The Lake District is our favourite part of England, especially around the Keswick – Grasmere – Ambleside area, Langdale & Buttermere.
There is just so much to see, so many beautiful little villages & towns and so many lovely hikes, whether you prefer the high mountains, the lower fells, or just low level walks. There really is something for everyone.
Any time of year is incredible, but our favourite time is in early – mid May when the bluebells carpet the forest floors and the hills on the Grasmere – Rydal walk. It is truly spectacular!
Over the years we have made many trips to the Lake District, and although I will touch on some past trips & recommendations of our favourite walks, this blog will mainly be focused on the trip we have just done over the early May bank holiday (2019).
Keswick is the nearest town to us that is right within the heart of the Lakes, on the shores of Derwent Water. Our “Go To” campsite here is Castlerigg Farm, which is on a gently sloping hillside overlooking the lake. The views are spectacular and the facilities are great, most of them brand new this Spring. There is a nice café / restaurant on site where you can get a good reasonably priced meal, light snacks, drinks (including alcohol), coffee & cakes.
The town of Keswick is about 30 mins walk from the campsite, and there are some great walks you can also do from the campsite (more later).
It is also a great spot to watch the hikers going on their annual torch lit hike up Cat Bells, on the other side of Derwent Water. We saw them last year also on the same weekend, so I believe they always go up on the Saturday of the first May bank holiday.
If we were not camping, we would tend always to stay in Grasmere. It is the prettiest of all the villages (in our opinion – and the amount of tourists that flock there speaks for itself!) Once again, there are some great walks that leave right out of the village, so no need to drive anywhere (more later).
Another place we have stayed is Brimstone in Langdale, a stunning place but very expensive, so great for a special occasion. We treated ourselves to a 3 night stay there a few years back and totally loved both the hotel (we stayed in the Duet suite) and the area. Also some lovely walks nearby.
Some of our recommended walks…
FROM KESWICK:
Walla Crag (can start from Castlerigg Farm campsite) an easy 40 minute walk (each way) or make a loop and carry on to Ashness Bridge and back along the lakeshore to Keswick (around 3-4 hours round trip back to the campsite at an easy pace).
Castlerigg Stone Circle (can start from Castlerigg Farm campsite) and easy & level 30 – 40 minute walk (each way) to the stones, with panoramic views and the mountains of Helvellyn and High Seat as a backdrop. It is also among the earliest British circles, raised in about 3000 BC during the Neolithic period.
Skiddaw recommended for those that like to hike up the big mountains, Skiddaw is the 4th highest mountain in the Lake District and the 6th highest in England. The main route from the car park at Latrigg in Keswick has a good path all the way up, so navigation is also relatively easy.
FROM GRASMERE:
Grasmere to Rydal via the Rydal caves is our joint favourite walk from Grasmere. A mostly level walk, which can be continued on to Ambleside or you can finish at Rydal. Stunning in Spring when the bluebells are out! Take the high route where the path splits to go via the Rydal caves (don’t worry there is not much uphill).
In Rydal visit Rydal Mount and Rydal Hall & Gardens before heading back to Grasmere the way you came but via the lower level path, or via the Coffin Route.
Loughrigg Fell is our other joint favourite walk from Grasmere, a relatively easy fell walk, which can be done in its own right, or continued all the way on to Ambleside if you wish. Can also be done in reverse, Ambleside to Grasmere. Stunning views all round from the top!
FROM / NEAR LANGDALE:
Loughrigg Tarn has stunning views over the tarn looking to the Langdale mountains. This can be done as a short walk from Skelwith Bridge.
Elterwater to Skelwith Bridge can be done in conjunction with the above walk to Loughrigg Tarn. It is a picturesque, easy and level walk.
OTHER:
Our favourite mountain walk is Helvellyn via Striding Edge – a little bit of scrambling is involved, which for us, coupled with the view, makes this our favourite of the big mountains. The walk starts in the village of Glenridding. Here is a good map & description.
Another 2 of our favourite low level walks are around Buttermere and Crummock Water (or both together to make a long hike).
For a LONG high level hike try the Buttermere Ridge – we did this once and it was hard going, over several peaks, but very rewarding! Here is a good link.
To watch our short video, click here
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