Lake District!

[BuffaloCauliflower]

DP and I are off to the Lakes in a week or so, and would love MN recommendations as you’ve always served us well before.

Staying in Ambleside, like to walk and would like to challenge ourselves more but aren’t super fit - trying to figure out where would be good to go, or what hikes might suit us is proving tricky as there’s just so many, thought might be easier to ask others to help us narrow it down. Hoping to go to Hill Top, Wray Castle and possibly Grasmere whilst we’re there, as well as around Ambleside.

Would love any and all suggestions of really good walks and other things to do whilst we’re there. Just us, in our thirties, no kids. Have National Trust membership.

Thanks in advance.

My sister lived in Grasmere. Walk the coffin route from Ambleside to Grasmere and stop at Rydal Hall Tea room on the way. Agree with the PP who said to skip Wray castle. There is nothing to see. Same with Allan Bank I believe. Go on Steam Yacht Gondola.

Oo yes. Chester's is lovely!

I've just got back from there and am feeling very deflated to be home!

Cat Bells and Maiden Moor are good ones to start, not particularly strenuous but will get the blood pumping and you'll get beautiful views within a few minutes of walking.
Also in the area are the Bowder Stone and Castlerigg Stone Circle, both free to park with NT membership and worth seeing.

The Borrowdale Valley is stunning, park on Great Wood car park, cross the road and you'll be on the shore of Derwentwater within 2 minutes, there's also Ashness Bridge and Surprise view too.

If you like thrilling drives then you can't get better than the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes, you can then visit Wastwater which is beautiful and won Britain's Favourite View.

Definitely visit the gingerbread shop in Grasmere. Catch a ferry to Bowness then walk up through Windermere to the mountain behind. It’s a easy climb, tarmac then dirt track to the top but you can see the whole of Lake Windermere, west to Scafell Pike, south to Morecambe Bay & east to the Yorkshire Dales on a clear day.

Go to Sizergh Castle on your NT then go to Low Sizergh Barns for food and shopping and the restaurant.

I love Cat Bells and Coniston old man for not too hard but rewarding views.

It's worth a trip over to the Howgills too, there's far fewer people and the area around Maulds Meaburn is just gorgeous.

www.countryfile.com/go-outdoors/walks/walk-howgill-fells-cumbria/

www.walkingbritain.co.uk/Howgills-walks-list

NorthernGravy agree Old Stamp House brilliant. We'll be there on Friday- can't wait. But the Lake Road Kitchen possibly even better! In a different style- more foraged stuff.

We stay in Chapel Stile a lot, and the tradition on the day we arrive is to go up Lingmoor, down via the fat man's agony on the side of Side Pike, down to the ODG for a pint, then back to Chapel Stile on the lower path. Lovely walk, not too strenuous if you're not used to it, worth driving (or bussing) from Ambleside to do for its own sake. Buses are expensive mind.

Ooh you must eat Sunday lunch at The Drunken Duck... it is divine (misses main point of thread)

In a fan of the Wild Boar at Crook. Great walkers hotel. Relaxed in dress and atmosphere but great food drink and rooms. Microbrewery and huge wine and whisky lists too.....

Straight from Ambleside wansfell pike is a nice one. A good tip is to check YouTube for videos of anything you are planning to walk. This will give you a good idea of how steep or rough and walk is.

Avoid Windermere. Allen Bank is interesting for a cup of tea and a sit down, very family oriented though. Tarn Hows is great, there's a nice walk up the road to it from Coniston which isn't too far, where you get a lovely view of Wetherlam just before the Tarn. Or from Coniston you can walk across the fields and forest which is so beautiful, just like being in Hobbiton! I agree it's a nice walk over the hill to Grasmere is good, or strike off to Cathedral Cavern. I love that part of the lakes you've got the Connie Horseshoe and the Langdales nearby for a Big Day out and lots of nice nooks and crannies. Fewer tourists than other places. The Old Man is a nice climb with fantastic views.

We went to the Lake District a couple weeks ago and stayed in keswick, Wray castle is lovely but almost every room was children's themed and perfect for my two kids, we also went to the bowder (sp?) stone and drove past honister slate mine it looked pretty nice

The Fairfield Horseshoe is a fair old hike if you don't consider yourself fit, I'd avoid it. Cat Bells is a very low fell, lots of kids do it but it has nice views, you'd need to drive further north towards Bassenthwaite but it's a fairly quick drive.

Or Castle Crag near St Johns in the Vale

Avoid Windermere - bit harsh. Homeground is potentially an even better breakfast spot than previous recommendations, and The Smith are trying hard. Baa is good for specialist beer with accompanying nibbles and Hooked, though not in the league of The Stamp House, is good for seafood.
Many would say avoid Bowness-on-Windermere but there are a few places worth trying there as well IMO.

I love The Lakes. It’s where we went with school for trips away and many a happy evening was spent drinking cider and black aged 15 in Ambleside pubs. I really like Fellini’s restaurant, which is vegetarian.

If you want to challenge yourselves on a walk but don’t want to worry about navigating, the Ullswater way, or part of it combined with the steamer is really good. I’d recommend parking at glenridding, getting the steamer to howtown or pooley bridge and walking back- do it that way round so you aren’t racing for the steamer! The drive up kirkstone pass and the struggle are spectacular too to get there. Castlerigg stone circle is amazing, really atmospheric! Blackwell house is nice if you like arts and crafts, although not NT. I agree with others about Wray castle- it’s only worth it if you have kids, which I do and always feel sorry for those visitors who go without kids and look a bit puzzled as they’re looking round at the peter rabbit room, dressing up space, foam building blocks room etc...