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Newlands Valley © Pace the Peaks
DISCOVER THE NEWLANDS VALLEY
To the west of Keswick lies the peaceful and unspoilt Newlands Valley, which is well known for its links to Beatrix Potter.
In The Tale of Mrs Tiggywinkle, the star of the book was based upon the vicar’s daughter - Lucie Carr - of the tiny whitewashed Newlands Church. The book is dedicated to ‘the real little Lucie of Newlands’ and you can recognise Catbells, Skelgill and Littletown from Beatrix Potter’s sketches in the book.
The valley is also home to Goldscope mine, the most famous mine in the Lake District. It’s on the lower slopes of Hindscarth near Low Snab farm, and was in use from the 1500s until the end of the 1800s. It yielded such large amounts of lead and copper that it was called ‘Gottesgab’ (God’s Gift) by the German miners who were brought over to develop it.
Today Newlands Valley is an excellent base for a walking holiday, offering a huge variety of walking routes from low level valley paths to ridge and fellside adventures.
It is a fantastic spot for group holidays at Newlands Adventure Centre. Here your party could try rock climbing, mountain biking, canoeing, ghyll scrambling or orienteering.
And if you head out of Newlands Valley on the pass towards Buttermere, stop in the Newlands Hause car park and take the short walk to admire the dramatic waterfall Moss Force.
It’s normal to hold your breath on the remains of the steep descent to the tiny hamlet of Buttermere, partly because the view is breathtaking and partly because the road is so narrow!
Your reward is the circular walk around Buttermere. This lake is just one and a half miles long by three quarters of a mile wide and makes for a nice flat walk - not least because there is a choice of refreshment at the end.
There’s a dedication to the Lake District’s best known fell walker, guide book author and illustrator in the tiny St. James Church. From here you can see Alfred Wainwright’s favourite mountain, Haystacks.
THE NEWLANDS ROUND
The full Newlands Round takes you from Robinson all the way round the head of the Newlands Valley via Hindscarth, Dale Head, High Spy and Maiden Moor to finish up on Catbells. A little scramble on the way up Robinson is the start of a day of classic Lakeland ridge walking. Wind in your hair and views that seem to take you to the very edges of the Lake District as you gaze down on Buttermere at first and later on Borrowdale and Derwentwater, whilst all the time you can see the Newlands Valley with its tiny church, ancient farmsteads and remnants of a mining past nestled below you. At 11 miles and over 4000ft ascent you may find this a bit daunting, but you can always cut back down to the valley from Dale Head or Hause Gate and still feel a real sense of achievement.
Pick up a proper map before you go! 4
KESWICK.ORG
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