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Skiddaw Friends of Nature Bunkhouse,
Bassenthwaite,
Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4QX
Welcome to Skiddaw Friends of Nature Bunkhouse!
Skiddaw House is a century-old cottage, formerly used by shepherds and gamekeepers. It is the highest YHA bunkhouse in Britain at 1550 feet/470 metres above sea level and one of the most remote hostels in England, in the heart of the English Lake District. We look forward to seeing you up at Skiddaw Friends of Nature House soon!
Martin and Marie-Pierre
(Read our latest news for 2015 here)
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The House: The rustic and cosy self catering house includes 22 beds in 4 dormitories, flush toilets, gas ring cookers, limited hot water and wood burning stoves. All of which help create a very special atmosphere in a unique landscape. The house is open for most of the year, but it is recommended that you make sure it is open before travelling, or make a reservation. Please see further down on this page for details of how to do this. Opening Dates and Times for 2015: * The house will be CLOSED from 1st January to 28th February 2015. * The house will be OPEN EVERY DAY from 1st March to 31st October 2015. * Note that the house is NO LONGER available to GROUPS in the winter. * Arrivals are welcome from 5.00 p.m., and we would be grateful if you could try to depart by 10.00 a.m. Price List for 2015: Prices are per person and include bed linen. * Over 21: £15.00 per night * 16 to 21: £12.00 per night * Under 16: £8.00 per night * Camping (all ages): £7.00 per night * Self Help Breakfast Trolley Meal: £3.50 These are discounted prices for IFN members. Make sure you contact us by phone or email to specify that you are a member. See below! |
Facilities: Skiddaw Friends of Nature House is a remote Youth Hostel, but can offer the following facilities: * The house opens at 5 pm each day. There is early access to a shelter for pre-booked people. * 22 beds in 4, 5 and 6 bedded rooms. Bedding is included. * Hot water, shower and indoor toilets. * A gas-heated drying room. * A self-catering kitchen. A 'Help Yourself' breakfast is available for £3.50 per person. * A small shop selling enough supplies to make an evening meal. * A comfortable common room with coal and wood burning stove. * A sitting-room with books, board games and musical instruments * 24v lighting. There is no mains electricity so please bring a torch. * Camping is available. Smoking: For the comfort of all our guests smoking is not permitted anywhere in the house. |
** Skiddaw Friends of Nature House has It All **
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* Walking in the area Skiddaw House makes an excellent base or stop-over point for those exploring the northern fells of the Lake District. Skiddaw, one of Lakeland's four 'three thousand footers' can be climbed via the north-east ridge of Lonscale Fell - curiously named 'Burnt Horse' - then over Little Man to the summit. Descend via Sale How, which points you straight back towards the house. The landscape nearby is full of interest for naturalists, (including a S.S.S.I. - Site of Special Scientific Interest) and the fine series of waterfalls at Whitewater Dash are only 1.5 miles north-west. The rest of the open fell country, known locally as 'Back o' Skiddaw', provides some delightful walking. A splendid introduction to the area is a walk over Great Calva and Knott, taking in the dramatic gorge and waterfalls of Roughton Gill en route to High Pike, and then returning via Grainsgill Beck and the Caldew Valley. * Inter-hostel walking routes Various walks from Skiddaw House link up with Keswick, Cockermouth, Borrowdale and Derwent Water hostels. Details of these routes are available from Skiddaw House. Please feel free to ask for advice. |
* The Cumbria Way Skiddaw House lies on the Cumbria Way, a 70-mile walk through the heart of the Lake District National Park, and makes an ideal out-of-the-way alternative to staying in Keswick. Starting at Ulverston on the shores of Morecambe Bay, the route goes north across green valleys and wild fells, through attractive villages and along lake shores, ending in Carlisle. * Mountain Biking Skiddaw House is situated at the intersection of bridleways linking Bassenthwaite, Mosedale and Threlkeld and Keswick. It is therefore an ideal place for an overnight stop on a mountain biking tour of the Northern Lakes. Bikes can be hired in Keswick and all backup services are available there. Your bikes can be securely stored overnight, and a welcome rest - and good company - can be enjoyed before continuing on your way in the morning. |
How to find us:
Skiddaw House is situated at OS Grid Reference NY 288 291
Ordnance Survey:
1:25,000 Explorer Map Sheet OL4 - The English Lakes: NW Area
or:
1:50,000 Landranger Map Sheet 90 - Penrith & Keswick.
Geo-coordinates are: 54.652093 -3.1062439
Reaching us:
There is no access for vehicles and you must be prepared to walk for at least an hour.
Public Transport:
Bus: Public services X4 or X5 (Penrith - Workington) pass through Threlkeld (5 miles) and Keswick (6 miles).
Rail: The nearest stations are Aspatria (11 miles), Penrith (20 miles - then take X4 or X5 bus to Threlkeld or Keswick), or Windermere (24 miles - then take the 555 bus service to Keswick).
For further full information on accessing Skiddaw Hostel please click here (which should take you to another page).
Reservations and Enquiries:
To make a booking or check availability (secure web link with instant booking confirmation) click here (which should also take you to another page).
...or, by Post to: Skiddaw House, Bassenthwaite, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4QX
E-mail enquiries to the Warden: skiddawhouse@yahoo.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)7747 174293 (Mobile)
Please allow plenty of time to send and receive responses - postal mail can take up to a week. Also phone reception can be variable in bad weather.
To confirm bookings please send a letter along with full payment (cheques made out to 'Skiddaw House') - or use PayPal or the other facilities on our website. (See also below.)
PLEASE NOTE:
Friends of Nature UK and IFN members will be charged the reduced rate but they MUST inform us at the time of booking.
Please note that we have no credit or debit card facilities but we do have a PayPal facility on our website and payments can be made by Bank Transfer or by using the YHA Booking System. Only cash or cheques are accepted as forms of payment at the hostel.
| A PDF/Acrobat file of this complete page can be downloaded here (2.1Mb) or a simple summary can be downloaded here (68Kb) |
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Directions We suggest that you click here for full directions to the house. |
Updated - Saturday, 24 January 2015
