Lake District help!

[Ilovethatforyou]

Never been, always been high on my list. Think I’m going to get us all there next May (DH and 2 DC aged 13 and 12.) I just can’t work out where is good to be based. Is it best to go for somewhere like Windermere or Ambleside? Or stay a bit further out and drive around? Idea is to walk most days (4 hours max) with the dangly carrot of a big pub dinner or cafe lunch at the end. I just have no point of reference and am aimlessly looking at air bnb.

many particular cottages/hotels you can recommend would be so appreciated!

Windermere or Ambleside are the bigger places to stay and have public transport (Windermere has a train station and both have buses).

parking in either is very difficult so if you do book somewhere in either make sure it has a parking space.

driving around the Lakes can take a lot longer than you are used to as the roads are small and often feature significant ups and downs (and go through valleys and around mountains).

I’d suggest looking at where you might want to walk and what sorts of walks you want to do first. Parking can be a major issue in some places.

Windermere has a supermarket otherwise you’re on smaller corner shop types.

It really depends on whether you want very touristy or if you want more walking friendly. Keswick is more the outdoors centre of the lakes and Windermere the boat trip, cafes and shopping side. West lakes are quieter but less amenities. The road network means it can take a lot longer to travel around than you might think.

Grasmere is lovely

I think Keswick is a nice base. It’s a nice little town and has more variety than Ambleside and Windermere. It’s very scenic, ferries across the lake, a park with minigolf/pitch and putt and some manageable walks like Catbells. There’s also a stone circle within easy reach.

Thanks all! I do like the look of Keswick as a base and have found what looks like a decent place

Bassenthwaite was lovely. We stayed in a lodge there right on Bassenthwaite lake. It's super quiet but you can walk to Bassenthwaite pub etc from there. Plenty of walks and you can kayak etc on the lake.

We love Coniston. Can hire boats, fab Bluebird cafe by the lake. The village has some lovely pubs and restaurants. The museum is actually really good and used to have a Bluebird exhibition (we've haven't been for a while).

Keswick, Ambleside, Grasmere and Coniston are all good bases for walking. Windermere is full of people going shopping and in tea rooms.
If you do end up at Keswick, Borrowdale is a good location for lots of good walks

I live here and would definitely recommend Keswick as a base. It has everything you could need. Hope you enjoy 😉

Just thought I’d recommend this place for OP and any others. We go to the lakes quite often and stayed here recently with 2 kids, it was perfect .

www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/Lake-District-Cumbria-The-Lake-District-Brow-Edge/Rivers-Edge-1071349.html

Use the buses rather than car as much as possible due to the parking issues.

Langdale valley

Windermere is too busy for me.
Ambleside and Keswick are nice. Make sure you have parking included.
Rydall caves is fun to visit with kids - you can park nearby and walk the last 20 mins. There’s a little cinema in Ambleside if it’s raining.

Another vote for Keswick. A perfect base with a Booths supermarket, lovely shops, pubs and cafes, Saturday market, decent bus connections and the walk down to Derwent Water and Friars Crag is just lovely both daytime and evening. It also has an independent cinema and two lovely parks. Even has a parkrun if that’s your thing. Definitely find somewhere with parking though!

As others, Keswick is great. Lovely area, lots of walks but plenty of pubs/shops etc and Theatre by the Lake

Keswick is much better served for restaurants, pubs and buses than Ambleside. It has a Booths and a Coop, but the self catering element of most holidays is ususaly an online delivery. You can't really walk out of Windermere. Keswick and Ambleside better for that.

Be wary of holidsy lets in Eden Valley that might be miles from walkers territory.

Thank you so much everyone! I’ve provisionally booked a place in Keswick (with parking) but am going to check out all these other options too. @Nicflowers82 this looks gorgeous! Could you walk to a pub/cafe from here?

If this is affordable for you, the Royal Oak at Rothswaite in Borrowdale is lovely. You can walk from the door in every direction (we don't use the car at all when we go) but there are also buses to Keswick and over the Honister Pass to Buttermere and beyond (and boats from Mary Mount) so you can combine a walk with public transport if you check timetables. They also do an evening meal if you want. https://royaloakhotel.co.uk/

I think so, although some of the roads might not be so walker-friendly. I think there is one hotel nearby and in theory The Swan at Newby Bridge is not far . Worth a drive to the Masons Arms (Strawberry Bank) for a meal - fabulous food in a lovely picturesque setting with that low ceiling / cosy country pub feeling.

Cumbria resident here. Keswick is the best base, especially if you book somewhere with parking. It's a lovely town with shops, lovely restaurants and plenty to do. The bus services to other parts of the Lakes are good, you can get to the other towns/villages and the views are stunning, much easier than driving but make sure you go late May as some of the bus services aren't available earlier on in the month. When it's sunny there really is nowhere more beautiful. Even when it's raining it has a drizzly charm - but it's less fun.