Calling all Lake District experts?!

[winniewoo]

Please can you help?!..looking to stay in Lake District in Aug self catering. What area should I base my stay. Would love perhaps a village..not too rural? Any ideas...? Oh!..and do you know of any self catering within grounds of a hotel?
Many thanks! Family is DH DS 5, 3 and baby.

Ambleside is great, would really recommend it.

But you may have trouble getting self-catering accommodation at such short notice...

Thanks Tatties..have you stayed in any SC places there?
Great to get a starting point!

I've spent many happy childhood weekends in Ambleside, Windermere itself is less pretty. We stayed in Keswick a few years ago, I loved it but we were childless then. It's a small town, not a village so a reasonable selection of pubs and restaurants.

Coniston is smaller, prettier very pleasant. Hawkshead is lovely as well, never actually stayed there though.

Can't give you any accom details, sorry, it was a while ago (not been up there with dd 2yo) and can't remember which company we went with.

ceck out lakelovers.co.uk for self catering cottages. We've used them a couple of times. You'll just have to type in the week you want and see what's around I think as most places will be booked up

Yes, this is where I have stayed before, it is really lovely but very popular and not much availability until the autumn! You really have to book quite far in advance.

Any other thoughts?

bump

The Brackenrigg at Watermillock (around Ullswater) has cottages next door (Stable Cottages I think they're called). Nice views of the lakes. Try www.absolute-escapes.com One of my friends runs it, she knows each cottage individually and she could tell you all about them etc.

I'm sorry I haven't any accommodation to recommend as I'm a 'local' but to give you things to do ideas we took DS to lakeside and haverthwaite steam railway yesterday and he loved it (he's nearly 2). Also ravenglass & eskdale railway is fun coz it's an open carriage. Have a fun holiday!

try here , excellent place for kids!

old thread

a friend of ours hasa ahouse in amblesied that he renst out through this company they are small and owned by locals and have laods of properties all over the lakes

Have just come back from a fabulous week in Grasmere. We stayed in a self-catering apartment above one of the shops. We booked it through heart of the lakes and have used their properties in other parts of the lakes too. While we were there I noticed nearly all the accommodation in Grasmere had vacancy signs up.
Grasmere is perfect for young families. Every morning we walked along the nearby stream to feed the ducks and in the evenings we went to the park which has a play area. It is also a good base for exploring the rest of the Lake District.