Easy but impressive Lake District walks

[Diggersandunicorns]

I’m visiting the Lakes in a couple of weeks with some friends, one that has terminal cancer. The Lakes are on her bucket list and she used to be a keen walker but can’t go far at all now. We’re staying in Ambleside and have a car but all the easier/accessible walks I can find still include a bit of a scramble. I’d love to find a walk or two where we can park high and walk for half an hour or so to get a great view. An ascent is fine but not a scramble or anything too steep. Any ideas?

Tarn Hows in Coniston. Beautiful lake nestled in hills. You can do a fairly easy walk up to it from the village but probably not easy for someone very poorly so instead there's a handy car park with a loo (neither a given anywhere in the lakes)! Also doable from Ambleside in terms of a shortish drive x

Hallin Fell has nice easy terrain with stunning views www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_7.html

Tarn howes and you can book specially adapted wheelchairs (I think via national trust). Enjoy!

Rydal Water is very accessible and has great views. Best car park is called White Moss and it’s near Ambleside.

Another idea is park at Skelwith Bridge and there’s a very good path towards Elterwater with great views of the Langdale Pikes. Also a very nice cafe at Chester’s on the River.

Also, try Fellfoot park at the foot of windermere, national trust parking, cafe. Take some blankets and you can sit on the edge of the lake. Opposite, 10 minutes drive, is Lakeside and you can pick up a boat ride. There is a short steam train ride nearby but don't have the details. Not far from Cartmel as well, which is worth a visit.

Both of these are within 10 mins drive from Ambleside

Around Grasmere lakes, lovely

Several shorter trails at Dodd Wood, there’s a car park and a coffee shop too. https://www.forestryengland.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Dodd%20Wood%20map%202023.pdf

edited to add: Whinlatter has lots of different trails too. Info on accessibility here: https://www.forestryengland.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Whinlatter%20Walking%20Trail%20Map%20%28May%2024%29.pdf

Buttermere

Walk around Buttermere while you're there!!

Gummers How has fantastic views for not too far a walk, as the car park is high up. It’s about 30-40 mins up with fantastic views over Windermere.

These are all lovely walks.

Have a look at Todd Crag and see if that would be doable. There are lovely views from the top.

The force cafe in Ambleside has lovely views and you can drive to it.

Rydal caves is a nice walk- park at Pelter bridge car park and it's a short walk up the hill.

I’d second this. It is uphill but the car park is v close to the top. You get a wonderful view for such a short walk.

You can park on the road next to the Castlerigg Stone circle at Keswick and there are panoramic views.

Tarn Howes is definitely an easy walk. Also think about driving her up through the Passes. Wrynose and Hardknott are scary drives but fantastic views. You could also drive to the very end of Wastwater and walk along the lakeside (flat, along the road, but very very peaceful as the road ends there so the only cars are people coming to look at the lake/view.. There is a pub too for a meal/drink.

Latrigg. Lovely views and an easy walk from the carpark.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrigg

If you make it over Hardknott then there is a beautiful and gentle walk up to Tongue Pot wild swimming pool. About 45m from the road

Came here to say just this.

Skelwith bridge to the Britannia inn at Elterwater
Loughrigg fell

Also School Knott Tarn in nearby Crook has the most amazing views. The walk is only a couple of miles and you can see the whole of Windermere from the top. There’s also a lovely inn nearby

This is brilliant. Thanks so much everyone. Has taken some of the pressure off organising it all.

I’ll have a look at these in detail this week and pick a couple to do. Thanks again. They look great.

Haystack

Keswick to Threkeld on the old railway line

Orrest Head, Windermere. A reasonably gentle walk to the top with 360' views and a name board for all the mountains you can see. Path recently improved so safe underfoot. Have a read up

Second Rydal water. Easy journey from Ambleside. It’s an easy walk but lovely views all around and a gentle climb up to a cave (featured in The Witcher!). You can walk it so you finish at a pub (Badger bar).

The coffin route from Ambleside to Grasmere is lovely. Walk o e way and bus back.