Lake District with teenagers

[clarityneede]

I have never been to the Lake District, so I’m thinking about going for a few days in August, to combine with a visit to family in Liverpool afterwards.
It would be for 2 adults and we have 2 teenagers. We don’t want to hike, but like having a look around the local area and being able to walk to pubs and restaurants. I’m considering booking Bowness on Windermere for the reason that once we park the car, we should be able to walk around and not have to drive again, unless we want to explore elsewhere.
Are there any water activities that you would recommend? And especially companies to book through? Or is there anywhere else that you would recommend staying?

They will be bored stiff. It's an old person's place. But happy to be proved wrong. Nice little touristy shops and cafes.

Honsiter slate mine

Thank you. I hadn’t realised it was exclusively for old people. I had hoped for SUP and kayaking. Where would you recommend @Viviennemary?

It is not just for old people! I’m not an old lady and love it. And they do have teens in the Lake District too. And teens’ interests vary so some may love it while others love it.

I’m not a water sports fan but this place offers several.

https://englishlakes.co.uk/hotels/low-wood-bay/watersports/?gl=11u60xyfupMQ..gsMQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj-KWh8a0jgMV6pdQBh2hdQj2EAAYASAAEgLajPDBwE&gbraid=0AAAAADHBm6yQ3fQV-3NdJpy2r9QpABBmK

Another centre

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/westmorland-and-furness/windermere-outdoor-adventure-centre

We’ve been to the Lake District with teens and tweens. My teens enjoyed:
Indoor rock climbing in Keswick
Go Ape and hiring bikes in Grisedale Forest
Zip World Windermere and archery at Brockhole
SUPs on lake Windermere
Cliffhanger Escape Room
Crazy golf in Keswick
We also visited caves and waterfalls, and they didn’t moan or grumble!

We stay in Keswick every year and although ours aren’t teenagers yet, I’d recommend:
honister slate mine infinity bridge
alpaca walking Derwent water
water sports on the Derwent water - loads to choose from
indoor climbing at Kong
the puzzle room thing (can’t remember the name!)
outdoor theatre/cinema
crazy golf
loads of shops and cafes
easy ish walks - Latrigg, Catbells
there’s a wildlife park nearby and Go Ape

loads to do, we never have enough time in a week. Happy Holidays!

Not sure of budget but we’ve stayed at langdale estate a few times - there are lodges and hotel. Great pool, restaurant and bar on site. Table tennis, giant chess etc outdoors too. Easy walk to elterwater stresms / brooks for messing about in / swimming. Nice few miles easy walk to diff tarns for swimming / splashing. Good walk (not a real hike) to grasmere and easy drive to Ambleside and Windermere for boats / canoes etc. There’s also go ape type thing at brockholes. Village shop and pub to walk to for supplies and lodges massive and really comfy. My triplet tweens have loved it.

I’ve booked to go white water rafting in the lakes in august. And Alpacaly ever after for alpaca walks in Keswick. I did it a few weeks ago and it was stunning.

We go to the lakes very regularly, our 12 and 14 year old love it. Sometimes we push them a bit far on walks and they might moan but mostly they’re great.

everyone loves Keswick best but I actually prefer Windermere! Bowness can be a bit crazy but Windermere is a bit more civilised and you can easily walk down to Bowness.

you can get the ferry or hire a a sailboat from Bowness.

grizedale is great for Go Ape or just a walk around. There’s a good playground there and the cafe is quite nice.

Brockhole is good and close to Windermere - you can get a bus if you don’t want to drive, it stops v near.

greythwaite estate is great for activities and paddle boarding. We did a lesson with them and it was brilliant, also did the 4x4 off road driving there and they let the kids have a go.

chocolate making in Hawkshead.

you will need to drive around though in the lakes as it’s all quite spread out.

keswick is still a great area and loads to do as already mentioned. Buttermere is a lovely walk if you don’t want to go up a mountain, it’s a circular walk around the lake and is stunning. Lots of sheep and highland cows pottering around. There’s an amazing cake shop in the village there. Can combine that with Honister.

honestly there is so much to do. We have been doing several times every year and we still do something different every time.

if you’re going in the holidays I would pre book activities and restaurants.

It’s definitely not an old person’s place! However Bowness is rammed in summer, so be prepared for that. Lots of places to eat and drink. I’m not knowledgeable about watersports, but I know this place is popular.
https://englishlakes.co.uk/hotels/low-wood-bay/watersports/?mh_matchtype=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22426155985&gbraid=0AAAAADHBm6yQ3fQV-3NdJpy2r9QpABBmK&gclid=CjwKCAjw7MLDBhAuEiwAIeXGITQFxvL1qEEeiZw9U8qTkup3IOePK5206eR2aHX-_F1Sqd_P1mSkjRoCbvUQAvD_BwE

I grew up in south Cumbria and used to work on Windermere Lake Cruises.

Lots of good suggestions - wouldn't go for bowness either. Coniston is fab - lots within walking distance and worth a visit to bluebird in the local museum.

We live here, it’s not an old person’s place, there’s loads to do for teens.

Bowness is the worst part of the lakes IMHO, I’d look at staying in Keswick which has good public transport options and good restaurants (The Round is a must with teens, be prepared to queue) - Honinster is a must, maybe the Via Ferrara if they’re adreneline junkies. If it rains my kids still love The Puzzling Place. You could hire bikes at Whinlatter or paddle on Derwentwater.

There’s also a lot of really accessible walking to interesting places - a loop to cathedral caves or rydal caves aren’t hard but they’re cool to see and explore.

Have a great trip!

Thank you so much for the suggestions, I really appreciate all of the responses. I will go away and look into some of these ideas. I’m glad it doesn’t seem to just be a place for old people!

We stayed in Windermere (up hill from Bowness last August and have just rebooked this year. We walked to Bowness for a meal one night and also one day to get the boat to Ambleside (not cheap option but easier than parking at Ambleside). Not sure about other places nearby as we go to hike. Kids are trying to make me do Helvelyn this time.

Fell Foot Park, run by the National Trust. You can get a boat from Bowness down to Lakeside then a little ferry over to the park. They have rowing boats for hire and sometimes SUPs or canoes.
You can hire electric boats, rowing boats and canoes in Bowness itself.
A new cinema has opened in Bowness, the Royalty, with all seats £5.
The bus service in the Lakes is quite good, as are the trains from Windermere, if you want to travel a bit further or if the weather isn't great. I'd recommend a visit to my home town of Lancaster!

Bowness will be HEAVING in August and the opposite of relaxing.

I would head to some of the other suggested places in the thread. Avoid Ambleside too.

We live in the lakes it is definitely not for just old people 😆 if you are outdoorsy you have everything you could want on your doorstep, my teens paddle board, kayak, you don’t have to hike but the hiking is incredible, lakes, coast, the honister mine my eldest loves the climbing, there are so many places to eat and drink, you can wander all around Bowness hop on a boat and go over to Ambleside, the buses run all over the lakes so easy to jump on and off, Keswick and grasmere are lovely, Ambleside has an old cinema, there is so much to do x

I second Keswick. The buses from there are pretty good - some are open topped - so driving isn’t necessary, and someone else is dealing with the stress of the traffic. You have to pay to park pretty much everywhere so it’s reasonably good value too.

Yes all of these! Love the lakes.

Also the puzzling place is fun ( mine are a couple years younger though)

I'd definitely go for Keswick over Bowness, and we visit both every year, although Brockhole on Windermere is a good activity centre with archery, canoes, axe throwing etc.

Ravenglass and Eskdale railway
Muncaster castle

Beautiful area