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...

 

[ManinBlack]

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.

 

[Mudball]

Staying at Grasmere.. family (-1) is more cultured so will be doing some Wordsworth stuff.. what else is around Grasmere-Windermere area.. it is going to rain next few days so mix of indoor and outdoor. Cant be too physical either - though tempted to give white water rafting with my lad… get him to wake up

On a different note, realised that my teen lad can do justice to free hotel breakie .. eats like we don’t give him anything at home.. he is like a stick, so no idea where all the food goes though

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It's an outdoor place really, waterproofs on and get on with it . Eat even more gingerbread in Grasmere, Beatrix Potter exhibition in Windermere (a bit cutesy if everyone is grown up)

Keswick might have a little more. The Puzzling Place is a fun place to spend an hour or so. Otherwise, again, it's largely outdoor stuff.

The Jetty Museum at Bowness, between Bowness and Windermere, is a nice place for a snack. If it's really honking down, go around the actual museum itself, although I doubt it is worth the entrance fee. Lovely building and outlook over the lake.

 

[rudebhoy]

Via Ferrata at Honister Slate Mine is brilliant, did it with my lad a few years ago.

Tour of the slate mine is also good if someone doesn’t fancy the VF.

 

[Aztecs27]

Staying at Grasmere.. family (-1) is more cultured so will be doing some Wordsworth stuff.. what else is around Grasmere-Windermere area.. it is going to rain next few days so mix of indoor and outdoor. Cant be too physical either - though tempted to give white water rafting with my lad… get him to wake up

On a different note, realised that my teen lad can do justice to free hotel breakie .. eats like we don’t give him anything at home.. he is like a stick, so no idea where all the food goes though

Make sure you go to Baldry's tea room in Grasmere - some of the best food in the Lake District (and the my most favourite lemon meringue pie in the world)

If you fancy a day walking but not anything too taxing (we did it with a 7 year old and 3 year old), the walk up from Grasmere village to Easedale Tarn (via Sour Milk Gill waterfalls) is a really nice walk with some good photo ops.. Yes it's uphill, but nothing too bad.

A day over at Coniston is great. You've got the Bluebird Cafe on the lake (again, amazing food), plenty of options for watersports on the lake (kayak, canoe, paddleboard, little motorboats) or simply go for a paddle/swim from the beach at the bottom of the lake. In the village you've got a few good pubs and the Coniston Museum which has loads of stuff about Donald Campbell and the Bluebird land/waterspeed record(s) legacy which I found very interesting.

Ignore windermere/bowness unless you're really keen on visiting some shops or the Beatrix Potter museum there...It'll be heaving and generally is just a bit touristy. Ambleside is still tourist-y but is a nicer village with loads of great places to eat (Apple Pie Cafe, Bar eS, The Priest Hole, Old Stamp House).

We came back from a week there a few weeks ago - few days of rubbish weather but was in the heatwave week and was a pleasant 20-22deg all week. Perfect.

EDIT: if you don't fancy an uphill walk, the walk around grasmere lakeside to the lovely (stone) beach at the bottom of the lake, and then further round to Rydal water (which is usually quite quiet) is a nice flat walk, with the option of a bit of an uphill effort to Rydal cave if you wish.

 

[SocketRocket]

Keswick for me every time.

 

[Mudball]

We asked the guy at reception and he gave us his view … and it worked out brilliant
Grasmere - Keswick to see local Stonehenge - Aaira waterfall and few short walks - Paterdale / to take a water taxi to Pooley Bridge - lunch at Pooley and water taxi back to Paterdale .. drive thru Kirkstone Pass - Ambleside tru back to Grasmere

 

[rudebhoy]

Keswick for me every time.

I love Keswick, but it does get mega busy.

We always stay in Portinscale. Nice quiet village, 15 minute walk to Keswick, decent pub and a couple of great cafes, easy access to the lake and Catbells.

 

[Mudball]

Yesterday, we ended up doing Horiston Slate Mine. Being a wet day, the mines were rammed. And we had not booked in advance. It is a good day out. A bit more planning and we could have combined it with another activity.

On our way back via Keswick, it was gridlocked. All the folks coming in for school hols + Sat

Got back and then went to do the Rydal Cave + Rydal water trail .. got some blood in the legs. Need my feet to calm down today.

Yet to get to Windermere

 

[Lord Tyrion]

@Mudball you hit the middle of Keswick Convention, a big C of E gathering, and so it would have been even busier than usual. And that is busy enough

 

[Mudball]

trying to find a location for doing a day out in between Lake District and Oxford. Plan is to drive about 2-2:30 hrs down south. Spend a few hours while also recharging the car.. then another 2-2:30 hrs for the night. Then arrive mid morning to lunch with friends in Oxford.

Options like Chester zoo, Tamworth castle etc. any other recommendations in that Manchester/Liverpool to Birmingham

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Chester zoo is brilliant. If that is an option, take it.

 

[Billysboots]

Chester zoo is brilliant. If that is an option, take it.

Totally agree. Went there in February on the way home after a short break in Chester and really enjoyed it.

I’m not a huge fan of zoos, but Chester is well worth the effort.