A roadside window over Derwentwater, high on the Watendlath fell road above Borrowdale — with the Lake District's most photographed bridge waiting just below it. Two of the best short stops near Keswick, on the same narrow lane.
Where is Surprise View?
Surprise View is a roadside viewpoint over Derwentwater, high on the single-track fell road that climbs from Borrowdale up towards Watendlath, a few miles south of Keswick in the Lake District. The trees open without warning and the whole lake is suddenly laid out far below with Skiddaw beyond — hence the name. Just down the same lane sits Ashness Bridge, a little traditional packhorse bridge that is one of the most photographed spots in the Lakes. They share the same road and the same car parks, so most people visit both in one short stop.
It's an easy win: you can drive almost to the viewpoint, or make a proper walk of it from Keswick, or even arrive by boat across Derwentwater. This page covers how to get there by car, bus, launch and on foot, the real parking situation, the story behind the bridge, and when the light is best for photos. (Not to be confused with the Peak District's Surprise View near Hathersage — this is the Lakeland one, above Borrowdale.)
Getting there by car
Yes. Surprise View sits right beside the road, so you can drive almost to it and Ashness Bridge is just below. From Keswick you follow the B5289 south into Borrowdale along the eastern shore of Derwentwater, then take the signed turning onto the narrow fell road that climbs up towards Watendlath. The viewpoint and the bridge are both on this lane.
It is a proper single-track fell road, though — steep in places, with passing places to pull into and a cattle grid on the way up. Take it slowly, give way with good grace, and don't stop on the carriageway for photos; use the National Trust car parks instead. The road carries on beyond Surprise View to the hidden hamlet of Watendlath, so there's through traffic to allow for.
The turning onto the fell road is signed off the B5289 about 2½ miles south of Keswick, on the eastern side of Derwentwater. From there it's single-track with passing places and a cattle grid — an easy drive if you take your time.
Parking
There are two small National Trust car parks on the fell road — one at Ashness Bridge and one a little higher at Surprise View. Both are National Trust pay-and-display.
The lower of the two, right by the bridge itself — the obvious stop for the classic photograph. Small, so it fills quickly on fine days and weekends.
A little higher up the lane, close to the viewpoint. Just as small — arrive early, or have a Keswick back-up plan and walk in.
So is it free? Only if you're a National Trust member — then parking is included. For everyone else both car parks are pay-and-display, roughly £1–£7.50 depending how long you stay, paid at the machine or via the JustPark app. Bring coins as well as a card — the mobile signal up here is patchy. Both car parks are small and popular, so the honest advice is to come early in the day or out of peak season.
The famous bridge
Ashness Bridge is a little traditional stone packhorse bridge on the old route up to Watendlath, and it earns its fame from a single composition: the humpbacked bridge in the foreground, the beck tumbling beneath it, and the great mass of Skiddaw rising behind across Derwentwater. It's one of the most photographed scenes in the whole Lake District, a proper picture-postcard view that turns up on calendars, cards and paintings the world over.
As for its age — it's an 18th-century packhorse bridge, built of local slate: a single span just one horse wide, with a deliberately low parapet so it wouldn't foul the panniers slung on the packhorses' flanks. It carried the old route between Watendlath and Keswick; the parapet was raised a little later and the bridge widened in the 20th century for cars, and it's now cared for by the National Trust.
The view & photography
From Surprise View the whole northern basin opens up beneath you: Derwentwater spread out directly below with its wooded islands, Keswick at the far end, the long grey wall of Skiddaw beyond, and Bassenthwaite Lake glinting further north on a clear day. It's the kind of high, sudden overview that makes the "surprise" in the name feel earned — and it's why this modest roadside stop is, in our opinion, one of the best roadside viewpoints in the Lake District.
For photographs, the light generally works best in the morning, when the sun is behind you and falls onto Skiddaw and the lake rather than into the lens. Down at Ashness Bridge, get low to the beck to set the humpback against the fells behind. Bring the lot together and you have the pair of shots people come up this lane for.
Best light
Morning, with the sun behind you lighting Skiddaw and the lake.
On foot
You don't have to drive. Three walks link this corner of Borrowdale — from Keswick along the lake, on to Watendlath, and down to the falls at the head of the lake.
Walk it from town rather than driving: down the eastern shore of Derwentwater and up through Great Wood, with the option of taking in Walla Crag on the way for an even bigger view. A rewarding half-day out that beats fighting for a parking space.
It's roughly a flat 5 km along the lake-shore from Keswick to Ashness Gate, then a short climb up the fell road — add Walla Crag for a bigger day. Take OS Explorer OL4.
Walla Crag & Keswick walksFrom the bridge, follow the old packhorse route on up the valley to the hidden hamlet and tarn at Watendlath — one of the loveliest short valley walks near Keswick, ending at a spot that feels a world away from the road.
A short, well-trodden valley walk on the old packhorse route — take OS Explorer OL4.
Explore WatendlathFrom near Surprise View a path drops down through the woods towards the head of the lake and the falls at Lodore — a good way to link the high viewpoint with one of Borrowdale's best-known waterfalls.
A woodland descent towards the head of the lake — take OS Explorer OL4.
Lake District waterfallsMap
Interactive map © OpenStreetMap contributors — tap a pin for the spot and its guide. Pin positions are approximate; tell us if any need nudging.
Car-free
This is the bit most guides skip — and it's genuinely one of the nicest ways to arrive. You can reach Ashness Bridge and Surprise View by boat or by bus, no car needed.
The Keswick Launch runs boats around Derwentwater from the town, calling at the jetties along the shore. Step off at the Ashness Gate jetty and it's a walk up the fell road to the bridge and on to Surprise View — a proper little adventure that turns a photo stop into a half-day out.
From the Ashness Gate jetty it's about 150 m to the road and then up the fell lane. Sailings are seasonal, so check the latest timetable with the Keswick Launch before you set off.
The Borrowdale bus (the 78) runs the valley road below, along the B5289 between Keswick and Borrowdale. From the nearest stop it's a walk up the fell-road turning to the bridge and viewpoint. A good option if you're basing yourself in Keswick without a car.
The nearest stop is on the B5289 near Ashness Gate — about 150 m from the launch jetty — then it's a walk up the fell-road turning.
While you're here
The valley this all sits in — often called the loveliest in England.
ExploreThe falls at the head of the lake, and the best of the Lake District's waterfalls.
ExploreThe hidden hamlet and tarn at the top of the same fell road.
ExploreThe giant balanced boulder with a ladder, further up Borrowdale.
ExploreWhere to stay, eat and what to do around Derwentwater.
ExploreBrowse walks by area, difficulty and how long you've got.
ExploreCommon questions