A Long Weekend in the Lake District
The Lake District is arguably the most beautiful part of England. This huge nature reserve was largely protected by Beatrix Potter (famous children’s book author) who sought to conserve the area. She bought land and farms to preserve and protect them from developers and managed her property herself before leaving it to the National Trust when she died.
Now it’s one of the most frequently visited tourist destinations in the UK and for good reason.
We spent three days out here without a car which was completely manageable from London and we still packed a lot in.
We caught the Avanti West Coast train from London Euston to Penrith which was just over a three hour journey and then X4 or X5 bus (about 20 minutes) to the town of Keswick where our weekend Bed and Breakfast was located. (I find google maps the most helpful to search for an overview of the public transport options, then I will go directly to the recommended transport website from there.)
Get ready for cute and wholesome overload - The streets of Keswick are named things like things like “Brambleberry Lane” and “Acorn Court” and every town house has a garden overflowing with cottage flowers, while the main streets host quaint shops and traditional English pubs lining cobblestoned squares.
Charnwood Guest House
We booked a bed and breakfast called Charnwood Guest House which was lovely, in a great location walking distance to the lake and main town square and served a hearty English breakfast in the package, the perfect fuel for big days of exploring.
We committed the full walk around Derwentwater, the Keswick Lake, on our first day, which is worth the leg work out! It’s 16km around, and there’s an easy trail to follow and a points of interest map here. If you don’t want to walk the whole way there’s a couple of ferry spots that will take you back to Keswick town, or you can catch the Keswick Launch and boat the whole way around, or even hire your own row boat. You can pick up the timetable at the lake house at the start of the trail (seasonal times may affect this).
We took our time and lots of photos, stop at the halfway point at Mary Mount Hotel, and grab yourself a drink with a gorgeous view. Afterwards, just after the hotel head to Lodore Falls that you need to duck off the loop trail for. You will also pass the Lodore spa, which we didn’t visit but was recommended a few times if you’re up for a pamper day.
Lodore Spa
For dinner we went to Fellpack restaurant, It’s a little more upmarket and has delicious food and wine, which hit the spot after a big walk. They have blankets and outdoor heaters too so you can rug up and still enjoy the gorgeous outdoor setting.
Fellpack Restaurant
The next day, we followed the Kamoot Trail map (downloadable and available offline which can help if you stray from the trail, or get caught in the fog… read on for more on that story.) which leads from Keswick town up to the Skiddaw loop. Before you head up, grab yourself some bakery goods from The Cornish Bakery for the walk up. The chicken masala pastry was a big win, along with a pistachio croissant.
Skiddaw is the largest peak in the area and is the constant backdrop over the town. It’s. 16.4km trail so give yourself some time. Sections are steep and can have loose scree, but most are on grass trails.
Derwentwater, View from Skiddaw
The view on the way up is incredible, you will pass through fields of horses and sheep, hillsides covered in ferns and vistas of multiple of the lakes with sunrays peeping through the clouds. Unfortunately we did not quite get the magnificent panorama at the top - we got stuck in a very vicious wind and cloud at the top, which had us crying with laughter at how wild the weather was. Luckily we had downloaded the map, so it was much easier to navigate as we fully lost sight of the trail!
We were told you can see Scotland from the top, we saw grey fog. But lower down we were treated to incredible vistas of the lakes and we have a great story to tell.
Another well earned drink, we sat at pub garden for a drink in the sun then had dinner at The Wainwrite pub with an english classic, meat pie and hot chips.
The next morning we wandered around town poking in and out of the quaint little shops, and people watched from Yonder coffee shop.
We wanted to explore some other areas of the district and wanted to pay homage to the hero herself so ventured out toward Beatrix Potters house. The bus network connecting the towns is easy and efficient, costing just £2 per ride.
The drive between Keswick and Ambleside was voted the most beautiful drive in the UK, there are also a lot of double decker buses so if you head to the top you get a full view on the drive.
We stopped off at Hawkshead which is a picturesque English town, and famous for its gingerbread.
Instead of catching the bus the next section we walked to the historic author and illustrator’s home, note that we were walking on the road as there isn’t really a pedestrian path. Tickets need to be pre purchased if you drive in but as we walked we could buy them at the door- costs £17 per person.
Now a part of the National Trust, the garden and house are part of the original home stead and have been preserved to showcase the home just as it was when Beatrix Potter lived there, including the old apple tree and possibly the world record of zuccinis?
Many of the scenes from her books were inspired by parts of the house and gardens and the little picture books are dotted around the house to compare the replicas of her illustrations
We didn’t quite have the energy to do the Catbells hike for sunset but that’s another recommended activity. Pack a picnic and head up to get a full view of the lake as the sun goes down. Or do what we did and just head to the lake beach and enjoy the change of sunset colours from there.
And to finish off the weekend, as it was Sunday our final dinner was a lamb roast at The Bank Tavern.
