Parking
No dedicated parking at the start. Use Keswick town car parks and begin at the bus station outside Booths. Portinscale has only limited on-street parking, so parking in Keswick and returning by bus works best.
Overview
About Howrah’s Path, Keswick to Portinscale
Why go
- Level, stile-free route with big mountain views
- Useful one-way link between two villages
Heads up
- Some walking beside roads and across a bridge
- Short route is more of a valley link than a wilderness outing
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation75–87 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Lake District alerts
- ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
- ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake District Tour Guide
Your drive to Howrah’s Path, Keswick to Portinscale, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Keswick: Market Town and Castle Head0:00 / 1:12
“You're drawing near Keswick's town centre, where you can combine a look around the shops with a short climb for a view over Derwentwater.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Derwentwater and Friar’s Crag
- Keswick Railway Trail: River and Tunnel
- Skiddaw and Latrigg from Gale Road
- Great Wood: Walla Crag or Woodland Loop
- 298 audio storiesacross Lake District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Eurasian Otter, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 265 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Howrah’s Path, Keswick to Portinscale
Route and distanceThis is a point-to-point walk, stored as a one-way corridor from Keswick to Portinscale,…
This is a point-to-point walk, stored as a one-way corridor from Keswick to Portinscale, roughly an hour and a half at an easy pace with stops. The figure of 2.1 miles quoted on the official route card appears to count the return journey; the mapped point-to-point walk measures about 1 mile each way. Plan on a short one-way stroll and decide separately how you will get back.
What you walk onThe sequence starts at the bus station beside the supermarket in Keswick, follows pavements…
The sequence starts at the bus station beside the supermarket in Keswick, follows pavements alongside roads, joins a short section of minor road, then opens onto a wide, level path across fields beside the River Derwent floodplain. A suspension footbridge carries you over the river before the final approach into Portinscale.
ViewsThe field section is the highlight, with open outlooks toward Skiddaw to the north and Catbells…
The field section is the highlight, with open outlooks toward Skiddaw to the north and Catbells across the valley. It reads as a valley link rather than a wilderness outing, which makes it a good choice for a low-effort afternoon or a first walk of a trip.
Access notesIt is listed as an easier, flat, stile-free walk described as suitable for wheelchairs and…
It is listed as an easier, flat, stile-free walk described as suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Bear in mind it still includes pavement beside traffic, a minor road and a footbridge, so judge the crossings and bridge against your own needs before setting out.
At the far endPortinscale centre has village amenities for a drink or a break before you turn around or catch…
Portinscale centre has village amenities for a drink or a break before you turn around or catch a bus. Keswick at the other end offers the fuller range of shops and cafes.
Getting backBuses serve both ends, which makes the one-way walk straightforward without a car shuttle.
Buses serve both ends, which makes the one-way walk straightforward without a car shuttle. Check current times locally before you go rather than relying on a fixed schedule.
DogsDogs are welcome.
Dogs are welcome. Keep them close where the route passes livestock, runs beside roads, and crosses the footbridge.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake District
81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
