Latrigg

You can walk up Latrigg from Keswick without touching the car. The usual line goes through Fitz Park, past the old railway station and up Spooney Green Lane, the bridleway signed for Skiddaw, which crosses the A66 on a bridge. Above the bypass the path zigzags up through a conifer plantation. The steepest pull lasts about half a kilometre, then the gradient eases onto open grass.

For a short outing, drive past Applethwaite towards Underscar and on to the free car park at the end of Gale Road (roughly 15 spaces, postcode CA12 4PQ). It is already at about 280m, so the summit is only a few minutes' stroll on grass, and a surfaced path for limited mobility runs out to the viewpoint. Gale Road is also the start of the main path up Skiddaw, which is why it fills early on fine weekends. A quieter approach comes in from Threlkeld, crossing Glenderaterra Beck and following the long east ridge.

Underfoot there is a stony bridleway, a plantation path that gets muddy after rain, and then sheep-cropped turf. There is no scrambling and no exposure anywhere.

The summit is a grassy ridge rather than a peak. The steep south face is what makes it: Keswick sits directly below, with Derwentwater running down to Borrowdale and the central fells stacked up behind. Bassenthwaite Lake is off to the west, and Skiddaw and Blencathra fill the view north and east. The bench is on the best viewpoint, a little short of the highest point.

Near the top is a wind-bent tree known as The Witch, which from the right angle looks like a figure riding a broomstick.