best area to stay in the lakes ?

[yorkshiregirl]

Cannot decide between ambleside/windermere or keswick area.Which is the best place for walks etc with young chidren in mind (aged 4 and 6 in mind )Thanks,

Both are beautiful areas with lots of easy walks.

Ambleside probably has more to do for children if it rains and you can't get to the fells.

I agree - Ambleside - you can go on a steam train ride, go to an aquarium, boat trip, etc - that will fill in a few days! There is also the pencil factory at Keswick which is ok! There is also a National Trust place that is on the shore of Windermere, and has a fab outdoor adventure playground, and walks / trails through the woods - cant remember what it is called.

Do you mean Grizedale forest? That is fun with kids - has a great music walk, with lots of big tree-trunk crafted instruments to hit with sticks.

No, I have googled it, and it is called Lake District Visitors Centre at Brockhole.

But Grizedale forest is great - there is a great adventure playground and lots of walks = the musical instrument one was great fun!

Personally if it's wet, I would go for Keswick. There's an animal park at bassentthwaite, there's a good playground, and a swimming pool.

Depends when you are going the Southern lakes (Ambleside/Windermere) can get very busy. There is also a great climbing wall in Keswick (just round the corner from the much under-rated pencil museum) that DCs have all been on since they were four, some very easy stuff with a wall where he holds are animals and numbers for the kids.

A nice walk just out of Keswick for little ones is Latrigg (did it when DS2 was 3 and refusing to go in the back-carrier), and if you do Catbells from Little Town you start at the farm that is the setting for Mrs Tiggy Winkle.

Ambleside!

I love Derwentwater, there are some good walks around the lake itself and you can always use the boat if legs get tired.

The youth hostel there is lovely and has its own waterfall around the back. The Swiss/Lodore hotel, used to be very child friendly (with nannies) but haven't been for years.

Fell foot park on the shores of Windermere has good play areas, the South lakes wild animal park is a bit of a drive but is reasonable to get in and the kids get to feed the giraffes.

We really liked keswick and have stayed in kendle too both lovely and really nice walks