
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Castlerigg Hall Caravan & Camping Park0.2 mi from town
DirectionsCastlerigg Farm0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
CockermouthKeswick
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keswick | A+ | 9.1 | 100% | 100% |
| Cockermouth 10.3 mi | B | 2.6 | 81% | 42% |
Keswick grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table.
Questions about the outdoors in Keswick
What is the biggest park in Keswick?
Lower Fitz Park, 11 ha (28 acres), with 2.1 km of path. The Town's Field (7.8 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
What are the best walks near Keswick?
8 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Cumbria Way, Accessible walk to Broomhill Point, North Lakes Outdoors and Lakeside Amble, North Lakes Outdoors. Lower Fitz Park alone has 2.1 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Keswick?
Double Mills Beach, 9.2 mi from the edge of the town, then North Beach (18 mi). Keswick itself is inland.
How many people in Keswick live near a park?
100% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace). The typical UK town is 83%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Keswick?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Keswick good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 83% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 95% (9.1 ha per 1,000 residents).
How is the Outdoors Grade worked out?
From five measures, each placed among UK towns of 1,000 or more: public green space per resident, the share living near a park, National Park or National Landscape within 5 km, footpaths per square kilometre, and the sea within 5 km. It is a character grade and isn’t part of Keswick’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Keswick’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks and green space: Ordnance Survey OS Open Greenspace (parks and gardens, playing fields, play spaces, and their access points). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- National Parks and National Landscapes: Natural England and Natural Resources Wales boundaries, areas and designation dates, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Footpaths, walking routes, beaches and things to do: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License (ODbL), via Geofabrik, 16 October 2026.
- Historic parks, listed buildings and monuments: Historic England, National Heritage List for England, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Rain and temperature: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the town; daylight calculated from its latitude.
- The sea: ONS Countries (December 2024) boundaries clipped to mean high water. Residents near a park: ONS Census 2021 output areas.
- Grade: TownRatings’ Outdoors Grade, ranked against UK towns only.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.