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.

Who sets the Local Occupancy rules? About 30 years ago when we went to the Ambleside/Windermere area (well, the Langdales, but visited the towns for the heady rush of meeting more than 2 people on a path at once ) the estate agent windows were full of houses that could only be sold to people who lived and worked in the area.
I’d love a house up there, but I’m not sure I could square it with my conscience to buy a holiday home. There were quite a few in budget in the Western lakes I saw recently and none had LO clauses bar one bungalow.

I know Staveley operates under local occupancy rules, not seen many others though.
Renting isn't so bad, much cheaper in the south lakes for me than the town where I was born (near Lancaster), altough the very lovely ones are often outside of the transport network so I shall possibly have more freedom to choose once I have passed my driving test. For the time being, im focusing on semi rural.

Aren't they supposed to be trying to include more areas into the national park now? I heard there's been push to do that in an effort to boost the local economies of towns and villages on the periphery. I have no idea if this is a good or a bad idea for those already living there.