Hearing the sad news of the closure of Derwentwater Independent Hostel, we would like to thank the trustees and employees of this amazing charity. Their hard work and investment rescued the hostel from closure when it was sold by the YHA and extended its life by a further 12 years. This has produced an amazing impact on the lives of many young people over the last 12 years, and given the rest of us an opportunity to stay in this grand building, an iconic hostel.

You can read the full announcement from the Trustees of Derwentwater Independent Hostel here.

PERMANENTLY CLOSED ON 3rd MARCH 2024. There are few more dramatic places for wild swimming than Derwentwater, and Derwentwater Independent Hostel stands on the lake shore, overlooking the shallow sheltered waters of Barrow Bay, which warm quickly in the spring and summer months. And we hope this image speaks for itself.

There can’t be a better place in the world to wild swim than in Derwentwater, and Barrow Bay at the bottom of the hostel drive provides a sheltered bay, with shallow water which warms quickly in the summer and you’ve got Ashness Jetty to jump in from, making it ideal for family swims.
Or for the more experienced swimmers get geared up with wetsuits and tow floats and head further out into the lake.
And for the ultimate challenge there’s the infamous Frog Graham Round.  The Lake District National Park have a really informative page on a range of activities in and on Derwentwater.  And our website has a great page on the best swimming spots locally.