Lakes - Hidden gem suggestions

[Sosigsandwich]

My husband and I are off to Bowness for 5 days in October. We've been a number of times before and so far this time we fancy doing Tarn Hows with a stop in Ambleside or anywhere else en route. Any suggestions for things we can do? Places to eat?

We plan to visit Wray Castle and walk to Claife viewing station... Is the walk worth it?
Also after suggestions of experience days. Happy to give anything a go, for example we have done blacksmithing, glass blowing, llama trek, pottery etc.

Many thanks.

Bump

The walk from Wray to Claife is lovely. It might be easier from Bowness to get the ferry across Windermere. The first right hand turn after the ferry takes you to Claife Viewing Station. You can park there and walk the other way to Wray Castle, saving you the drive around the lake.

If you want to go to Tarn Hows you could also build in trips to Coniston or Hawkshead. Both are lovely little towns.

Other suggestions:

• Orrest Head (park up in Windermere and follow the well marked path next to the big hotel). Lunch at Homeground.
• The coffin route and caves at Rydal. Lunch at Badger Bar.
• get the Ullswater Steamer from Glenridding to Howtown and walk back.
• visit Keswick and walk around the lake (if the steamer is running you can cut short the walk at various points)

All of these have lovely views and are relatively well marked routes. Easily Googleable. No specialist equipment required!

Have fun

Grizedale forest has some nice walking routes and not too far away.

I’d recommend doing this circular route if it’s running www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk/cruises-fares/walkers-ticket-using-windermere-car-ferry-1
If you’re keen walkers and you have time in your day, make a detour to Belham Tarn www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wray-castle/trails/wray-castle-to-blelham-tarn-circular-walk

Eat or drink at The Drunken Duck at Ambleside for amazing views. Book well in advance. Like now.
The Masons Arms, Strawberry Bank is also well worth going to.

If you plan on going inside Wray Castle then it will be a short visit. We went in July and all there were were empty rooms. The cafe was still being renovated so it was one of those pop up cafes. We enjoyed the walk around the grounds though.

These are all lovely ideas thank you all. What is the Coffin Route? I've never heard of that. We've done Rydal cave and enjoyed that walk through penny rock wood.

We thought about the ferry but have heard it breaks down regularly... didn't realise you could take your car on it 🤦🏻‍♀️

@tutorwho Oh that's disappointing!! I open some of it is open when we go!

If you carry on past Rydal caves down to the main road, turn left and walk to the road leading up to Rydal Hall (across the road on your right) you can pick up the Coffin Route from there. Rydal Hall grounds are nice for a wander round, then carry on up the road a way and the turn off is on the left. Good views across Rydal and Grasmere. You can drop down at White Moss Common if you have parked there or carry on to Grasmere.

Tbh, Wray is never a good ‘adult’ visit. Even when fully open it is aimed at kids - play rooms, fancy dress rooms, soft play, etc. The location is gorgeous though. Worth it for that! Parking there is £9 a day if you’re not an NT member though (so better parking at Claife, where you can park right by the lake for free)

There’s never been much at Wray Castle tbh. It’s an 1840s folly. For houses built by rich Northern industrialists, lakelandarts.org.uk/blackwell/our-story/Blackwell is much more interesting. Allan Bank in Grasmere itself is interesting too, although not fully furnished. Not sure when that closes though.

I agree that going inside Wray castle isn't really worth it (unless you've got a membership card and it's not going to cost you any extra), but the area it's in and the grounds are lovely.

If you are going to Tarn Hows, there is a great walk that starts at Glen Mary (I think???) car park, takes in the waterfalls, the tarns and then goes down through the woods to Monk Coniston (beautiful gardens), Coniston village then back up to the car park.

Hawkshead is lovely for an hour or two and Beatrix Potters cottage and gallery are well worth a visit. If you like NT properties, Townend farm at Troutbeck is worth visiting too.

It’s a bit of a trudge up there but the views from Latterbarrow (Hawkshead) are great.

High dam if you are looking for somewhere relatively crowd free.

Here you go a day trip out ready planned
www.donthibernate.co.uk/route-9-the-lakes/

No toilets at Tarn how's
Another hidden gem, Drive to Ashness bridge and look at the view point
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/borrowdale-and-derwent-water/features/ashness-bridge-wildlife-and-a-surprise-view

Then carry on up the hill to Watendlath Tarn but the road is tight so take care
www.visitcumbria.com/kes/watendlath/
Then Back To Keswick, Brysons tea room is great but plenty of eating places too.
brysonsofkeswick.co.uk/main/

Buttermere is nice and less visited

@Funf That sounds amazing, thank you!

No problem I hope you enjoy it

We're also going to the Lakes in October. Weather depending we're planning more gentle walks as I haven't been well:

Buttermere (it's a lovely walk, just need to be there in the morning to definitely get parked).

Aira Force (we have National Trust membership for their car parks).

Rydal Cave and Water then onto Grasmere.

Stocks Ghyll in Ambleside.

Winlatter Forest.

We've had some delicious Bryson's cakes from Booth so we might try to swing by the tea room in Keswick.

A restaurant I really recommend is Francine’s in Windermere. We went in July and the food was amazing.

@CurbsideProphet We've never done Buttermere and I've never heard of Stocks Ghyll before so will definitely look at those, thank you. We always get treats from the Bryson's in Bowness, it's opposite one of our favourite restaurants too.

@GobbledyGeek I haven't heard of that either but we love good food so thank you for the suggestion.

Were you wanting off the beaten track stuff or touristy stuff, OP? Because some of these suggestions are nice enough, but are the real tourist hotspots (ie Tarn Hows, the coffin route, etc). Honestly, walking the coffin route is like walking through Manchester piccadilly at the moment.

Also, are you into outdoorsy stuff as there are lots of runs and walks I could recommend. Paddleboarding and wild swimming too, obviously.

In terms of pubs, the Drunken Duck is extremely good but again, very busy and you'll have to book. There are pubs a bit further off the tourist trail that have incredible views and beer gardens. One of my favourites is the Kirkstile Inn.

@fellrunner85 Less touristy stuff ideally please. We did think about stopping off at the Drunken Duck on our way home from Tarn Hows. Really like the look of the walk but after looking on Google maps the roads look very narrow.

Park up in elterwater and take the walk alongside the river to chesters at skelwith bridge- gorgeous shop and cakes. Also drive over to Keswick and visit Lingholm, beautiful walks round there and gorgeous cafe.

I'm not sure if this counts as a hidden gem or not, but the Dalemain Loop walk from Pooley Bridge is a fantastic walk - takes about 3 hrs in total and great pub in Dacre for lunch ( Horse and Harrier) https://www.dalemain.com/walks/.
Pooley Bridge is quite busy - or at least it was in the summer - but the walk itself isn't busy.
Although I do also love the Buttermere loop as it's nice and flat and a great cafe in Buttermere selling amazing cakes.

The roads around the Drunken Duck aren't any narrower than anywhere else in the Lakes, really?! Well, obviously narrower than the main A roads like the 591, but certainly not an issue in terms of driving there.

Yeah, if you’re going to Tarn Hows you’re already in very narrow roads! You’re not going to make it any worse by going to the drunken duck.