Holiday In The Lakes

[rls22]

My OH, Logan, Ruby Tuesday and myself are off to the Lakes for a weeks holiday in a couple of weeks time.

We found a beautiful cottage to stay in, in the National Park just a few minutes from Windermere.

We've never been to the Lake District for so I was hoping for some tips and recommendations on places to go, walks nice restaurants, dog friendly pubs and so on.

Thanks everyone! :huggles:

 

[hely]

I have never been either, but i hope you have a great time :thumbsup:

nice to meet you at crufts on sunday

 

[Painted Lady]

helen...helpful as ever..

 

[suzyb]

The Watermill pub at Ings - on the road into Windermere - is lovely and dogs are really welcome. Ours were given biscuits and even managed to get behind the bar! (Pity they didn't have their pocket money with them...........

There's lovely walks over the fells in to Windermere from the pub too.

 

[rls22]

:thumbsup: Thanks Suzy, just the kind of info I'm after

 

[affieluver]

helen...helpful as ever..

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:lol:

 

[rls22]

Just seen there is a beet festival at that pub whilst we are there and it's only 3 miles from our cottage - result!! :cheers:

 

[Nicola]

Heck...The Lakes has loads and loads of lovely places so it's hard to pull a few out of the hat (w00t) . What sort of walks do you enjoy.....? high level, low level, shorter walks, all day walks, walks round tarns etc? Make sure you take some waterproofs :- "

I don't know the Windermere area so well, but if it's raining and you fancy some shopping, Ambleside is a good place to wander around although it is quite busy with traffic. Some good outdoor shops there as well. Keswick is also good, but it is a good 40 mins drive from there. More pleasant to wander around though (less traffic & more pedestrianised areas) with some really good outdoor shops (George Fisher). The Dog & Gun does a great Goulash, but I'm not sure if they allow dogs.

The Langdale Valley is lovely and well worth a visit and is quite close to you. Ullswater is beautiful...especially if you head over the Kirkstone pass...down to Brothers Water and around to Glenridding (or the Pooley Bridge end has a lovely old chapel to visit).

The one downside about The Lakes is that unless your dogs are livestock trained you'll need to keep them on lead, as there are sheep on all the fields and fells. I've seen farmers berate dog walkers even if they have well behaved dogs off lead!

I'd buy one of those green ordenance survey walk books with suggested walks in your area. They're really good for a starting point... :thumbsup: Then you can move on to Alfred Wainwright walk books and start ticking those off. It took him 13 years to walk all the hills in the Lakes and write up the walks (and he was out most weekends in the summer and writing up in the winter) :- "

 

[rls22]

Thanks Nicola; I was hoping that you would reply. :lol:

I don't particularly like trekking up great big hills every day, so would prefer the longish low land walks. Fortuntately Holly who is the monkey around sheep isn't coming on this holiday, the 2 pups are going together, who are both fine around livestock, although I think I might be happier to leave them on the lead if the farmers get annoyed with the best behaved dogs, as I'll be honest they're no angels! They have an acre of garden to race around back at the cottage, so they can do their wild running there.

Thanks for the tip about the ordnance survey map too.

Are they any particular historic buildings that you'd recommend? I do like noseying around old houses, the OH isn't keen but I'd like to get to one if possible.

Not planning on doing any shopping as such, just nice walks and drives around to :thumbsup: places and stopping off for some pub grub on the way back.

 

[Nicola]

I'm sure people who know the local area better will provide some more useful tips, but this is all based on the visits I've made to The Lakes over the years on walking holidays (with the odd distraction thrown in i.e. meeting my OH, getting engaged and married in The Lakes :b )

These series of walk books are really good and incorporate the ordnance survey maps I mentioned (extracts of them really....I knew I couldn't spell Ordnance!). Here's one of the Lake District ones:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lake-District-Walk...05332858&sr=8-6

I haven't been there myself, but I've always fancied seeing these gardens at Holker Hall. They're very famous.

http://www.holker-hall.co.uk/Gardens.htm

Also the Gardens at Muncaster Castle are lovely to visit too, but this quite a drive from where you'll be staying.

I've always fancied visiting and photographing the Castlerigg Stone Circle near Keswick too.....I've seen so many photos in at our camera club of this place! OH reckons it's nothing special, but he's not into that sort of thing! He just wants to be out on the hill all day!!

