Braithwaite is a village in the northern Lake District

Lake District

The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...

, in Cumbria

Cumbria

Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. Historically within Cumberland

Cumberland

Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....

, it lies just to the west of Keswick

Keswick, Cumbria

Keswick is a market town and civil parish within the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It had a population of 4,984, according to the 2001 census, and is situated just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park...

 and to the east of the Grisedale Pike

Grisedale Pike

Grisedale Pike is a fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England situated west of the town of Keswick in the north-western sector of the national park. At a height of 791 m it is the 40th highest Wainwright in the Lake District; it also qualifies as a Hewitt, Marilyn and Nuttall...

 ridge, in the Borough of Allerdale

Allerdale

Allerdale is a non-metropolitan district of Cumbria, England, with borough status. Its council is based in Workington and the borough has a population of 93,492 according to the 2001 census....

. It forms part of the civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 of Above Derwent

Above Derwent

Above Derwent is a civil parish in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It is bounded to the east by Derwent Water, the River Derwent and Crummock Water, and includes sections of both lakes...

.

The eastern end of the Whinlatter Pass

Whinlatter Pass

The Whinlatter Pass is a mountain pass in the English Lake District. It is located on the B5292 road linking Braithwaite, to the west of Keswick, with High Lorton to the south of Cockermouth....

 road is in the village. The A66 road

A66 road

The A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. It runs from east of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire to Workington in Cumbria...

 bypass

Bypass (road)

A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....

es Braithwaite, but does not enter the village.

Braithwaite is situated around Coledale Beck

Coledale Beck

Coledale Beck is a minor river running through Cumbria in England.The beck rises north east of Eel Crag, where Pudding Beck meets Birkthwaite Beck. From there, Coledale Beck runs east north east through Coledale, between Grisedale Pike and Causey Pike...

, a brook which joins Newlands Beck

Newlands Beck

Newlands Beck is a minor river of Cumbria in England.The beck rises on Dale Head and flows northwards through the picturesque Newlands Valley, past the settlement of Little Town and between Braithwaite and Portinscale before flowing into Bassenthwaite Lake north east of Thornthwaite.-Tributaries:*...

 shortly after passing through the village. Newlands Beck (coming from the Newlands Valley

Newlands Valley

The Newlands Valley is in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It is regarded as one of the most picturesque and quiet valleys in the national park, even though it is situated very close to the popular tourist town of Keswick and the busy A66 road.The valley forms part of the civil...

) then flows north towards Bassenthwaite Lake

Bassenthwaite Lake

Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest water bodies in the English Lake District. It is long and narrow, approximately long and wide, but is also extremely shallow, with a maximum depth of about ....

.

Braithwaite has several pubs, including the Coledale Inn, the Royal Oak and the Middle Ruddings Hotel.
Braithwaite is easily accessible due to its close proximity to the A66. It has a campsite with a caravan park, B + Bs, pubs and guest houses. It has a wide range of sports including sailing, climbing, abseiling

Abseiling

Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...

, canoeing, hang-gliding, parasailing

Parasailing

Parasailing, also known as parascending, or "parakiting" is a recreational kiting activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle while attached to a specially designed canopy wing that reminds one of a parachute, known as a parasail wing...

, orienteering

Orienteering

Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...

, bird watching (For osprey

Osprey

The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...

s in the nearby lakes), photography and virtually any other outdoor pursuit all within four miles of the village.

The Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway

Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway

The Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway was incorporated by Act of Parliament on 1 August 1861, for a line connecting the town of Cockermouth with the London and North Western Railway West Coast Main Line at Penrith. Arrangements for the use of the stations at either end The Cockermouth,...

, now closed, called at a station in Braithwaite

Braithwaite railway station

Braithwaite railway station was situated on the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway between Penrith and Cockermouth in Cumbria, England. The station served the village of Braithwaite. The station opened to passenger traffic on 2 January 1865, and closed on 18 April 1966. The station building...

.

Braithwaite is situated next to the fell

Fell

“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...

 called Barrow

Barrow (Lake District)

Barrow is small fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria which reaches a height of 455 metres . It is situated in the quiet and picturesque Newlands Valley just 4 kilometres south west of the town of Keswick. Although modest in height, Barrow commands a fine all round...

. A small mountain in the Newlands region which is a short walk from Braithwaite.

Braithwaite is near to the Whinlatter Forest where many walks are found, starting at short walks and then going onto long walks.