Have grown to dislike the Lake District..

[ConfusedParticle]

Lived there for 6 years, in Ambleside then close to Kirkby Lonsdale. Absolutely breathtaking scenery and perfect for a wilderness lover such as myself, but I have only just realised recently that I don't want to go back...

I left to tie up some family estate issues and planned to move back over after covid calmed down (ahem, will it ever!), and since I prefer to rent, this is easy enough to do. There are some exquisite properties and those that I lived in were gorgeous, so it made sense to plan going back.

I have located a new place in the South Lakes and have been offered a moving date for September but I am not so sure at all now and want to have a good long think.

However! Something has been niggling at me for the past year, for such a wild and lovely place, it feels so overly commercialised that I haven't missed the insanity one bit. At first I thought I needed to get my head checked, but recently whenever I consider going back I feel stressed and weary about it. It is very different to live there than to visit as a tourist. The roads, etc are fucking crazy!

But AIBU to not want to live there anymore? It seems so odd to have 'gone off' it like this, and I have really enjoyed the pace of life being less frantic and tourist thronged since ive been in another area, I have no idea how visitors can find it 'relaxing'.

Anyone else feel similarly? For all it's beauty, the hordes (which are increasing by a few million per year) and pollution are depressing. The central areas all contain the exact same shops and any authentic remnants have been gutted.

'Heaving', 'over-run' - just a couple of ways to describe those pesky tourists - so you lot never go on holiday then , if you are lucky enough to live somewhere others want to visit stop moaning (I realise you aren't op)

I used to live in the Lakes and live in South Lakeland near Fell Foot. It was much nicer than near Ambleside precisely because it was quiet. You couldn’t have paid me to live in Ambleside, Grasmemer, Windermere etc…

we're in Oxford. I remember once walking round town in early summer when my eldest was maybe 8. She said, somewhat wistfully, it would be lovely if it wasn't for all the tourists...

I get it, OP. Good luck finding the right place where you can live the life you want to live as much of the time as possible.

90% of car journeys are totally unnecessary.

Really? 90%? Where I live a car is essential. No village school, no village shop, no public transport, nothing. Maybe in cities most car journeys are unnecessary but for a lot of people they are a lifeline!

@MobyDicksTinyCanoe

Stop heading to the tacky, Blackpool with Greenery parts of the lakes. I live locally too but wouldn't visit Ambleside if you paid me.. Cast your net a little further, what about Ulverston? (( outside the park but a fab little market town)) even Greenodd (( odd little place but there's nothing else like it)) or even head up the coast to st Bees or something. Ravenglass / Eskdale is stunning. You're really missing out

Go anywhere but bleddy Ambleside

There’s a place called Greenodd! Love the name and just googled the place. Looks lovely.

I do not live in the Lake District or any other tourist area presently, but can see the OPs point of view. In a tourist area with a short season (even the Lake District probably no more than three months), the economy develops in a way that has too many seasonal jobs, the most talented young people move away, and during the tourist season you see the worst of the many people who in my opinion should not have a driving licence.

I think that second homes and lettings such as Air BnB do not help either.

Where should people go on holiday then?

I live just over an hour away and have never much liked it. Always too busy. Can’t park anywhere. The food is terrible everywhere. It’s always a couple of degrees colder and it inevitably rains. Whenever DH suggests a day trip I inwardly groan.

I know exactly what you are saying OP. I live in the New Forest and it has stunning scenery in some places but the volume of traffic absolutely ruins it. Lyndhurst is allegedly ‘ The capital of The New Forest’ but is just one massive traffic jam with queues of up to 30 minutes just to get to the centre of an underwhelming High Street.
How many times have I heard on ‘Escape to the Country’ participants saying that they like living where they do but the traffic has ruined it for them?
Unless there is a drastic rethink on transport management things will only get worse unfortunately.

Try the Cotswolds

Don’t live there then.

I get it. Tourists are a pain. Parts of the U.K. are massively overcrowded by them but there are still places to go that aren’t as busy.

More people holidaying in UK due to Covid though. So maybe worse than normal.

Baycity where do you holiday then?

Lake District has been especially busy this year, due to owoole not going abroad. I wouldn't make any major decisions just yet

Tourism area n Wales. Hate the influx of tourists July August. We don't eat out or visit beauty spots. BUT I do appreciate our shops that can afford to stay open all year around our little pubs, our beautiful beaches, it's all ours from September to Easter. So I can live with that

Unless you never go on holiday, we are all tourists somewhere

@Macncheeseballs

Baycity where do you holiday then?

