Lake District Walk ideas with baby please?

[Neney1]

Going at end of March to North Lakes with 7 MO DS.
We're taking both 3 wheel buggy (good for most terrains!) and our baby backpack. We've been going to the Lakes for a good few years now and have been up most of the fells, but not really taken any notice of the flatter walks!

Any suggestions for where we can go will be greatly appreciated... especially those with a bit of an upward slant so we can perhaps enjoy a view too!!

We are also going at the end of March with a double pushchair (and of course 2 DC!). I've never been before it may be worth looking here www.lake-district.gov.uk/index/enjoying/outdoors/miles_without_stiles.htm.

Hope you enjoy your holiday!

This is not north lakes, but if you start on the west side of Lake Windermere by the ferry, there is a beautiful walk along the lake with easy buggy access and options for non-buggy walks too.

Forest of Grizedale has great walks and lovely sculptures to see too (kids love them)...but still not North Lakes sorry...

If you walk round the back of the swimming pool in keswick, along brundholme road, turn right onto spooney green lane, over the A66, and keep going up-eventually you'll end up on Latrigg-you'll need the backpack for this one, but it's one of our favourites.

maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

AND leisure.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/leisure/products.jsp?xvalue=326500&yvalue=523500&q=keswick&zoomindex=3& regionkey=GB&minx=0&maxx=0&miny=0&maxy=0&placename=Keswick&publisher=allpub

HTH

Sorry, I don't think my prev links worked & have been off line for a bit

BUT these books are quite good:

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/203-6827197-1003111?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=p ushchair+walks&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

or

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/203-6827197-1003111?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=p ushchair+walks&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

HTH.

if anyone wants suggestions in the Windermere / Ambleside / Grasmere patch I have plenty (and three small children...enuf said) but sorry am probably not much use in the far north of the patch.

Oh, Yes please gigglewitch. We're going to Ambleside week after next (I'm so excited) Boys are 7 & almost5. Last year we got to the top of Wansfell, they loved exploring Lougrigg and Rydall Water and of course we had to go to the Bower Stone and explore Borrowdale (I think?) a bit. Any new ideas, especially for walks where they can feel they've climbed a "mountain" gratefully received. Anything near water always poplar too.

I am very knowledgable re the Lakes having been on holiday every year since I was inside my mother! Now 43 and mother to 4 children and still going usually once, sometimes twice a year. If you are genuine hill walkers, I can tell you what it is like to climb most mountains from both the child's POV and also as a parent.

The obvious choice for you perpetualworrier is Helm Crag overlooking Grasmere. My children love that one. You can ramble about forever on Todd Crag and Loughrigg overlooking Ambleside, or walk from Ambleside to Loughrigg Tarn and back via the caves on Loughrigg where it overlooks Rydalwater.

It can be hard for me to judge these things though as we are not scared of heights or exposure or walking long distances even when our children were very little. Maybe others would be less ambitious than us?

Sorry, Helm Crag and Todd Crag were two separate walks there! Just realised it looks like one suggestion!

Catbells is a lovely walk with great views. You'll need the backpack and possibly even some walking poles to make it easier.

Thanks Dumble. We love Todd Cragg, but I haven't heard of Helm Crag, I shall have to get the map out. Last time we were there the caves on Lougrigg had been blocked off and you weren't allowed (supposed to?) go in.

We thought we'd done well last yr to get 4 yo to the top of Wansfell, which we could see from the window where we were staying. I get the feeling you'd be more ambitious? Which mountain would you pick as a first for the DC's? DH & I did a lot of them before DC's, but only short walks since. My most favourite was the Fairfield Horseshoe, but I remember that as a long day, not sure DC's would cope. They're reasonably fit and used to being ourdoors, but we're soft southerners. No hills here.

No the Fairfield Horseshoe is pretty ambitious. I think I was 10ish before I did that but you have to understand that my parents were hillwalking fanatics and I had an older brother and sister and got dragged into doing longer walks than was probably suitable for me. Last time I did it (as an adult with dh before children) it was a boiling hot day and it nearly killed me - I fell asleep on the sofa for 2 solid hours the minute we got back!

Helm Crag is lovely. We have done it loads of times with our children, most recently last year when they were 11, 9, 7 and 4 - 4 yo managed it no problems. It is also called the Lion and the Lamb and it is the craggy looking little mountain on the left hand side of the main road from Ambleside to Keswick, just as you have passed Grasmere.

If you don't know that valley, you can do another walk too - to Easedale tarn. I find with my children as long as there is a target to aim for they are fine, ie it does not have to be a summit, a tarn will do nicely.

You could always walk up Nab Scar (the first peak in the Fairfield Horseshoe approaching in a clockwise direction) and then walk to Alcock tarn which is very pretty.

there is a circuit round buttermere which should be doable

Oh btw, yes we are ambitious but we are also southern softies. I only know the Lakes so well from being dragged there every year by my parents! It is the only bit of the north that I do know (better than virtually anywhere else!)

And I think Wansfell Pike with a 4 yo is doing well. To give you an idea, last time we did that, we went onwards towards Windermere instead of going straight back down to Ambleside, and walked round the base of the mountain and it was far further than we anticipated!

ive done this with a toddler

sorry perpetual my internet connection has been knackered all night. Ironically we have just got back on when it's time to go to bed... I promise I'll be back tomorrow (server errors permitting) to ramble on about rambling in Ambleside and locality.

I look forward to it gigglewitch. It's raining so hard here ATM, that we could almost already be there

My brother climbed Snowden when he was 4 - longer walks aren't necessarily out of the equation. You could always go half way up a fell. Coniston Old Man has some nice stop off points if you can't make the summit, as do Langdale Pikes.

Catbells, near Keswick, is a lovely walk indeed and seems to appear in many a guide book/tourist info leaflet as a family friendly walk. As a result lots of people seem to do it with a buggy. Don't!! We were up there last autumn and came across several families carrying their buggy both up and down the steep bits. Lots of crying toddlers and some very grumpy looking parents!

Also in the Northern Lakes is Castle Crag--a nice walk through woods and a bit of up and down. Begin and end in Grange (at the southern end of Derwentwater) where there are a couple of nice tea shops!
We did this at New Year with our 3 year old, who walked more or less all the way.
There's a route description here.