Windermere and Ambleside

[lemonmeringuepiesss]

We love Windermere and Ambleside... would these be good places to live with a five yo? Maybe too touristy....? Or somewhere around / similar to these areas, not remote and with access to a good school and shopping, town centre etc. Looking to downsize and get a house for up to around £250k tops.

I grew up near Staveley, which is a village, less touristy, cheaper, and busy enough to sustain 3 pubs and a lot of local businesses. Good access both to Kendal and Windermere.

Can you live anywhere job-wise?
Kendal is more of a "real town". Windermere much more touristy - you trip over Asian tourists taking selfies and the traffic can be awful.
I have a friend who lives in Kendal and a switch of secondary school due to not really getting enough SEN support now means a really long journey - the trouble with a thinly populated county.

Can I ask what sort of SEN support was an issue. Am thinking of a friends son with likely autism (currently undiagnosed but in the system for assessment) They are considering Kendal

What about Keswick? Not a huge place but everything you need and Derwent Water and Borrowdale on the doorstep. Touristy but not overwhelmingly so. I think with kids you would get pig sick of the hordes of tourists in Ambleside and Windermere. Cockermouth would be another good bet and not touristy at all.

Hahahahaha

Sorry.

Not remote? try a different county. Cumbria is the least densely populated in England. That's why they test fly military planes over it.

I grew up there. Lots of drugs. Nothing much else for teens. Transport links are non existent so resented being trapped, and parents resented driving all the time. It's rough as fuck! You're setting yourself up for trouble imo. Much better to visit as a tourist.

Look at areas of natural beauty that are near actual population centres, motorways and main railways

gassy I believe it was ASD but I don't know all the details. But I know it was also other things - it's just hard to find a new school nearby if you need to change for any reason.

Ok thanks all. @Rednaxela it's not sounding too good haha thanks for your warnings I think I will reconsider! We are quite flexible with regards to work as we work for ourselves. Suggestions to meet new criteria would be much appreciated!

House prices are high in Lake District park. High schools in Kendal a bit iffy currently. Maybe consider Kirkby Lonsdale? Great high school, bit touristy only, nice shops. Relatively expensive but not as bad as Lakes...

There’s some bollocks in this topic.

Nothing wrong with Kendal high schools.

Not seen any drugs in 20 years of living here plenty of stuff for kids to do.

Kirkby is good but very expensive compared to Kendal.

Don’t think there’s a bad high school in the south lakes

Windermere and Ambleside would drive me mad in the summer. We live just our side the National park near Grange and currently trying to move to Kirkby Lonsdale to be nearer my work.

Thanks drspouse they currently live in Ambleside but considering move to Kendal to be nearer M6 and further from tourist hordes!

Thanks good to hear some more views. We just love the area.

Go towards Kendal, there's a current problem with local train transport in the area, school kids have been left high and dry with trains not turning up, my nieces and nephews live in Bowness and are at school in Kendal.

As far as some of the other issues already brought up go, travel in and out of Windermere during school holidays is a nightmare, can take ages just to get to Booths supermarket, yes there is a drug problem, but probably no more so than most towns these days, other than that, the area as a whole can feel a bit isolated for youngsters, not much around job wise unless its the hospitality industry.

Lovely scenery though! I got married in Bowness.

Kendal is not that nice. Keswick is gorgeous.
If you want rural but not remote what about further south, uppermill, high peak, whaley bridge? Lovely Peak District countryside. Easy access to Manchester/Sheffield.