How to get here
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Postcode: CA12 5UP (please note that in rural locations post codes often cover a wide area - so don't believe the SatNav, look for the signs!)
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Grid ref: Grid ref: NY271222
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Find us on Google Maps
Great Wood car park is 2 miles outside Keswick on the B5289. As you head down the Borrowdale Road you will be tempted to turn into the first National Trust entrance you see on the left, however if you park here you may find yourself locked in! Just keep going for about another 100m and you'll reach the entrance to the car park which is on the left hand side, marked by a roadside sign.
How much does it cost to park?
National Trust members can scan to park for free, but if you’re not a member don't forget some change as due to our rural location there is very limited mobile signal which means we can't take card or phone payment at all our car parks. Every penny directly funds our work in the valley to care for wildlife, walls, paths, cottages and farms.
2 hours: £5.00
4 hours: £7.00
All Day: £8.50
Parking at Great Wood is just the beginning...
It's one of the most popular photo opportunities to be had on the shores of Derwent Water. Just across the road from the entrance to Great Wood, you'll find some steps down to a path that leads to the lakeshore at Calfclose Bay, where you can see the well known Centenary Stone sculpture.
Take some snaps, relax on bench and drink in the views, or if you fancy something a bit more adventurous, this is a great place to access the 10 miles of easy level walking that makes up the round Derwent Water walk
There are also a number of waymarked walks in this area, the longest of which (though still do-able in around 2 hours) starts from Great Wood car park and climbs up to the top of the internationally significant Atlantic Oakwood. People often spot red squirrels and even roe deer in the wood, and from the top of the hill a few 'windows' through the trees give glimpses out over Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite.