I just avoid the main hotspots. Parts of Northumberland still quiet. Scottish Borders aren’t too bad for example.

I love the Lakes. I go there too but try to go off season. I get that it must be a pain for people living in these areas but tourism is also necessary for their economy.

We have friends who live near troutbeck -they like it there as they are not overlooked and it's lovely.

Ambleside/Windermere/Bowness are very busy in the summer months especially but they have learnt to shop etc at less busy times and still love it.

I love the lakes and would live there if I could. We go every year but tend to go in Autumm/Winter when it's quiter. We also tend to explore off the beaten track a bit where it's less crowded and it's absolutely lovely.

Obviously, each to their own so if it's not for you anymore, there's nothing wrong with that.

I love the Lakes my paternal gp’s were originally from Cleater Moor so we went up around Cumbria for holidays since forever but I do hear you how it has changed and how busy it can get especially in school holidays. As PP said have North and West areas are less busy and also there are parts of Lancashire around Whalley and Clitheroe more affordable and less touristy. Plus also not too far to visit the Lakes when you want to.

I live in the Eden Valley, close enough to visit Lakes ( north lakes which are not as busy anyway) but very quiet and no tourists to speak of even though it’s equally beautiful. We are very lucky and I totally get the tourist thing. I swim a lot in Ullswater and it’s been heaving lately, but do think it’s exacerbated by COVID. I know have to go super early or late in the evening to get some peace. Before this place we lived in a very touristy place and we left for exactly that reason. Too heaving with visitors, all the time.

The peak District is also busy

It gets that busy that folk block the roads. I keep seeing it on the news about inconsiderate parking etc… where emergency services couldn’t get through because if these idiots….I’m sure it’s not just the lakes of course, but I couldn’t live there for all the beauty it offers….

the A6 through Milnthorpe can often be a nightmare. I reckon it's the worst of all worlds really - a busy road in a not very interesting town. (but yes, with access to beautiful places)

I wouldn't live in a place like Ambleside in a million years. Yes, so frantic.

That part of the world is beautiful, but the beauty spreads around a lot further than the places everyone knows about. If you are lucky enough to be able to live where you choose (for work and other reasons) then you definitely have the time and inclination to find somewhere more private that still has access to marvellous country.

Similarly - I last went to Cornwall 17 years ago and wouldn't try to holiday there if you paid me. Such a screaming nightmare, by all accounts - everyone and their cars and bloody dogs fighting over the same tiny little once pretty beaches. I think some people like it like that though - they feel as if they are where the action is - and I hope they can bring some money to the area and the locals can find a way to preserve what they need at the same time as earning a living from it all.

I'd like to start a sister thread to this on places where you can go that are still quiet, but sssssssh I don't want everyone to know!

I really dislike the Lakes. For many years , I thought I would like it but I just don't.
Find it depressing, a bad energy.
Weird how places don't suit us.

There are much quieter places in the Lake District than the Honeypot towns of Bowness and Ambleside and the "Gateway" town of Kendal. It's no suprise they're busy! Presumably you want to live in the "gateway" area for convenient travel, shops etc - like everyone else. It sounds as if you're part of the problem!

How about you look at North Lakes, i.e. Grasmere, Keswick, etc, or even West Lakes, i.e. Ravenglass, Cockermouth. They're a lot quieter, have exactly the same access to the countryside, lakes, views, mountains, etc. But they don't have the same supermarkets, access to transport network etc.

People will always congregate where the facilities exist, i.e. shops, supermarkets, transport links, etc. You're the same! It sounds you want the convenience etc of being in the "busy" places but just don't want them to be busy. A tad contradictory?

@Badbadbunny

There are much quieter places in the Lake District than the Honeypot towns of Bowness and Ambleside and the "Gateway" town of Kendal. It's no suprise they're busy! Presumably you want to live in the "gateway" area for convenient travel, shops etc - like everyone else. It sounds as if you're part of the problem!

How about you look at North Lakes, i.e. Grasmere, Keswick, etc, or even West Lakes, i.e. Ravenglass, Cockermouth. They're a lot quieter, have exactly the same access to the countryside, lakes, views, mountains, etc. But they don't have the same supermarkets, access to transport network etc.

People will always congregate where the facilities exist, i.e. shops, supermarkets, transport links, etc. You're the same! It sounds you want the convenience etc of being in the "busy" places but just don't want them to be busy. A tad contradictory?

I would say Grasmere is as mental as Ambleside. It’s got that gingerbread shop and people drive miles to get that…