Top Hidden Gems Day Trips from Carlisle
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Hidden Gems Day Trips from Carlisle include Lambley Viaduct, Derwentwater, Thirlmere Infinity Pool, Ashness Bridge, Brothers Water, Crummock Water, Rannerdale Knotts and Galleny Force Pools.
Carlisle sits in a fine position for exploring, with the wild edges of the Lake District a drive to the south and the North Pennines reaching away to the east. Head south-east first and you can walk out onto Lambley Viaduct, striding high above the South Tyne in Northumberland.
Turn south into the fells and a run of quieter Lakeland spots opens up around Keswick and Borrowdale: the broad sweep of Derwentwater, the infinity-edge rock pool above Thirlmere, and the much-photographed arch of Ashness Bridge. Push a little further and you reach the Buttermere valley, where Crummock Water lies hemmed by steep fells and Rannerdale Knotts turns blue with bluebells each spring.
Down in the Patterdale country, reed-fringed Brothers Water rests below the Kirkstone Pass, while the pools of Galleny Force tumble through a green fold of Borrowdale. None of these are on the usual coach-tour list, yet each rewards the drive out from the city.
Here are eight hidden gems for a day trip from Carlisle.
Lambley Viaduct
Photo: Trevor Littlewood via Geograph.org.uk
Lambley Viaduct A drive east into Northumberland brings you to this old railway viaduct, carrying a disused line high across the South Tyne gorge near Haltwhistle. Nine tall arches stride over the river about a hundred feet below, and the deck, once single track, now serves as an open footpath you can walk out onto for a view down the wooded valley.
Completed in 1852 for a branch line that hauled coal and lead between Haltwhistle and Alston, it lost its trains in 1976. Steps drop from the deck to the riverbank, and the crossing forms part of the South Tyne Trail.
The Grade II* listed structure was restored in the 1990s.
Derwentwater
Photo: Peter Jeffery via Geograph.org.uk
Derwentwater Roughly forty minutes south of the city, near Keswick, this broad Lakeland sheet of water is scattered with wooded islands and ringed by fells. Catbells rises steeply along the western shore, the great bulk of Skiddaw looms to the north, and a good path runs the whole way around the water.
Launches call at jetties dotted around the lake, so you can hop aboard and admire the scenery from the deck, and rowing boats can be hired from the shore if you fancy taking to the water yourself. Several of the islands are cared for by the National Trust.
Thirlmere Infinity Pool
Photo: Michael Graham via Geograph.org.uk
Thirlmere Infinity Pool Further south again, on the eastern side of the Thirlmere reservoir, a beck called Fisherplace Gill tumbles down the fellside into a natural rock pool. Water gathers here before spilling straight over a lip into the fall below, so the far edge seems to drop away, giving an infinity-edge look out over Thirlmere and the fells beyond; it is at its finest toward sunset.
Reaching it means a steep, faint path of about a mile up from near Legburthwaite, climbing through bracken with a slippery final stretch. The water runs cold and there are no facilities, so come prepared and take care on the descent.
Ashness Bridge
Photo: Tom Pennington via Geograph.org.uk
Ashness Bridge On the narrow lane climbing from Borrowdale toward Watendlath, above the eastern shore of Derwentwater, sits this small humpbacked stone bridge. Built of rough slate, it carries the road over Barrow Beck in a single low arch and ranks among the most photographed spots in the Lake District.
The reason lies in the view from just above it: the bridge in the foreground, Derwentwater below, and Skiddaw rising beyond. Often described as an old packhorse bridge, it sits among bracken and rowan with the beck tumbling underneath.
The surrounding land belongs to the National Trust, and the lane runs on past a lakeside viewpoint to the tucked-away valley of Watendlath.
Brothers Water
Photo: Alexander P Kapp via Geograph.org.uk
Brothers Water Tucked into the Hartsop valley below the Kirkstone Pass, near Patterdale, Brothers Water is one of the smallest lakes in the Lake District: a shallow, reed-fringed sheet that holds perfect reflections of the surrounding fells on a still day. An easy, mostly level path follows its wooded western shore.
The name is said to come from a sad old tale of two brothers who drowned here, back when it was known plainly as Broad Water. It is a quiet, pretty spot for a gentle walk and a cold swim, with water lilies in summer and moorhens and swans about the edges.
The whole valley stays calm and green, ringed by mountains.
Crummock Water
Photo: Gordon Griffiths via Geograph.org.uk
Crummock Water Over in the north-western corner of the Lake District, in the Buttermere valley, Crummock Water lies between Buttermere and Loweswater. Steep fells press close on either side, among them Mellbreak and the Grasmoor group, hemming the water in and giving it a tucked-away feel.
The tall waterfall of Scale Force feeds into it from the hills nearby, and rowing boats can be hired on the lake. Being the quieter neighbour of Buttermere, it makes a peaceful goal for the drive out from the city, well worth the extra miles into this dramatic fold of the fells.
Rannerdale Knotts
Photo: Trevor Littlewood via Geograph.org.uk
Rannerdale Knotts Right beside Crummock Water, a small fell rises above the Buttermere valley, best known for the wild bluebells that carpet its side valley in April and May. It is a short but steep climb of about a thousand feet to a rocky summit, where the view opens over Buttermere and the high fells beyond, with Crummock Water below.
A local legend, more story than history, tells that the bluebells sprang from the blood of a battle fought here against Norman invaders. Paths lead up both from the road and from Buttermere village, so it slots neatly into a day spent exploring this quiet corner of Lakeland.
Galleny Force Pools
Photo: Michael Graham via Geograph.org.uk
Galleny Force Pools Back in Borrowdale, just above the hamlet of Stonethwaite, Galleny Force is a run of pools and low waterfalls often called the Fairy Glen. The beck slides over rock into clear pools among trees, ferns and mossy boulders, made for paddling and wild swimming on warm days.
A short walk upstream from the village leads you to it, along the Cumbria Way and the Coast to Coast route. It sits in a green, sheltered fold of the valley, a fitting last stop on a day of Lakeland wandering out from the city.
FAQs
How far is the Lake District from Carlisle?
Not far at all. Keswick and Derwentwater lie roughly forty minutes south of Carlisle by car, and the Buttermere valley, with Crummock Water and Rannerdale Knotts, is a little beyond that, making the northern Lakes an easy day trip from the city.
Which of these gems are good for wild swimming?
Three are known for it: the infinity-edge rock pool above Thirlmere, reed-fringed Brothers Water near Patterdale, and the pools of Galleny Force in Borrowdale. All lie within an hour or so of Carlisle, though the water stays cold and facilities are scarce.
Is Lambley Viaduct worth the drive?
Yes. Lambley Viaduct sits east of Carlisle in Northumberland, striding high above the South Tyne near Haltwhistle. You can walk out onto the deck for long views down the valley, and it links into the South Tyne Trail for a longer ramble.
Conclusion
The country around Carlisle rewards anyone willing to point the car south into the fells or east along the South Tyne. In a single day you might walk out over Lambley Viaduct, wander the shores of Derwentwater and Crummock Water, or climb Rannerdale Knotts for its bluebells and views.
Cooler heads might save the wild swimming at the Thirlmere pool, Brothers Water or Galleny Force for a warm afternoon, and photographers will want the classic scene at Ashness Bridge. Each spot sits a little off the beaten track, so a bit of planning and a decent pair of boots go a long way.
Pack a flask, check the weather, and set off early: from viaducts to hidden pools, these are the hidden gems for a day trip from Carlisle.
