Our week in Morocco has given way to a long weekend in the Lake District after a certain member of the household realised she only has two days holiday left this year.
I’ve been looking around Windermere/Ambleside as a start but I’d be interested in any recommendations for locations. It’ll be an Airbnb stay, one dog included so ideally a small town or village. Nearby water would be nice, a decent local pub essential.
Probable November weather + dog means this won’t be a bike trip so good roads are not a consideration this time.
I like Coniston. Did a service call there every year, stayed at the Black Bull. Plenty of hiking straight out the door, managed to get up the Old Man one evening. Ooer missis…
Speaking of beer, the Black Bull has a micro brewery out back. Some nice beers to sample
We stay in a holiday lodge at Carnforth - quiet, swimming pool and a pub/restaurant on site, which we’ve never actually been to (!), and an easy enough drive to Windermere, Lakeland Motor Museum, the seaside and to places like Kirkby Lonsdale etc.
Carnforth isn’t a tourist town though, although it was the filming location for Brief Encounter!!
Not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s an alternative…
Totally agree with Coniston!
Cartmel is worth considering… but it’s a wee drive to the nearby lakes, often great entertainment in the pubs.
Grassmere is better this time of year due to less touroids (try and get a table at the Jumble Rooms… you won’t regret it).
If you can get a room in Langdale, Elterwater, little Langdale… lovely for walks, scenery and a few nice pubs (3 shires is great)
You’ll probably pass the motor museum to get there, it’s an interesting visit if you like that sort of thing (!), and has a good cafe.
We always enjoy a wee cruise on Windermere - up to Ambleside for a walk around the shops, or just around the islands. Very relaxing… as long as the weather is OK.
Whatever you do, the Lake District is a lovely area.
The Lakes are practically on our doorstep, if that doorstep includes is 60 miles of M6. I haven’t been there for many a year but I used to travel up to Scotland every week and each time think I must visit again one of these days. Coniston I’ve never been to at all so the next question is…
…what should be on our itinery?
I’ll add the motor museum (definitely our thing). I was thinking of heading up to Ambleside one day. Went there many, many moons ago when I were but a lad and remember it being nice.
Grassmere is very much on our doorstep and one of the destinations we head for on the bikes sometimes. It’s a lovely place. Haven’t tried the Jumble Room but will check it out when next we’re there.
If you are brave enough to travel to Barrow there is the Dock museum which has a lot of history about shipbuilding and the iron ore industry, or Furness Abbey which is a lovely setting and is just over the hill from my house!
Drive up little Langdale from Colwith beck, but instead of going left to do Wrynose and Hardknott passes, turn right to go over by Blea Tarn (where it says cattle grid)… the view of Mickleden with Pike o’ Stickle dominating the mid ground is one of the best views ever! Drop down into Langdale and park at the NT car park at Dungeon Ghyll for a nice valley bottom walk up Mickleden and a decent pint at The Dungeon Ghyll inn when you get back!
Just realised what you meant, there is actually water here, just not lakes.
Tradition has it, back in yea olde dayes… some monk dude had a vision to go out and build a chapel where the water flows in opposite directions! (There are 2 becks, one runs north until it joins up with some more becks and runs south again through the village)… but it appears more likely that the first chapel was built on a rocky out crop in the middle of a shallow lake (now drained). Sir William Marshal of crusading Templar infamy (late 1100’s ish) was gifted the Royal Cartmel estate… he established an Augustinian Priory of some note on the site of the old chapel. The main church stands there still, despite the effort’s of Robert the Bruce; the Dissolution; and even a troop of Cromwell’s men causing trouble! (It obviously has undergone several restorations). There even was the rumour that the “Crown Jewels” were stationed here briefly in WW2… however, which fancypants village with a building of some note doesn’t use that old chestnut?
So yes Wim… there IS water, it isn’t a lake, but at one point in the village, it flows in opposing directions and between these becks, there is a lovely Augustinian priory’s church with a little history behind it!
We were in the Lake District during King Charles’ coronation - so I had a day at the museum while my wife watched the TV coverage! There is quite a lot to see, and a decent selection of motorbikes. The local car club were there, also escaping the coronation… or perhaps celebrating it?
there is the Dock museum which has a lot of history about shipbuilding and the iron ore industry, or Furness Abbey which is a lovely setting and is just over the hill from my house!
Great views to be had though!
That’s really interesting. I was actually referring to the Mason’s Arms, up on 't fell. Lots of beers to choose from! 
