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

We stayed in Keswick which was slightly cheaper than Ambleside. Town had places to walk to for dinner, went out in a boat on the lake plus everything else is nearby. Kids play park looked ok, marked trails by the lake etc. just a word if warning, in school holidays you will need to book evening meals as it gets very busy and there's only limited restaurants/pubs (we didn't but it was tricky even in September, we aren't fussy and only 2 people)

I liked Bowness with small kids. The Windermere hop on off cruises go to low Wray castle, brock hole for activities / play, and there’s a Beatrix potter visitor centre as well as being not too far to travel to her actual house hilltop by foot and ferry. Wherever you stay the key is to avoid driv8ng around too much in July as the roads are horribly busy. Try to go on bus/boat/walking adventures.

Sorry to hijack but we are looking at staying in Grasmere. Just two of us, hotel is on the Grasmere water (the daffodil Hotel and spa) if anyone is familiar with it. Totally new area to us and would love to hear any advice.

Keswick is a great base.

Lots of walks from there, or you can get buses to other areas easily.

Shops are pretty decent. There's the Lake easy walk from town (unlike Ambleside) and at Hope Park you can play Crazy Golf. Also indoor climbing facilities - stuff to do if raining.

Or look at Glenriding/Patterdale if want quieter area but lots of walking.

We took our 5 year old to Grasmere, twice as we all loved it so much.
you can clamber up the impressive Lion and the Lamb in an afternoon, day trek Silver How and another to find the beautiful Easedale Tarn.

Loughrigg Fell if your up for steep scary steps!

Great bakery for pork pies and brownies for picnics.
Village Green, play park, lots of noce places to eat and huge pub gardens for kids to roam
Wish we could do it all again

Bowness Is a great place to base yourself, such a pretty place right in the centre of things, Beatrix potter experience is a must!

Keswick is great. Enough activities there for a 5 year old plus it's easy to get to Windermere (where it can be incredibly busy).

Coniston is my favourite though, lovely and quiet but easy to get to the busier spots.

I loved our stay in Grasmere. It will be busy though but it's beautiful.

I've never stayed there, but have been to a few work events at The Daffodil and it was very nice. Only potential downside is that it's right on the main road. The front of the hotel faces the lake and is lovely though. I'm not sure if there are rooms that overlook the road but if there are I would try to avoid them as I'd imagine it could be a bit noisy, and not such nice views. But overall it's very nice.
Grasmere itself is a pretty little village with some nice cafes etc and the famous Grasmere Gingerbread shop. Plus of course Wordsworth's Dove Cottage just across the road from your hotel. Lots of nice walks in the area of varying difficulties. If you want a boat trip you'd need to go to Windermere - you can get the boat at Ambleside and go all round the lake. Alternatively you could head the other way up the road and go to Derwentwater. You can also hire boats of various types on either lake if you want to do your own thing.
Bad weather can be a bit of an issue as there is not a huge number of indoor attractions. There's a steam train at the bottom of Windermere and the steamboat museum is interesting (cafe is very good too) plus a few NT properties etc but of course it's outdoor activities that people normally come for.
If you want to eat out I'd recommend the Badger Bar mentioned upthread. It's at Rydal just a few miles up the road and I have never had a bad meal there. Also has very interesting toilets! I've never actually seen the badgers though but you might get lucky. Another of my favourites in the Magic Roundabout in Bowness, but there's no shortage of places to eat in the area.
Not sure how long it's going to last but there's a £2 cap on bus fares at the moment and though they're not frequent you can get to a lot of the main attractions by bus and it saves you what is often a nightmare of finding parking at busy times.
Hope that helps a bit!

Wow thank you for the fab advice!

@TinselTarTars I don't live in the actual Lake District National Park, but not far away and have spent a lot of time kicking my heels in the central Lakes whilst my DS has been doing his sports in recent years so feel free to DM me if you want any more recommendations when you've actually booked.

@Dilbertian if that's the walk from Threkeld to Keswick, it's easy. My dad injured his knee a few years ago, but walked it almost every week.

Keswick or Ambleside