Parks in Keswick: Hope Park and Fitz Park Guide
Hope Park and Fitz Park are short walks from Keswick's Market Square, with gardens, a putting green, crazy golf, a BMX track and the river between them.
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The parks in Keswick are Hope Park and Fitz Park, and both sit a short walk from the Market Square, so neither needs a car or a bus. Between them you get gardens, a putting green, crazy golf, a playground and the river. They suit a low-energy half-day or an hour between bigger outings rather than a whole day on their own. If you are weighing up green space in another city, our guide to parks in Birmingham applies the same question of which one is worth your time.
This guide covers what each park is good for, how to walk a loop between them, and which nearby viewpoints pair naturally with a park visit. If you are still mapping out the wider trip, our guide to things to do in Keswick sets these green spaces alongside castles, museums and lake trips.
Hope Park and Fitz Park: the answer in brief
Hope Park and Fitz Park are the two parks in town, and the tourism association places both a short walk from the Market Square. Hope Park is known for its gardens and riverside setting; Fitz Park is the open green space with a playground and a full-size BMX track.
Think of them as one outing rather than two stops: the river runs between them, so a loop on foot takes in both without doubling back. That makes them the easiest green space to add to a day that already has something booked in town.
Where the parks sit in Keswick and how to walk between them
The Market Square is the natural starting point. From there, both parks are within a short walk, and the tourism association notes that two of the places it lists need no transport at all: Friars Crag and Castlehead. The parks sit in the same car-free band of town.
Walk one park, follow the river to the other and return through town. That route keeps the walking gentle and gives you a bench-and-river option on the way back. It also means you can start at whichever park is nearer your accommodation.
Hope Park: gardens and the riverside setting
Hope Park is the garden-side park, with a putting green and crazy golf among its facilities, and the river close by. Come here if you want a sit-down, a gentle round of putting or a short stroll rather than a big open field.
The gardens make it the better of the two for a slow hour with a book or a picnic. Because it sits a short walk from the square, it is easy to slot in before or after a museum visit.
Fitz Park: open green space, playground and BMX track
Fitz Park is the family park. It has a well-equipped playground and a full-size BMX track alongside open green space, which makes it the obvious choice if you are travelling with children who need to burn off energy.
The BMX track is the distinctive feature here, and the open grass gives you room to spread out a picnic. If the weather turns, keep a museum plan in reserve: our round-up of indoor activities in Keswick covers the wet-weather options in town.
The river between the parks and how to plan a loop on foot
Treat the river as the spine of the walk. Start at one park, follow the water to the other and finish back through town, and you have covered both parks without repeating a stretch. Allow a half-day if you want time on the putting green or at the playground.
The loop works best on a dry day, when the riverside stretch is the point rather than the shortcut. On wet days, cut it short and spend the time in one park, or move indoors altogether.
Facilities worth knowing before you go
The facilities fall into two groups. Across the two parks you get gardens, a putting green, crazy golf and the river; Fitz Park adds a playground and a full-size BMX track.
Prices for the putting green and crazy golf are not published on any web page, and the town's tourism association does not list them. Ask at the park or the tourist information centre on the day if a round of putting is part of the plan. That is also the moment to ask about the BMX track's rules and any equipment your children would need.
Parks as a wet-weather or low-energy half-day
A park half-day is the right call when you have walked the fells in the morning and want something flat afterwards, or when the day's big outing has been rained off. Both parks are close enough to the square that you lose little time reaching them.
If the rain really sets in, indoor activities in Keswick, such as Keswick Museum, make a sensible swap. Save the loop for a brighter afternoon and the parks will still be there.
Pairing a park visit with Friars Crag and Castlehead
The parks are good, but two viewpoints nearby make a better half-day when combined with them. Friars Crag is a ten-minute walk from the Market Square for the view down Derwentwater, which John Ruskin called among the finest in Europe. Castlehead is a 162-metre wooded hill five minutes out of the square, with a dial at the top naming thirty fells. Both are walks rather than drives.
A sensible order is Castlehead first for the climb, then Friars Crag for the view, then a park to finish on flat ground. If you would rather stay on the water, the Keswick Launch offers another way to see Derwentwater, and our guide to Keswick boat trips explains the options.
When a park beats Castlerigg and the bigger draws
Castlerigg Stone Circle is the more famous outing: thirty-eight stones on a plateau a mile and a half east of town, around five thousand years old, with a ring of mountains all round. It rewards a dedicated trip. The parks reward an hour you would otherwise spend waiting or resting.
Choose the parks if you have children, limited energy or a tight schedule between other bookings. Choose Castlerigg, Friars Crag or Castlehead when the landscape is the reason you came to the Lake District. Our Keswick Attractions hub is the place to compare the full set before deciding.
Getting there and what to expect on foot from the Market Square
Start at the Market Square and walk. The tourism association lists both parks as a short walk from the square, and Friars Crag is ten minutes away, so the whole cluster is on foot. You do not need to move the car.
Allow about half a day if you want the loop, the putting green and a stop at the playground. If you are also fitting in shopping in Keswick, do that on the same walk back into town.
Plan Your Visit
Use Hope Park and Fitz Park as one riverside loop from the Market Square, and decide in advance whether the putting green, crazy golf or the BMX track is the draw. Pair the loop with Friars Crag or Castlehead for a half-day that has a view as well as a bench.
Check current details with Keswick Tourism Association before you go, especially for the paid activities. From there, the town, the lake shore and the fells are all within reach on foot.
Explore more Keswick guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What parks are there in Keswick?
The two parks in town are Hope Park and Fitz Park. Hope Park is known for its gardens and riverside setting, while Fitz Park is the open green space with a playground and a full-size BMX track. Both sit a short walk from the Market Square.
Can you walk from Keswick town centre to the parks?
Yes. Both Hope Park and Fitz Park are a short walk from the Market Square, so no car or bus is needed. The river runs between them, so you can walk a loop that takes in both parks and return through town.
What facilities are at Hope Park and Fitz Park?
Between them the two parks offer gardens, a putting green, crazy golf and the river. Fitz Park adds a playground and a full-size BMX track. Ask the park or the tourist information centre about prices and rules for the paid activities on the day.
Is Fitz Park good for children?
Fitz Park has a well-equipped playground and a full-size BMX track alongside open green space, which makes it the better of the two parks for children with energy to burn. Hope Park is the quieter option for gardens and putting.
Which is better, the parks or Castlerigg Stone Circle?
They serve different purposes. Castlerigg is a five-thousand-year-old stone circle a mile and a half east of town with mountains all round, and it deserves its own trip. The parks are the low-energy, car-free option for an hour or a half-day between other outings.
How long should I allow for the parks in Keswick?
Allow about half a day if you want to walk the loop between the two parks, play the putting green and spend time at the playground. An hour is enough for a quick riverside walk.
What can I pair with a park visit in Keswick?
Friars Crag is a ten-minute walk from the Market Square and Castlehead is five minutes out of the square, so either makes a natural addition to a park loop. Both are viewpoints reached on foot rather than by car.
Sources
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Optional updates to our UK city guides.
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