Lake District

[Aztecs27]

Have a trip over to Wast Water on your next trip, a great drive over Hardknott Pass and all the way along the side of Wast Water. Take a walk along the valley with Kirk Fell and Great Gable on one side and the Scafells on the other, or venture up into the fells if you're up for it, then back for lunch/dinner at Wasdale Head Inn.

Can recommend this as well. Scafell is a task to climb (long rather than steep if you go the most popular way), but very rewarding. And the Wasdale Head serves great beer and food.
Hardknock pass isn't for the feint-hearted, especially on a day with rubbish weather but certainly gets the blood pumping!

 

[Smiffy]

Ah, that's a shame. We've not been for a few years, but might steer clear in May if the quality has dropped. We'd previously never had a bad meal in there (hence why I recommended it!).

Duly noted about the Priest Hole as well! Glad you made it to Buttermere and lived to tell the tale! The views you get when you're there are worth the stress of worrying about rolling down the hill in your car when trying to pass another car (or Tractor!) coming the other way.

Absolutely loved it, and the walk around Buttermere was great, bearing in mind I don't walk anywhere normally unless I've got a golf club in my hand. Two RAF Typhoons came out to play too, and buzzed the lake which was cool.
We rented a gorgeous cottage in Backbarrow, and are going there again next May.
This was the view from our bedroom window...

 

[Maninblack4612]

Have a trip over to Wast Water on your next trip, a great drive over Hardknott Pass and all the way along the side of Wast Water. Take a walk along the valley with Kirk Fell and Great Gable on one side and the Scafells on the other, or venture up into the fells if you're up for it, then back for lunch/dinner at Wasdale Head Inn.

Seriously, avoid the Hardknott & Wrynose passes if you are of a nervous disposition. The last time we negotiated them I had to reverse uphill to accommodate a nervous driver who wouldn't come past. Finished up with the clutch hardly working at all, slipping like mad. Thought I'd need to be taken home on the back of a breakdown truck but we stopped for a meal in Grasmere & when we went back to the car it worked OK. Car still smelt of burning clutch the next day.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Absolutely loved it, and the walk around Buttermere was great, bearing in mind I don't walk anywhere normally unless I've got a golf club in my hand. Two RAF Typhoons came out to play too, and buzzed the lake which was cool.
We rented a gorgeous cottage in Backbarrow, and are going there again next May.
This was the view from our bedroom window...
View attachment 46361

We have been to the Lakeside Hotel a few times , right at the bottom of Lake Windermere right by Newby Bridge

Loved it there , had our honeymoon as well there



This was the view from our last visit there

 

[Smiffy]

It was a bit dull and misty when we first got there.
View from bedroom window on Monday morning...

 

[Hobbit]

My home for 2yrs in the late 70’s. Wray Castle, on the quiet side of Windermere opposite the Low Wood hotel. It was a marine radio & radar college back then. Although I can’t rattle out morse at 20 words a minute anymore I can still send and receive at a decent speed. My local back then was the Drunken Duck, closely followed by the Outgate. Fab pubs in Ambleside were the Golden Rule and Royal Oak. The Rule has stayed true to its roots, and worth a visit. Pleased to say that although a number of good drinking holes have gone a bit gastro, the vast majority of the Lakes hasn’t changed at all.

Best time to visit the Lakes? September. Kids have just gone back to school, and everywhere is quiet.


And a visit to the Castle 2015

 

[Aztecs27]

My home for 2yrs in the late 70’s. Wray Castle, on the quiet side of Windermere opposite the Low Wood hotel. It was a marine radio & radar college back then. Although I can’t rattle out morse at 20 words a minute anymore I can still send and receive at a decent speed. My local back then was the Drunken Duck, closely followed by the Outgate. Fab pubs in Ambleside were the Golden Rule and Royal Oak. The Rule has stayed true to its roots, and worth a visit. Pleased to say that although a number of good drinking holes have gone a bit gastro, the vast majority of the Lakes hasn’t changed at all.

Best time to visit the Lakes? September. Kids have just gone back to school, and everywhere is quiet.

View attachment 46371
And a visit to the Castle 2015

View attachment 46373

You lived at Wray Castle? That's quality! We love taking the boat over there and taking a stroll back down the side of the lake before catching the water taxi back. Usually so peaceful over there.

Agree with the best time to visit. Every single visit we've had has been in Sept or Oct....until we had kids that started school. Now we have to go in May half term :-|

 

[srixon 1]

A trip to the lakes is not complete without a trips to Hawkhead brewery!

Just saying

We stayed in the village once at the Eagle and Child. We also spent plenty of time at the brewery, excellent beers.