555 Bus Route - Lakes Ale Trail

A Keswick to Bowness Ale Trail

Leave your boots at home, this trail features more ales than mountains you can scale. Keswick to Kendal is a scenic ride through the heart of Cumbria's Lake District. We’ve put together this stop-start route offering stunning views of the countryside, passing through some of the Lake District’s most popular towns such as Ambleside and Grasmere. Experience the pub scene without needing to worry about being allocated driver – or the dreaded parking! The services runs regularly, making it a convenient option for hop on – hop off throughout the day.  

Keswick 

Sitting in the North of the Lakes is the market town of Keswick. With plenty of impressive hills and the great views of Derwentwater, it’s a popular Cumbrian destination. With a lot of the centre being a pedestrian only zone, it’s perfect for slow ambling around the local shops and galleries.  

Pack Horse, Keswick

Lake Road Inn, Keswick

Jump on the 555 towards Lancaster 

Grasmere 

The quaint village of Grasmere is a popular place for walkers to rest with the narrow streets aligned with coffee houses and outdoor shops. Surrounded by plenty of Alfred Wainwright’s popular walks, it can be a busy place all year round. One of Grasmere’s most famous hills ‘The Lion and the Lamb’ can be seen from the periphery of the village where it’s said the top of the hill looks like a lion and a lamb. We don’t have any Robinsons pubs in Grasmere, but one thing you can’t miss is the gingerbread! Grasmere gingerbread is famous for a reason, and once you’ve tried it, we know you’ll wish you bought more! The perfect bus journey snack – but save some to take home with you too! If you’ve got a bit of time to spend before the next bus, check out Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth museum. 

Take the 555 bus towards Lancaster 

Ambleside 

Home of the University of Cumbria’s campus, Ambleside is busy year round. There’s a small lake side area, but we suggest waiting until Bowness to check out the lake and instead, venture up the slight hill to two of our excellent pubs. The Golden Rule and The Unicorn sit at the bottom of  ‘The Struggle’, a famously steep hill that meets Kirstone Pass and a favourite amongst cyclists who like to challenge themselves. However, as this day is more about a leisurely bus ride through Cumbria and ticking off some of the Lakes best ale houses, we’ll leave the cycling for another day. 

Golden Rule, Ambleside

Unicorn, Ambleside

Take the 559 towards Bowness 

Bowness on Windermere 

Home of Beatrix Potter and arguably the most popular of Lake District towns, visiting Bowness via bus is certainly recommended. Bowness sits lakeside on Windermere, the largest body of water in the Lake District. Famous for year-round boat trips, its photogenic jetties and the occasional friendly goose, it’s a postcard perfect town.  

The Albert, Bowness

Hole in T'wall, Bowness

From this point you’ve got four options to finish the day. We recommend an overnight stay in the Lakes in close-by Troutbeck, or Hawkshead. But if you’re local and don’t need accommodation sorting, then hop back on the bus for a final stop off in the Lakes District’s largest town, Kendal.  

Kendal 

• Take the 555 to Kendal 
• The White Hart  

Hawkshead

• Take the ferry across Lake Windermere to Hawkshead 
• Queens Head Hawkshead 

Troutbeck 

• Take the 508 to Penrith 
• Queens Head Troutbeck

Keswick 

• Take the 508 or 599 back to Windermere (towards Grasmere) 
• Take the 555 to Keswick