Lake District - where would YOU recommend for a week in May?

[hulahoopsilove]

Weve been to Windermere/Bowness pre kids but now with a DS age 9 fancied taking him there for a week in May.

Want a cottage or rental with 2 beds would prefer near a town so we can do pub meals and something to do.

bump

Keswick.
Nice town and plenty of opportunities for pub meals and accommodation.
Also well placed for walks. We like taking the boat over to the other side of Derwentwater and either doing Cat Bells or walking back around the lake shore

Agree with Keswick suggestion - lots going on there

Ambleside also fine - bit smaller but still lots to do on the doorstep....

Center parcs. If weather not nice you can always swim.

Anywhere is lovely in lakes though

Unless you live very near to the Lakes then not Center parcs - you could be anywhere, so not worth the (long) drive for me.

May is the very best time to visit for the weather IME and the whole point in that you take decent waterproofs and make the most of the great outdoors whatever the weather. If you're not going to do that, then you have no business holidaying in the Lakes IMO 9yo is the very best age for that kind of a week too.

Ambleside for me, or maybe right up the Langdale Valley, where there are pubs but no shops (except at the campsite)

Cockermouth. Beautiful area and fewer tourists about.

Keswick is nice and lively with street entertainment a lovely big park, also a good pool, if you get a rainy day it's not too far to Carlisle for 9 year old to visit Carlisle castle and the museum there has good Roman bits.