Lake District Recommendations?

Thinking of maybe going to the Lakes for the weekend, never been before any
recommendations on things to see/do, decent accomodation and dining, etc?

 

Wastwater is beautiful, and nicely hidden so not as touristy as some of the
other lakes can be.

I've stayed here http://www.hampsfellhouse.co.uk/

and here http://www.keswickparkhotel.com/

And was very happy with both.

 

Hardknotts and Wrynose Passes ....
http://www.thecumbriadirectory.com/Cumbria_Countryside/Passes/Wrynose_Pass/Wrynose_Pass.php

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.s...=y&bi=~&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf

Great views, great scenery, excellent fun to be had.

 

http://www.theglenrothay.co.uk/

Badger Bar.

 

Seconded.

 

Are you going to be riding/driving/actually getting out and walking around?

We go to the Lakes regularly, but that's a week at a time, self-catering,
and mainly for hill-walking.

A good drive in the Keswick area would be over the Whinlatter Pass, cut
through the single-track roads towards Hopebeck (you'll need the OS map) to
the B5289, along the shores of Crummock Water to Buttermere (village) where
there's a hotel that does beer and food. Then follow the road past
Buttermere (lake) and up over the Honister Pass and back along Borrowdale to
Keswick. This can be particularly pitchursquee if, like we did last Friday,
you set off about 6pm and it's a nice evening. We got back to Keswick and
scurried off to the Dog and Gun for Theakstons and goulash.

If you've got half an hour or so to kill and the sun hasn't yet set, drive
out to the Castlerigg stone circle, about 2 miles out of town. If it's a
nice evening, take a camera.

If you're coming to the Lakes by the M6, you can either come off at Jn 36 or
37 for Kendal - Windermere - Ambleside, or at Jn 40 (Penrith) to pick up the
A66 for Keswick. If you take the A66, you can peel off either onto the A592
or the A5091 through Troutbeck. Both these roads will take you down to
Ullswater for a leisurely trundle along the lakeside. There's a couple of
places you can park up and get right down to the water's edge. Then carry
on up the Kirkstone Pass. There's an inn at the top. You can choose
between continuing straight ahead down to Windermere, or turning right for
the road down to Ambleside. Both are good.

Everyone will have mentioned the Wrynose and Hardknott passes - if you go
over these, don't miss Hardknott Castle, which is a well-preserved Roman
fort near the top of Hardknott Pass.

If you want a walk (I'm assuming you haven't done this before), you could
park up in Grasmere and take the (rough) footpath to Easedale Tarn. You
should have sunscreen and/or a hat, a bottle of water, a couple of energy
bars or similar and stout shoes. Allow around 3 hours.

 

In

<snip>

Riding ... what is this "walking" you speak of ?

 

<fx:sound of Alfred Wainwright spinning in his grave>

 

All the walking gear gives me a good excuse to take the car instead of the
bike.

 

www.watermillinn.co.uk

great food, great beer.

 

The road from Coniston to the coast is nice, especially if you travel from
Coniston. You get nice views along the valley to Furness.

The coast road from Whitbeck to Whitehaven is good too. Comparatively
traffic free and views across to IOM on a clear day. Ravenglass has a steam
railway if that interests you.

I can't recommend any accommodation, as a mate had a bungalow in Bowness,
so I stayed there. At that time, mid 1990s, Bowness was a nice enough
place. It even has a Michelin starred restaurant if you fancy splashing out
http://www.gilpinlodge.co.uk/index.html

 

I did that on a school trip when I was 9 I did. Well not climbed it as
such but walked up it a bit and then down again in the liquid fog that
is the norm for weather in those parts. It was mostly grey and wet as I
recall and we hadn't visited Kendal to buy Cake yet so I couldn't enjoy
munching on that either. That was an odd sort of disappointment that
was cos it isn't cake. Nice though but lying about its promised texture
for which I have never forgiven them. We didn't come straight down
mind, we hung around for a bit halfway down pretending to look for Fatty
Dickinson but we were secretly hoping he had fallen off the edge so we
didn't look hard but we did eat our sandwiches because by that time we
were hungry enough to swallow what northerners call Meat Paste and
Bread. The Marg we were familiar with. He was at the back and nobody
liked him, not even the teachers, so nobody noticed when he decided that
he need a breather and stopped for a rest. Best bit of the whole day
that was, until they found him and it seemed to start raining even
harder then.

 

Striding Edge.

 

Don't know about accomodation, but go to Hawkshead on the ferry (costs about
a quid and takes 5 minutes). It's a bit like stepping back in touriem time.
Great food and places to drink and even somewhere for the other half to
indulge in a little retail therapy.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Keswick is good, much quieter than the other towns, enough of a town
centre for nice food and beer. www.puzzlingplace.co.uk is entertaining
if the weather is crappy.

flook

 

If you're anywhere near Ambleside, and are not averse to veggie food,
I much recommend:

http://zeffirellis.com/

 

Cars of the Stars is also worth half an hour or so.

 

Is that where Trotters Independent Traders Reliant is then ?

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, raden

One of them, certainly... ;^)

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Fallen apart)
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Honda ST1100 wiv trailer Norton 850 Commando
Kawasaki GTR1400

 

And the Last of the V8 Interceptors, too.