A wonderful weekend
Did you have a nice break? I was asked after a few days away from the office.
Yes, actually I did, more than nice in fact. At a time when the country was basking in glorious sunshine, with clouds nowhere to be seen, my partner and I decided to make the most of the weather and take a mini break to one of UK’s beauty spots – the Lake District.
We checked into the welcoming family-run Lamplighter in Windermere, a charming hotel and dining rooms built of traditional Lakeland stone, dating back to the Victorian period, renowned for its mouthwatering Sunday lunches.
What to do next...?
Before setting off from home we’d looked at local places of interest and things to do, but it’s always worth asking locals for suggestions, so after a chat with James at the Lamplighter, who helpfully marked off a few recommendations on a map, we headed in the direction of Bowness-on-Windermere on the shores of Windermere lake, just a little over a mile from base.
No trip to the Lakes area is complete without a cruise on one of the old steamers. We jumped aboard the Teal, a three-decked beauty built by Vickers of Barrow in the 1930s, and headed for the top deck to experience the views across the lake in the fresh air (don’t forget a jumper, you’ll certainly feel a freshness out on the water!). For those that fancy themselves as captain for an hour or two, Lake Windermere Cruises also offer self drive and row boats for hire; just keep your distance from the bigger boats – there were a few warning horns sounded!
Windermere is the largest and probably most visited of the 16 lakes in the Lake District, but it’s definitely worth seeing more, as we discovered...
After a satisfying full English one morning, along with a small group of other early birds, we met for a half day sightseeing tour of six of the lakes and surrounding areas with Mountain Goat Tours. Greeted by our guide Geoff, a former local Mountain Search and Rescue volunteer (good to know we were in knowledgeable, safe hands!), we started our journey into the luscious green Cumbrian countryside along the winding and hilly roads, passing pretty little hamlets dotted here and there.
Our journey took us over the famous Kirkstone Pass, the highest mountain road in the Lakes, and on to Castlerigg Stone Circle, which is an impressive 1,000 years older than Stonehenge, where we had some time to wander through the mysterious ancient stones and absorb the panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
We stopped in Grasmere, the home and resting place of William Wordsworth, which is also famous for its ‘secret recipe’ gingerbread – it came as a surprise to see the queues for the gingerbread shop were longer than those waiting to pay their respects to Wordsworth – what is the world coming to?!!
Legs were stretched at Ullswater, the second largest of the lakes, and rum and raisin ice cream enjoyed at Derwentwater, it was impressive how much we got to see in half a day – we really got a taste of the area.
Speaking of taste, we ate extremely well! It would be difficult to find a cafe, pub or restaurant that didn’t feature local produce somewhere on the menu. It’s not just about full happy tummies anymore; consumers, more so than ever, are conscious of playing their part in supporting local trade – we all like to ‘do our bit’.
I must ‘big-up’ the homely Sunday lunches at the Lamplighter. We pre-ordered the ‘melt in your mouth’ sirloin of beef, served with mountainous portions of veg – the sticky, sweet honey-glazed parsnips I could have happily enjoyed for pudding, topped with a little vanilla ice cream.
With so much to see and do, I feel like we just scratched the surface on our trip, so a return visit is a must, maybe to view the beautiful colours of autumn across the landscape.
Whether you enjoy exploring the great outdoors, or fancy popping to see Peter Rabbit and Friends, the Lakes boasts a wealth of activities for all ages, and with picturesque surroundings that will take your breath away, what are you waiting for?
