The Lake District is my favourite place in the world to visit and I love it so much that we even went there on Honeymoon. So when my friend told me she was visiting for the 1st time, I put together a list for her to tell her all of our favourite places. So thought I would share this with you.

Eating and Drinking 

There are LOADS of different places to go so I can’t really recommend anything. The only one I would say is get fish & chips from The Old Keswickian Chippy in Keswick. Lush. 

https://goo.gl/maps/8GJDaxuPGXVe8fVy8

Grasmere Gingerbread  – I can highly recommend visiting the gingerbread shop in Grasmere. It’s the tiniest little shop with a constant queue. The gingerbread is immense though and worth queuing. 

https://goo.gl/maps/qKjD8ziNC2G7eFvr9

Supermarkets 

The main Supermarket in The Lake District is  Booths, which I think are in Keswick and Ambleside, bit pricey but loads to choose from. https://www.booths.co.uk/ 

Towns To Visit 

• Keswick
• Ambleside
• Bowness
• Windermere
• Kendal (not like the above, just an average/normal town – but good if you need Boots or other high street stuff). 

Good Walks

Tarn Hows – https://goo.gl/maps/tkt4M99uvsdYZcqHA ( beautiful walk round a tarn, visitors car park and loos)

Stock Ghyll Force – https://goo.gl/maps/bfb5o6JTgovHHV5V7 The start of this walk starts up a path by the side The Salutation Hotel in Ambleside. Beautiful waterfall at the end. 

Cat Bells (DerwentWater) – I have never done this as it’s a good few miles, but I believe it’s stunning once you get to the top – https://www.keswick.org/what-to-do/walking-routes/catbellswalkingroute 

Keswick Railway Path Walk – https://www.keswick.org/what-to-do/walking-routes/keswick-to-threlkeld-railway-path 

Grizedale Forest – visitors centre, walks, loos and bike hire. https://www.forestryengland.uk/grizedale

Whinlatter Forest – Cafe, big visitors centre, lots of walks, loos and bike hire. Lots of parking. https://www.forestryengland.uk/whinlatter 

Dodd Wood. – Not much parking, people mostly park in the various little lay-bys. https://www.forestryengland.uk/dodd-wood

Give it a try 

A good way to leave your car behind and still see lots of places is to use the ferries that go across the various bodies of water. Our favourites is: 

Windermere Ferry – Get the Mountain Goat (small bus service but actually named Mountain Goat!) to Hawkshead – but you can also access Beatrix Potter’s house using this service too. https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/roads-transport/highways-pavements/windermereferry.asp

Go-Ape – Aerial Assault Course.  So much fun and there is one at Grizedale and Whinlatter Forest. https://goape.co.uk/days-out/north/grizedale

For A Treat 

If you wanted to treat yourself to a lovely afternoon tea or just a VERY nice meal or spa, we have been to all of these places and they were AMAZING! 

Armathwaite Hall – Huge country house hotel, right on the edge of Derwentwater. A little more faded than it once was, but the views and general feel of the hotel are lovely. They do a FAB afternoon tea. https://www.armathwaite-hall.com/dining/afternoon-tea/

Gilpin Lodge – Another good place for afternoon tea – highly recommend https://thegilpin.co.uk/

Also Holbeck Ghyll is pretty nice too…. afternoon tea (are you spotting a theme?!) https://www.holbeckghyll.com/

Those are my recommendations for a good rounded trip of the Lakes, but to be honest this is the tip of the iceberg as there is SOOO much more to do. I would love to hear what you love if you have visited.

G x