Lake District- some help please!

[Zigmundforevrr]

I'm looking to go to the Lake District this July with my partner and my daughter who will have just tuned 5 at that point.
Can I please have some recommendations on where we could go? I want someone that's near a town but also not far to go for beautiful scenery and walks and also activities for my daughter
Thank you

Ambleside or Keswick are the main towns with most to do for kids. And both on large lakes with boat trips etc and loads of easy walks. Also you can do open top bus tours and other fun things. Have fun.

Keswick is well set up for visitors, and I assume will cater for children relatively well. The visitor centre is really great for advice on walks and will be able to talk you through kid friendly options too.

Another vote for Keswick.

Fitz Park and the Keswick Museum
Boat trips and boat hire on Derwent Water
Pitch and Putt (and ice-cream) in Hope Park
The Puzzling Place

A 5yo can do the walk up Latrig.
There's a disused railway walk as well, which would be flat, but I haven't walked it so don't know what it's like.

All that is just off the top of my head.

Keswick Theatre is excellent, though I don't know what they offer for children. We only started going there once eldest dc was happy to babysit the others for an evening. A lovely break on a break 😄

I grew up there and visit every school holidays. We stay with my mum but visit Keswick every time we go. It’s our favourite place and the DC love it. I will repeat but emphasise lots of the above!

Hope Park - crazy golf, remote boats, a stream with stepping stones and then walk down to the lake side
Lake side - buy bird food and feed the geese, walk right along to friar’s crag, follow any of the paths on the left for an explore
There Is a brilliant toy shop in the arcade right by The Puzzling Place - great for indoor time
Kong indoor climbing and soft play
Pencil museum
Brilliant play area in Fitz Park
Friar’s sweet shop is a must
Fish and chips in the Old Keswickian on the main square by the Moot Hall (the kingfisher is probably better fish and chips, but the old keswickian is still good and a better location)

I love Keswick, probably my favourite spot in the Lakes. Near to some of the easier Lakeland walks. Also great is anywhere on Windermere - Ambleside is lovely, Bowness also good with kids. Lovely green space to run round by the lake. My kids absolutely loved the open top bus between Grasmere and Windermere which has stops all along the route. These towns have lovely little shops and cafes, they will be busy, prepare to book if you want to eat out in the evening, especially if you want an early table with kids. The boats on the lake are great way to have a day out for little legs who can't manage a massive walk. For somewhere quieter, but still with a shop/pub and lake and boat access then Patterdale/Glenridding are pretty but more remote. Coniston has a small run of shops, but is pretty quiet. The Lakes is great place, hope you enjoy it!

Keswick! Its great!
5 year old may be able to do Cat Bells too if it’s nice weather
the old railway path to Threkld is great to cycle down and has a nice tea shop at the end
trip on the lake on one of the ferries
also the Castlerigg Stone Circle

We've just booked for the start of July and have gone for a b&b in Ambleside. Haven't been there for years but remember going with Primary school aged children and there was plenty for them to do.
We had plenty of choice when booking but I'm sure the popular spots will fill up soon.

You won't go wrong in Keswick but it can be busy and expensive as it's very popular.

Recommend Grasmere too - you can hire a rowing boat, hang out in Allan Bank national Trust House, which has children's activities, go for walks round the Lake, buy Grasmere gingerbread and not that far to drive to Brockhole which has lots of activities for children.

Keswick is lovely too but it's a busy town so it depends what you're looking for. Grasmere is busy too but we have often stayed just nearby so we get a bit of quiet but are near activities if need be.

I live near Kendal. Depending on where you go you can have so many different experiences. South lakes is basically Kendal (although not strictly in the Lake District national park), Bowness, Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere etc. all beautiful places but Bowness gets VERY busy. North lakes is more Keswick, Butternere etc - Carlisle is a lovely city but again not in the national park. West lakes im not that familiar with, Workington, Whitehaven etc. there is a beautiful place on the west coast (not actually on the coast but that area) called Muncaster Castle. I used to take my children there there's always something going on and the scenery is breathtaking (you'll need to Google it 😀). Kendal is ok, gets busy in the summer months. The busiest places in my view are Bowness, Windermere, Ambleside and Keswick you can't go wrong with any of them. Also if you're willing travel a bit further, Ulverston is a lovely little market town, and Barrow in Furness has some stunning beaches.

