The Lake District
The Lake District is a UNESCO World heritage site and has it all; mountains, lakes, scenery, hiking, adventures, quiet spots to relax, great pubs, historic relics....the list goes on. The Green is just an hour from the village of Ambleside in the heart of the Lake District, 30 mins from Kendal and around 50 mins from Keswick.
There is so much going on in and around the Lake District and far too much to list on our website so we have provided some links to brochures from the official Lake District Tourism website that are packed with ideas of activities for all ages, dog friendly places and where to eat and drink.
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We have also added a few of our favourite places too.
Richard's top Lake District picks
FAMILY WALKS​
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The Lake District has an unlimited numbers of walking routes to enjoy and they don’t all have to be huge mountain challenges. If you’re after something a little bit gentler that your little ones can enjoy (or big ones who just want an easier day) there is also plenty to pick from. For a few suggestions have a look at this blog post I wrote about Family Walks in the Lake District
WALKING​
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The brilliant WalkLakes website will help you make the most of walking in the Lake District. The have lots of the best routes listed ranging from gentle to challenging.
You can use their Walk Finder to search for walks in a particular area, by rating or by selecting a start point village/postcode.
Being a qualified and experienced Mountain Leader i can also give you advice on routes.
HONISTER SLATE MINE
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The last working slate mine in England is located at the head of Honister Pass in the centre of the Lake District and produces the world famous Westmorland Green Slate. But its more than just a mine; this fascinating place has a range of activities for all ages and abilities. You can go deep into the underground on a Mine Tour, go climbing inside Mine, scale the side of a mountain with one of their Via Ferrata trips or even camp on a cliff! There is also a shop and café meaning you can spend a whole day here! Check out Honister.com
DERWENT PENCIL MUSEUM
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A quirky – but brilliant – museum about pencils!
The building sits in the shadow of the old Cumberland Pencils factory which was home to the world’s first ever pencil. You’ll also find spy pencils from World War Two, the world’s largest pencil, a café and a shop. Find out more
Carly's top picks for families
BROCKHOLE ON WINDERMERE
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As a family of four we have spent hours at Brockhole on Windermere Brockhole on Windermere | Lake District Visitor Centre | Brockhole, free entry (pay to park and for activities) into a fantastic family adventure packed area. Brockhole is positioned between Windermere and Ambleside, on entry you can’t miss the huge adventure playground to the left, where the kids could spend hours without doing anything else! Other activities include archery, boat hire, Kayaking, mini golf, to mention a few, you can easily spend all day here and still have more to explore.
If your feeling really adventurous you can do the tree top trek or try the treetop nets and run around in the trees off the ground. There’s also beautiful gardens, a café, visitors centre, shop and plenty of space to sit and take a few moments to enjoy the views. Throughout the year there are themed trails and hunts for fairies, explorer trails, Halloween and more.
LAKELAND MOTOR MUSEUM​
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For a rainy day If you love vintage cars then the Lakeland motor museum Welcome to Lakeland Motor Museum is literally packed with cars from all eras. Alongside the car museum there is also a Donald Campbell exhibition who was a British speed record breaker on land and water in the 1950s and 60s. There are full size replicas on display of the car boat and hydroplane he used.
WHINLATTER FOREST​
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Whinlatter forest Whinlatter Forest | Forestry England has some great walking trails suitable for children and some great play areas again you could spend more than a day here exploring so choose wisely your activity. There is lots to do here for children and adults. Cycling, Segway’s, horse-riding, Go ape adventures or just visit the café, shop or take a picnic. The Gruffalo orienteering trail is always a hit.
ULLSWATER STEAMERS​
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Fun for all the family, an unmissable experience with a different viewpoint from the centre of the lake on the beautiful Ullswater steamers an environmentally accredited attraction that connects to some of the best walking routes in the national park.
Ullswater 'Steamers' | Attraction in the Lake District | Cumbria | UK