Rydal Water and Grasmere are very picturesque and are good for shorter walks in scenic valleys taking in some pretty tarns. A good introduction to low level walks in the Lakes:

http://www.lake-district-guides.co.uk/walk...ksvalley3a.html

You may not intend to walk around the shops, but bad weather makes it a reasonable wet weather alternative if you don't fancy sitting in the cottage, hence the suggestion of Ambleside and Keswick. ) Lots of walkers take the opportunity to buy boots, rucksacks, waterproofs etc etc

Langdale and Ullswater were suggested for drives out into lovely valleys, but if you can pick a walk whilst you're there, even better!

Good Luck.....I fancy going to the Lakes now...I'm all inspired!

 

[rls22]

Thanks so much for all the fab tips and ideas, really appreciate you taking the time to write it all down for me. :huggles:

I have a little notepad here and I am jotting all the suggestions down, so we have plenty of options for when we get there.

Fingers crossed the sun is shining now, or I will have 2 very miffed little whippets on my hands!

 

[stormydog]

Heck...The Lakes has loads and loads of lovely places so it's hard to pull a few  out of the hat (w00t) . What sort of walks do you enjoy.....? high level, low level, shorter walks, all day walks, walks round tarns etc? Make sure you take some waterproofs :- "
I don't know the Windermere area so well, but if it's raining and you fancy some shopping, Ambleside is a good place to wander around although it is quite busy with traffic. Some good outdoor shops there as well. Keswick is also good, but it is a good 40 mins drive from there. More pleasant to wander around though (less traffic & more pedestrianised areas) with some really good outdoor shops (George Fisher). The Dog & Gun does a great Goulash, but I'm not sure if they allow dogs.

The Langdale Valley is lovely and well worth a visit and is quite close to you. Ullswater is beautiful...especially if you head over the Kirkstone pass...down to Brothers Water and around to Glenridding (or the Pooley Bridge end has a lovely old chapel to visit).

The one downside about The Lakes is that unless your dogs are livestock trained you'll need to keep them on lead, as there are sheep on all the fields and fells. I've seen farmers berate dog walkers even if they have well behaved dogs off lead!

I'd buy one of those green ordenance survey walk books with suggested walks in your area. They're really good for a starting point... :thumbsup: Then you can move on to Alfred Wainwright walk books and start ticking those off.   It took him 13 years to walk all the hills in the Lakes and write up the walks (and he was out most weekends in the summer and writing up in the winter) :- "

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i read a few of those books he done. ive always wanted to do some of his trails . what a fantastic week youll have up there. take loads of pix for us geeks to look through :thumbsup:

 

[Nicola]

I hate to admit this, but our wedding cake was actually an iced copy of one of Wainwright's books. :- " His books are a bible for fell/hill walkers in The Lakes. We've got all of them and have ticked off quite a number of walks now. :b

I quizzed OH about low level walks and walks with dogs and he suggested Grizedale Forest (same as Jo) for the dogs with a visit to Hawkshead, a walk by Elterwater in the Langdale Valley (The Britannia Pub at Elterwater does nice food...but again I'm not sure if they allow dogs in :unsure: ), a walk along Loughrigg starting from Ambleside, or a walk up to Easedale Tarn from Grasmere (this does go uphill but it's not classed a high level walk).

Loads of walks to chose from. I can't wait for you to get back now and show us the photos :lol:

 

[rls22]

Nicola you are an absolute star!

All duly noted down and I promise to post photos when we get back :thumbsup:

 

[doris]

Just seen there is a beet festival at that pub whilst we are there and it's only 3 miles from our cottage - result!!  :cheers:

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BEET festival, urgh, you don't want to go to one of those, you'll end up looking like you are wearing big red clown face lipstick!! :*

I'd look out for a BEER festival if I was you, much more fun :- " :lol:

 

[rls22]

Just seen there is a beet festival at that pub whilst we are there and it's only 3 miles from our cottage - result!!  :cheers:

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BEET festival, urgh, you don't want to go to one of those, you'll end up looking like you are wearing big red clown face lipstick!! :*

I'd look out for a BEER festival if I was you, much more fun :- " :lol:

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You're a git doris - I will remember this! :lol: