2025.10 UK & More - Castlerigg Stone Circle & Lake District

2025.10 UK & More – Castlerigg Stone Circle & Lake District

After packing up and checking out of our hotel in Penrith we headed west into the Lake District. When driving west from Penrith there is an old stone circle just as you enter Keswick (KESS-ic, this time the W and second K are just there for show, not pronunciation). Although I thought we were traveling during a quiet period, somehow this day was the start or continuation of school holidays. Instead of quiet towns to stop in at, they were overflowing with visitors. Parking was at a premium, so we enjoyed the scenery and skipped visiting the towns as we headed south through the district.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

This attraction is well signed and the best way to get to it, is to drive into Keswick, and then make the short drive east to it. There were signs along the east/west road, however that would put you on a road that is almost a single car’s width, albeit it’s signed as a two-way road. Parking is on the side of the road, and the location is actively used for sheep grazing, so watch where you step, unless you want a smelly surprise on your footwear. Below is a slideshow from our stop:

Convenient for us was that there was an indoor/outdoor climbing shop just down the road from the stones. We were happy to use it as a pitstop, and get some hot chocolate. From there we continued on our drive through the district. I stayed on the main road, and it was scenic on its own. The upside of us traveling north to south, was that the majority of other visitors were traveling from the south. This meant that when we drove through the towns, there was always a long line of congestion headed northbound, but for us headed south the traffic never seemed as busy as the other side. When we arrived in Ambleside it felt as if the whole population of London were trying to visit the town. No parking was to be found, and we continued on our way. Little Miss found a place for us to have lunch as we approached Kendal. It worked out to be a perfect choice:

This restaurant serves Roast dinner, every day of the week. Not having Roast dinner yesterday we happily ordered it. Excluding the home cooked version, this was the best meal we had. The meal was even better when a few other restaurant guests arrived with dogs, to provide an opportunity for Little Miss to make more furry friends.

A few final pictures; first up, a lovely wildlife warning sign in the District:

The second set of pictures from the highway. Coming across this rest stop made me think that filming for Men in Black spin-off or reboot could take place here.