OUT AND ABOUT IN THE LAKE DISTRICT
People visit the Lake District – and return year after year – because there is so much to see and do, whatever the season and whatever the weather. Windermere and Ambleside Lodges are surrounded by fells, some of them Wainwrights (included in his Pictorial Guides) and there are mountain biking tracks, paths and byways across the valley and beyond.
Keen walkers will enjoy exploring on foot whether it’s the Kentmere Round (accessed via Garburn Pass, just to the east of our Lodges), the walk over Wansfell to Ambleside, Troutbeck Tongue in the valley itself or the high fells beyond Kirkstone Pass and over to Ullswater.
There are lots of ways of making the most of our proximity to Windermere. We recommend a trip to the Lake District National Park Visitor Centre at Brockhole, where there’s a brilliant high ropes course and adventure play area. From here, you can also take a Windermere Steamer from the jetty across to Wray Castle (a National Trust property) or along the Lake to Ambleside, Bowness or Newby Bridge at the far southern end of the lake.
“This is a favourite day out for us with visiting family as there’s something for everyone. Brockhole has plenty of parking, you can take a picnic or there’s a café and restaurant and the lake access means you can make the most of its amazing position and views.”
Windermere, Ambleside and Bowness-on-Windermere are all bustling small towns full of independent shops, cafés and restaurants. There are cinemas in Ambleside and in Bowness, sports facilities and a railway station in Windermere gives you access to Kendal and the villages along the Dales Way by train. Booths supermarket in Windermere has a tremendous stock of local produce as well as daily essentials.
To the north of Troutbeck, the road climbs over Kirkstone Pass and a winding road descends down to Ullswater and the Patterdale valley, all in the shadow of the Helvellyn range. Again, there are Ullswater Steamers visiting various points around the lake, the low level Ullswater Way route and plenty of paths up on to the high mountains for the more experienced and adventurous.