The Pheasant sits in wooded country near Bassenthwaite, in the quiet north-western corner of the national park where the crowds thin out considerably. Skiddaw stands to the east, Whinlatter forest rises to the south, and the lake itself is one of very few places in England where ospreys breed. Keswick is about twenty minutes away when you want a town.
Quick Facts
Ospreys returned to breed at Bassenthwaite in 2001 after an absence of around 150 years, and it remains one of a very small number of English sites where they nest. Viewpoints operate through the season with telescopes and volunteers who know exactly where the birds are. Watching one fish — the hover, then the drop — is not something you forget, and it is worth an hour even if birds are not usually your thing.
Bassenthwaite is also, strictly speaking, the only true 'lake' in the Lake District by name; every other one is a mere, a water or a tarn.
Whinlatter Forest, a short drive south, is England's only true mountain forest — waymarked walking and cycling trails climbing steeply through the trees, with a genuinely good chance of red squirrels, which survive here in one of their last English strongholds. It also handles rain considerably better than open fell, which in this corner of Cumbria is a practical consideration.
Twenty minutes south, Keswick is an honest market town with roughly 750 years of trading behind its square, a good theatre by the lake, and outdoor shops that serve fell-walkers rather than souvenir hunters. Derwentwater beyond it is arguably the most beautifully composed lake in the district, with launches calling round the shore that work perfectly well as transport.
Our scheduled tours depart Windermere station, Bowness Pier 1 and Ambleside library — all a long drive south from here. A private day collected at the inn is the practical arrangement, and can run the northern fells or head south to the famous names.
The grand sweep: ten lakes, the high passes between them, and an Ullswater Steamers cruise exclusive to this tour. If a celebration stay deserves one great day out, this is it.
See dates & bookCollected at the door, your party only, the day shaped to you — literary landscapes, hidden valleys, or simply the most beautiful roads we know. Well-behaved dogs are welcome aboard in our vehicle crates.
Enquire about a private dayDove Cottage at Grasmere — entry included as standard — and the valleys that made the poems, with Dora's Field carpeted gold in daffodil season. The right literary day for this most Georgian of addresses.
See dates & bookAcross the lake to Hill Top and Near Sawrey, with our illustration-matching walk through the village lanes — back for a long lakeside lunch.
See dates & bookThe afternoon version crosses the lake by boat rather than by road — worth choosing if you'd like the crossing itself to be part of the day.
See dates & bookA slow hall morning, then eight lakes and their valleys at a seven-seat pace — the most civilised way to spend a Lakeland afternoon.
See dates & bookThe same eight lakes as the afternoon tour, run the opposite way round in the morning — ideal if you'd rather keep your afternoon free for the lawns.
See dates & bookA full literary day east to Haworth — the Parsonage, the cobbled village, and the moors that gave Wuthering Heights its weather, newly magnetic with the recent film. Oxenholme pickup available.
See dates & bookInto the Dales for Grassington's "Darrowby", the Wensleydale Creamery, Kilnsey Crag and Bolton Abbey — filming locations brought to life around you with live scene technology.
See dates & bookFrom the northern lakes this is genuinely how it works rather than an upsell — the scheduled pickups are a long drive south, so we collect at the inn and shape the route around your party. Well-behaved dogs are welcome aboard, travelling safely in our vehicle crates.
Not sure which route suits your plans, or want a day built entirely from scratch — a family reunion, a wedding anniversary, scattering ashes somewhere that mattered? Tell us what you have in mind and we'll design a day around it — see our guide to celebrating a special occasion for ideas, or get in touch directly.
In wooded country near Bassenthwaite Lake in the north-western corner of the national park, about twenty minutes from Keswick.
In season, yes — Bassenthwaite is one of very few English breeding sites, with staffed viewpoints operating through the summer.
On private tours, yes — we collect at the inn. Our scheduled departures leave Windermere station, Bowness Pier 1 and Ambleside library, all a long drive south, so private touring suits guests here far better.
Whinlatter Forest's trails take the worst of it under the canopy, and Keswick has the theatre, the Ruskin-era museums and plenty of shelter.
We are an independent local tour operator. This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Pheasant Inn or the Inn Collection Group.