Lake District
Serenity in the Lakes
Visiting the Lake District is the opposite of a City Break – exploring the myriad of snaky lakes by car or foot with villages few and far between. Activities are focused on fell walking, Beatrix Potter and soaking up the serenity in the Lake District.
We were based by Windermere for three full days which enabled us to cover part of the Lakes comfortably but not to explore the whole of Lake District. That depends on what you want to see. We opted for touring the Lakes. The Lakes are a magnet for cyclists and fell walkers. There are also oddities like a motor museum. For some, the attraction of basing oneself in Windermere is that it is the centre of Beatrix Potter and Wordsworth country.
Windermere town is overshadowed by by the bigger town of Bowness, and is also a mile from the lake. But it is famous for Wordsworth writing about The Lakes. It tended to be aristocracy who visited when the railway arrive and now primarily a tourist destination.
Nearby is Ambleside, the northern tip of the lake. I has gained the reputation of being “the jewel in Lakeland’s crown.” Originating from the Roman era with its Roman fort remains – “Galava”, and the 17th-century Bridge House, one of the smallest and most photographed houses in Britain. Ambleside is also associated with literary figures such as Beatrix Potter.
We took the cruise from Bowness to the south of the lakes where the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, through the Leven Valley, and Motor Museum are. Along the way there a small number of sites. Belle Isle is the largest of Windermere’s islands and boasts a distinctive round house originally built in 1774. The Lakeland Motor Museum is my jewel in the crown. A small, packed hall with some highly desirable cars like a Jaguar E Type make this a worthy visit. It may be a small museum but it deserves a visit.
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