Beginners Navigation Skills in the Northern Lake District
There’s an art to navigating the outdoors that goes beyond mastering a GPS tracking device and loading a smartphone app. The National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) Bronze Navigator Award is designed for beginners who are seeking to improve their navigation skills and build confidence in the outdoors. Upon successful completion of the course, you’ll be able to plan and follow your own countryside walks, with a good understanding of safety, weather, kit and judgement of time and distance. This holiday is suitable for anyone and no previous experience of navigating with a map and compass is required.
What you’ll love
- Having the chance to complete the NNAS Bronze Navigator Award
- Learning basic navigation skills through practical indoor and outdoor exercises
- The expertise of a knowledgeable and experienced tutor
- Staying at Derwent Bank, our country house near Keswick
- A more personalised experience thanks to small group sizes (maximum 8 people to 1 leader)
What’s included
- Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
- Cream tea on arrival day
- Cooked or continental breakfast every morning
- Daily packed lunches
- Three-course evening meals, plus tea & coffee
- Registration with the NNAS
Trip Notes
Easy to download as a PDF, our trip notes provide detailed information for every holiday. Please click below to find the trip notes for your departure date.
All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.
You’re welcome to check in from 4pm onwards. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea on
arrival. After tea meet your leader and have a course introduction.
Our days will be spent working through a range of practical indoor and outdoor exercises
that will help us cover the Bronze Navigator Award Syllabus:
- Navigate using a variety of maps and scales.
- Use 4 and 6 figure grid references with worded descriptions to define the position
of a map feature and to locate a feature on the ground. - Orientate the map using handrails, obvious point features and major landforms.
- Use linear features (e.g. paths, tracks, clear boundaries) as handrails in simple
navigation exercises. - Relate prominent landforms such as large hills and valleys to corresponding
contour information on the map. - Orientate the map by aligning a compass needle against grid north and be aware
that magnetic variation causes an inaccuracy. - Use an orientated map to confirm the direction of travel.
- Use clearly identifiable features to confirm position along the route and to
recognise when the target has been overshot. - Measure horizontal distance on the map and estimate distance on the ground
using timing, pacing and simple visual judgements e.g.100m. - Plan and implement simple routes and navigation strategies based on the above
skills. - Recognise a navigation error within a few minutes and apply simple relocation
techniques using handrails and prominent features. - Be aware of the use of mobile phone location apps as a back up to map and
compass and in emergencies. - Demonstrate an awareness of local and national access issues, access legislation,
personal responsibilities, the Countryside Code and sustainability. - Demonstrate appropriate knowledge of walking equipment, safety equipment and
emergency procedures.
If you would like more information about what you will learn on a Bronze course please
read these Participant Notes
You will be outside for parts of the course and there will be some standing around
outside so please bring warm clothing with you. You can expect to walk between 2 to 4
miles each day.
The course includes map work exercises and walk planning in the evenings. Maps will be provided for use during the course, if you have a compass please bring one with you to help with orientating the map.
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.
Derwent Bank
Adored by poets, painters, and literary giants for centuries, the Lake District has always had an irresistible pull. It’s no surprise, then, that this country house near the market town of Keswick holds such appeal, not least for its setting in lovely grounds that slope down to the shores of Derwentwater. The location couldn’t be more perfect; to the west is Cat Bells, to the east is Keswick, Walla Crag, and Latrigg, and to the south is the entrance to the Borrowdale valley. There’s a wealth of big-name attractions within easy travelling distance, including Blencathra, Helvellyn, and Ullswater. Also visit-worthy for walkers is Scafell Pike for its well-trodden routes and trails and the 73-mile-long Cumbria Way for its mist-shrouded peaks, glacial valleys, and many excuses for pit-stops and picnics.
Rooms
Designed with your comfort in mind, Derwent Bank has 40 well-appointed guest rooms available in three categories: Classic, Premium, and Superior.
Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV.
Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.
Superior Rooms are even more spacious en-suite guest rooms offering upgraded views of the surroundings*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.
We love: Room 12 for its extra space and lovely views across the gardens and Derwentwater. Rooms 46, 47, 48, and 49 are first-floor garden rooms, each with their own balcony.
The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply.
Room supplements
| Superior | Premium single | Premium double/twin | Choose your room |
| £25 pppn | £20 pppn | £20 pppn | £30 per room |
*Views and layout reflect each properties unique character and location
About your stay
A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out).
Evening entertainment
While evening entertainment varies from house to house, HF Holidays Inter-House Quiz night held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided waking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.
Walks talks
Our HF Holidays walk leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on guided walking holiday arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s guided walks (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.
The walking day
Prior to setting off on guided walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house.
Food & drink
Seasonal dining, tailored for you
Our team of skilled chefs design our dinner menus to showcase the best of each season, from warming winter comfort food to vibrant summer dishes, including vegetarian, vegan and high-protein options. We also source fruit and vegetables within a 40-mile radius of each house, open every break with a Chef’s Special menu inspired by dishes and flavours of the local area, and are able to adapt dishes to suit special dietary requirements.
Welcome Cream Tea
What better way to start your stay than with a cream tea, served fresh on arrival to make you feel instantly at home. A quintessentially English tradition, our scones are baked in-house and served with preserves and clotted cream, providing the perfect opportunity to meet fellow walkers.
A hearty breakfast to start the day
Start the day with a freshly-prepared cooked breakfast and a wide choice from our continental buffet, including hot drinks, juices and fresh fruit. Our team offer a quick and friendly service, leaving you fuelled and ready for your day’s adventures.
Our famous picnic lunch
Our personalised picnic lunches are perfect for a day out walking, ready to enjoy when hunger strikes. Choose from a large selection of fresh sandwiches and salads, freshly baked cakes and snacks, including the ever-popular Freddos chocolate bar! Everything is designed to fit neatly into your rucksack, and all of the packaging we provide is recyclable or compostable.
3-course evening meals
Our à la carte evening menus feature a wide choice of starters, mains, and desserts, made with seasonal ingredients and, wherever possible, herbs and vegetables from our own gardens. Shared around sociable tables, dinners are relaxed occasions, with drinks available to order at the table or from the bar, and a traditional Sunday roast to round off the week.
Accessibility
For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Derwent Bank
Getting to Derwent Bank
Find out more about this location including travel details and room types.
More InformationDerwent Bank Calendar
- Guided Walking
- Self-Guided Walking
- Special Interests
- Unavailable to Book
Guest reviews
All holidays are subject to availability. Supplements may apply.
Members save £30 on all prices. Join today! Click here or call us to find out more.
All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take an alternative route, or vary the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.
Holiday prices
| Date (Start - End) | Itinerary | Double / Twin Room | Single Room | Notes / Offers | Trip Notes | Book | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | ||||||||
|
13 Nov - 16 Nov 2026 3 nights |
Itinerary Single from £519 Double from £489 pp |
from £489 pp |
from £519 |
Trip Notes
|
Book Now | |||
48Kg of CO₂e
Average carbon footprint per person Learn More