Ambleside recommendations please

[FloppyHoldsNoTruckWithFrontedA]

We're off to spend a shocking percentage of our annual income on accomodation in the Lake District (Ambleside) in half term week.
We're me, DH and two teenagers, one of whom is shattered by the A levels/not A levels experience of the past few months and has a "tight back" so may or may not want to climb mountains.

We dont enjoy super-expensive restaurants but will be in a hotel (there was no alternative everything is booked). And I get stressed if we eat somewhere too expensive - £150 for 4 would be my limit I think (with fish and chips the other nights)

The boys like swimming too.

The weather looks a bit more hopeful in half term week.

I'd be really glad of your recommendations. It's been a stressful 12 months (as for most people). I really want us to have a good holiday whether or not DS1 is up for mountain climbing. Plus this may be the last year he holidays with us.....

... there's no rain forecast at all for that week. yipee!

maybe this is a new beginning after a traumatic 12 months.

We holiday in the Lakes, I always love a visit to the Slate Mines, there is an adventure course at one, or Windermere, possibly the Safari Zoo, I know that's aimed at younger children but we've always enjoyed it as adults.

Keswick has indoor climbing wall if wet plus the puzzle museum - costs about a pound and is a room of optical illusions sounds naff but it’s good. Can also just hire a boat and laugh at how hard they are to control on Windermere. Brockhole at windereme has tree top trecks/go ape tight thing - may need booking ahead. Most swimming pools are in hotels and lots closed to non guests currently but may be different by half term

If you can manage a hill the waterfalls in Ambleside are lovely. You can take a very slow walk up. I'm very unfit and managed it

We hired a boat at Windermere for a couple of hours. Really enjoyed that. There's also a castle you can visit (national trust) that didn't cost us anything other than the boat there and back

We're booked for Ambleside, as well, during half term. Really looking forward to it and weather looks good for the lakes! We've got several walks planned as prior to having DC we went there a lot. We're going to walk in the Langdales as that is beautiful and first day we've planned a walk round Wansfell Pike and then maybe book a National Trust visit but mainly walk and then eat lots of cake.

Have a lovely time!

If feeling adventurous, there is the Via Ferrata at Honister Slate Mines. Highly recommend. Amazing sense of achievement and uses all the senses and skills.

Wonderful short walk at Keswick is Latrigg. Can't be more than an hour up , maybe 45 mins, you can even park half way up of you prefer. Amazing views over Derwent Water.

The slate mine course is the Via Ferrata at Honister . Bits of it are quite challenging but it is great fun. honister.com/product/via-ferrata-xtreme/

You can hire rowing or motor boats on Windermere from Bowness, or St Michael's landing near Patterdale on Ullswater. Scenery at Ullswater is much better.

What sort of recommendations are you looking for? Places to eat? Activities? Less challenging walks than the big fells?

From Glenridding you can get the steamer on the lake to the jetty for Aira Force waterfalls - a NT site.

We had good pasta / pizza at Zeffirellis and Fellinis and main course prices are good - veggie.

Check Grasmere for places to eat, too.

We quite often eat at a pub where we have gone for a day out. Langdale is spectacular, has some great walks, and you could look at the Sticklebarn NT restaurant. Or the Wainwright Inn in Chapel Stile.

Cat Bells is another good walk for younger ones. It has 2 false peaks then a real one. Maybe a few hours that one.

Crazy golf at Keswick, if you make it competitive its quite fun.

There are loads of good walks which don't entail climbing the mountains.
Orrest Head is a modest climb with a good view, or around the edge of grasmere.

Every type of boat (except nasty fast ones) on Windermere and Coniston. (Personally I'd avoid Bowness.)

You’ll have a wonderful time.

Some suggestions:

Walk around Rydal (caves on one side, ‘coffin trail on the other) then pub lunch at the Badger Bar

Go up Wansfell in Ambleside if your children can manage a climb, then Zeferrelli’s for movie and pizza

Walk up Orrest Head in Windermere (easier walk, great views) then Homeground for delicious brunch or coffee & cake

Walk around Tarn Hows (easy walk) then wander around shops in Coniston or hawkshead

Visit Keswick for shopping, puzzling place or indoor climbing wall

Hire mountain bikes at grizedale or winlatter

High ropes course at Brockhole or grizedale

Have an amazing time

Oh, and Chesters by the River at Skelwith bridge then walk to cathedral caves

I used to live in Ambleside - it WILL be busy so just be prepared for lots of traffic, especially the road between Windermere and Ambleside, and onwards towards Grasmere direction.

I would really recommend booking activities and dinner now, or honestly, you won't get in, especially as there are four of you. Over the holidays things fill up really quickly.

For meals, you could try The Fulling Mill, The Priest Hole, Dodds and Doi Inthanon (Thai food). All really tasty, made fresh and reasonable value for money. Zeffirellis is great too but vegetarian, so may not appeal to everyone.

Activities-wise, it really depends on what you like doing. Tarn Hows is a nice gentle walk, or you could drive a bit further out and go to South Lakes Safari Zoo for the day. Keswick would be a good day out - Derwentwater cruises are running and you can walk to somewhere like Latrigg or Castlerigg Stone Circle. There are plenty of nice cafés for coffee and cake too.

If you wanted something a bit more challenging, there are great views from Wansfell and Loughrigg, both of which you can walk up from the village. There's also Fairfield though imo it's long, overrated and boring

There's a small swimming pool at the Salutation in Ambleside and I think you can pay for day passes, otherwise the nearest big leisure pool is probably Kendal or Keswick. There's also a climbing wall at Ambleside but you really need to book it in advance as slots fill up very quickly.

Have a great time!

The walk up to the caves above Rydal Water is nice - you can park in the Badger Bar pub car park if you pop in and ask and they say yes as long as you have a drink there afterwards. Their pub grub menu ,looks OK. (have never actually eaten there).

The food (pub grub) at the White Horse at Threkeld / Scales was good after a walk up Blencathra. Also handy for Castlerigg Stone Circle.

There's some small walks local to Ambleside - to the waterfall, the house on the bridge (build over water to avoid land tax ).

Boat to Aira Force.
Less mountainous walks. There's a flat walk to Dove Cottage and back.

Sticklebarn NT pub is fantastic.

I would second the Thai restaurant mentioned above - really good, and not expensive. We had a lovely few days in Ambleside last summer.

Lakeland Motor Museum is good too

If you will driving past Lancaster on the M6 then the Castle Tour is really interesting. I reluctantly went with DH and enjoyed it very much and would go again. Will probably need to book in advance as they only do 2 or 3 per year.

Per day!!!

2 or 3 per day 😂

We loved Lucy's restaurant (might be called Lucy's on a plate). Great food. Apple pie shop for amazing cakes and raspberry lemonade.

Grizedale was good fun, not just high wires but Segways were enjoyed by teens.

Beatrix Potter"s house was also a surprising hit.
Cake shops.

If the weather is good and you want low cost and memorable, walk to Rydal caves one evening (not that far and not very hilly), take a box of tea lights to place around the cave, and have a disposable BBQ over looking the lake.

The Bath House serves the most amazing bath buns, but aim for a takeaway as the queues can be huge.

Sorry, typed it wrong, buy bath buns from the apple pie shop near bridge House.

Ambleside Kitchen is lovely

Yes, I agree - Fairfield is not the Lakes' most thrilling fell.

Walks to tarns rather then the surrounding summits are often rewarding if you aren't up for a big walk. Do make sure you get a sense of the sheer scale of the fells - if you can't do big walks, a drive up to the top of Wrynose and Hard Knott Pass is fantastic. (from Langdale).