Borrowdale

Borrowdale is the deep, wooded valley that runs south from the head of Derwentwater into the central fells, and many people think it the most beautiful in the Lake District. Rather than one village it is a string of hamlets: Grange, with its double arched bridge, then Rosthwaite, Stonethwaite, Seatoller at the foot of Honister Pass and Seathwaite at the end of the road, often called the wettest inhabited place in England.

The valley narrows dramatically at the Jaws of Borrowdale between Grange and Rosthwaite, where Castle Crag rises as a small, steep, wooded summit with an old quarry and a fine view. Nearby is the Bowder Stone, a huge boulder balanced on one edge that you can climb by ladder. On the road in from Keswick are Lodore Falls and, up a side road, Ashness Bridge, Surprise View and the hamlet of Watendlath.

From Seathwaite and Stonethwaite the paths lead to the highest ground in England: Great Gable, Glaramara and Scafell Pike via Styhead or the Corridor Route. Honister Slate Mine, at the top of the pass above Seatoller, offers mine tours and a via ferrata. The valley is at its finest in autumn, when the oak woods turn and the bracken glows, and on clear winter days when snow lies on the high fells.

Parking is the problem. Lay bys and car parks fill early, and the verges at Seathwaite are lined with cars on fine days. The 78 bus from Keswick runs right up the valley and is by far the easiest option. Mobile signal is poor.