Nic and Sue’s Euro River Cruise and l bits on the side. Autumn 2026. Day 14 – Plan C. Dumfries to Windermere via Keswick.

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Breaky in my first real Bed and Breakfast. It was a nice change to have breakfast served at the table. A yummy porridge and bacon and eggs AND a real good strong pot of tea.

The rain returned today with 100% chance of rain in Dumfries. We hit the road at 8:25 heading for Windermere via Keswick in the Lakes district. Luckily the skies began to lighten and the sun poked out.

With a few little navigation hiccups (mainly due to me not listening carefully enough to google maps) we arrived into Keswick after passing through yet more typical, now English, views. We crossed the border into England with little fanfare and certainly no time for a photo of the sign.
We turned down to the village of Bassenthwaite and the little lanes were so narrow and overgrown. Somewhere along the line we entered the Lakes District National Park.
Keswick is a quaint lakeside Village, we drove around and out of town past the Standing stones, stopped for a loo break and coffee at The Hungry Heifer Cafe. It was part of an Outdoor Adventure place with a climbing wall and other activities targeting school groups and adventure tours use them when it’s wet. The young woman who served us and was very happy to share info about Keswick where she grew up and has returned to.

We then headed back over the hill, grabbed a roadside park right beside the Castlerigg Stone Circle.

From there we had a bit of trouble finding the Derwentwater Lake Cruise that was recommended. In the end I asked a helpful police officer who gave us some directions.
Nice to see the Lakes District from the water, again it’s all about the scenery. So many dogs around these tourist towns. There were several on the cruise and just so many wandering town with their owners.

Following the Derwent Water Lake Cruise I did a short walk in the woods hoping for some critters. All I captured was a flower.

Many villages we passed through today with the most British of names including. Basselthwaite, Dodd Wood Forest, Threlkeld, Underskiddaw, Penrith, Hartsop, Bothel, Ullapool, Ullswater, Troutbeck, Cockermouth, Patterdale, Brigend, Glenridding, Ae, Kirkstone Pass so many interesting names.

Following Keswick we headed to Windermere, the more touristy town in the Lakes District. Once again I took the drive off the main route by adding some other villages into the mix. We ended up and over the Kirkstone pass, with soaring rock strewn Mountains either side. The stone fences were prevalent and left us astounded as to the craftsmanship required to build them, and build so straight and strong to last for how many hundreds of years. Right alongside the already skinny road, houses, churches, bridges, buildings made from the same stone. The fences were incredibly strong and long they were in the paddocks containing livestock, then there were stone fences climbing the soaring mountains – so steep it’s hard to figure how they did it.

We then descended down towards the Lake at Ullswater and finally into Windermere, a bit of a drive around down to Bowness on Windermere and checked out the Lake. People everywhere.

Checked into our BnB – Windermere BnB – it’s a bit tired looking and the decor ???, but we have a room.
A short walk around town and tea at Windermere’s smallest and cosiest pub just round the corner The Crafty Ba’a – it was small and cosy and chock a block full of recycled stuff.
Then home to shower and chill out.