Advice for visiting the Lake District

[BuffaloCauliflower]

Please! Will probably be our last break together before babies.

DP and I looking to spend a few days away in the spring, would love to explore the Lake District but don’t know that area of the country at all.

Any advice on where to stay? Either towns/villages in the area or exact accommodation. Ideally self catering but open to a bed and breakfast or hotel. We’ll have a car so can travel a bit bit don’t want to be driving all the time.

Anywhere we should particularly try to visit whilst there? Will probably be a 3 or 4 day visit, we like National Trust properties, walks with beautiful scenery and good restaurants.

Would be grateful for Mumsnet wisdom!

Ambleside is great, and I second a vote for Gingerbread from Grasmere!

The American B&B in Ambleside is worth a look - they do incredible breakfasts.

Wast Water for scenery - one of my favourite places. Grizedale for walks. Love the Lakes!

Bowness on Windermere is lovely. It has a newish cocktail bar called Baha (also has a restaurant upstairs).

We always visit the Grassmere Tea Rooms as the gorgeous slabs of cake, but it's very popular (although the queues tend to go down quickly)

A boat trip around Windermere is nice and relaxing as long as the weather is decent.

I love Hawkshead. Just beautiful. Tarn Hows. Grizedale Forest. Buttermere. Keswick and Ambleside.

You could stay almost centrally in Penrith and do a bit of the Lakes, but not all of it in a few days. It's rather bigger than people think.

Ambleside is just beautiful. We stayed in a gorgeous bnb called Haven Cottage. It's very quaint, old English style, great location, lovely lovely owners too.

Also Keswick is nice if you want a slightly bigger town.

We first started visiting the lakes and always stayed in bowness or Windermere. They are both lovely but can be a bit over-touristy at times.

Have a lovely time. Really anywhere you go in the Lake District is beautiful!

Local here - the National Trust owns a lot of land in the Lakes but doesn't have many large houses there other than Sizergh Castle near Kendal. There are smaller properties like Townend in Troutbeck which is close to Ambleside.

There are loads of good restaurants though; Forest Side, the Drunken Duck, Lake Road Kitchen, The Old Stamp House are just a few in the Ambleside/Grasmere area.

It's easy to find places to walk if you get an OS map and follow footpaths - don't try and walk on the road, if possible, as once you're outside villages many don't have pavements. There are so many footpaths that usually there's an alternative route which is off road and much nicer.

My advice is to take waterproofs, warm clothes and lots of money for parking!
What level of walks are you at, bimbles around a lake or day hikes up Scarfell? Can you navigate well or would guided walks be good? Are you after outdoor activities such as climbing, mountain biking, etc or do you want nice meals and tea rooms?

Scramble up Jack's rake. Its fab!

www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/planyourvisit

OP, this is a really good page!

If you decide on Bowness have a look at the Hawksmoor Guest House. We had a lovely 3 night stay there and it's halfway up the hill between bowness and Windermere. For posh naice food the lamplighters in Windermere was gorgeous. We had great pub grub in the Angel inn, flying pig (OMG the ploughman's is making me hungry just thinking about it) and the Albert :)

@lakeswimmer I'm pretty sure I had the best espresso martini of my entire life in the stamp house!

@cricketmum84 I haven't actually eaten at the Stamp House myself but it has a good reputation!

We had a night away at Low Wood Bay by Ambleside and it was lovely. We used our Tesco points! The food at the restaurant Smoke on the Bay was excellent

We're only an hour down the M6 (traffic allowing!) and go to Ambleside and Bowness quite regularly. Pretty towns with independent shops and nice pubs

Pre children DH and I had several lovely stays at Overbeck Cottage in Ambleside. It only sleeps 2 so now we have children we can't stay there.
It's a beautiful location and a gentle stroll into Ambleside.
We absolutely love the lakes but take warm clothes and waterproof!

www.riversidelodge.co.uk/

Depending on budget, The Samling is fabulous and walking distance to beautiful Ambleside or, cheaper and more central, Rothay Manor.
Within the (large) village, The Old Stamp House and Lake Road Kitchen are devine.
If you like Thai food try Doi Intanon.
Visit Zepherillis cinema and veggie restaurant, they often have live music as well.
We do an easy walk (an hour?) to The Mortal Man from Ambleside for lunch - beautiful.
Catch the ferry to Bowness - bit of Manchester glam at The Fizzy Tart- and wander around the shops.
Grasmere is nice, The Jumble Room is an eclectic restaurant.
The Drunken Duck is a short taxi ride from Ambleside (maybe £20 return in a taxi)
Alternatively stay in Cartmel with L'Enclume and Rogans but, IMO, it it easier to base yourself centrally in Ambleside.

We go to the Lakes a lot, we love it up there.

Second everything everybody has already mentioned. But I would thoroughly recommend the Cragwood Country House Hotel, it’s amazing! Sitting by the open fire with a cheese board and a glass of wine overlooking the lake, it’s heaven!

We’re going up there for five days at New Year as we always do, can’t wait!

Check out the House at Temple Sowerby just outside Penrith. Very reasonably priced boutique hotel with amazing food.

If you go to Windermere don't be fooled by the beauty of the swans.
They'll nick your ice cream without so much as by your leave.

Thanks so much everyone! This is really helpful.

Lindy Overbeck Cottage looks perfect, I think we’ll just book that, thank you. It only gives options for a week but for roughly the same price we had in mind for a long weekend, so I guess a week it is! I think self catering is the way to go, for price and flexibility. Have a few nice meals out, and cook a few in.

Which also gives us longer to explore. Pushing back to maybe early May, might have better weather (but who knows)

On walking ability - probably somewhere between an amble and a hike. We’re not at level of whole days scaling mountains, but also don’t always want to stay on an easy path. Quite happy striking out with an OS map, but not super fit either.

Blackwell Manor is a wonderful house to visit and also has a lovely cafe. We also like Brantwood House overlooking Coniston. Great views from the gardens. Really good walks alongside Coniston too. Boat trip on the steam gondola. You’ll love it!

We’ve booked Overbeck Cottage for May - very excited!

We walked to Loughrigg Fell from Ambleside and it wasn't too strenuous www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_141.html

Hopefully that link works

This is also a lovely walk www.nationaltrust.org.uk/aira-force-and-ullswater