We liked Buttermere when we went with our family.

We like to be based in Elterwater which is 4 miles from Ambleside. It is beautiful but also close to Lake Windermere, Grasmere, Tarn Hows, Hawkshead whilst no where near as busy as the main towns. Flat walks all over

I would vote for Troutbeck, half way between Windermere and Ambleside, easy driving to Rydal and Grasmere.

Excellent pub!

Coniston. You can tackle the Old Man or walk to Tarn How's without having to drive to the base. There's the Lake with a gondola and you can paddle or even swim in decent weather subject to water quality Parking is a pain increasingly so anything on foot is a bonus. Having said that there is a car park at Tarn Hows.

At 5 mine enjoyed :
the walk to the cave above Rydal Water the pub,( Badger Bar?) allows parking if you pop in for a drink when you get back

The walk up to Aira Force waterfalls on Ullswater (National Trust) . But don’t bother if the weather has been extremely dry

Trip on the steamer along Ullswater

Getting the launch on Derwent water, getting off and walking through woodland to catch the next launch from a different jetty

The Bowder Stone in Borrowdale

So many becks and lakeside spots to splash and picnic. Look up walks to waterfalls, short walks with children. Mine preferred a shortish steep uphill walk to a summit rather than a longer flat walk, and by 7 we’re doing actual fells.

We like around Ullswater, Lowther Castle is an amazing place to explore! Huge amazing playground too. Beautiful position. Super facilities.

beatrix potter museum in Bowness on Windermere, lots of boats etc.

maps.app.goo.gl/A9K9jf2VRhBmLrJw5?g_st=ic

It's called surprise view in Keswick, there is a car park right next to it - but you can hike too. It's a lovely little view over looking Keswick/lakes. There's no barriers so you will have to watch your little one near the edge - but the view is breathtakingly beautiful. Enjoy!

@rsih91 where DH asked me to marry him 😊

Amazing, the perfect spot for it.

We love Bowness. We stay at Fallbarrow which is right in the centre and so much to do within walking distance or a short drive.

I live not far from Keswick and agree that it is lovely and a good place to base a family holiday but I wouldn't go in July. It's hellishly busy. Well most of the Lake District is packed in the summer but there is the additional issue of the Keswick Convention, a Christian conference that runs from about half way through July for 3 weeks and attracts loads of people. If you were thinking of those weeks OP you will probably struggle for accomodation already, finding parking or somewhere to eat out can be really difficult and the town is just unpleasantly busy.
It won't be so bad if you're coming before the schools break up - busy, but not unbearably so - but the area is really best appreciated at another time of year to be honest.
Other places like Ambleside will also be very busy unfortunately.Most of the child friendly attractions are in the main tourist centres so if you want to be close to those it's impossible to avoid the crowds and traffic in the Summer holidays I'm afraid. If you are willing to do a bit of driving, you might look at the Ullswater area. It never gets quite as busy as the south and central Lakes, not far from Penrith for the facilities of a town and there are nice easy walks at Aira force, the Rheged centre is close and it's not far to Basecamp North Lakes which has loads of alpacas, plus of course you can go on the steamers on the lake, hire a little boat of your own etc. There's nice pubs, cafes etc in Pooley Bridge and in Glenridding. And it's not too far if you want to go into the central Lakes whilst you're there.

At 5 mine enjoyed :
the walk to the cave above Rydal Water the pub,( Badger Bar?) allows parking if you pop in for a drink when you get back

Also a nice place for swimming, from beach or rocks, though may need wetsuits. Some little beach-like spots on Derwent as well, but muddyish and can be affected by the swell from passing boats.

Join the national trust. Worth it for the free car parking. Look up th NT car parks as they can be near or next to an expensive one.

Definitely Ambleside. Lots of facilities, gorgeous scenery and easy walks for children on the doorstep.