31/05/2013

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The best places to visit in the Lake District with your motorhome

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Ullswater. Picture copyright Visit Britain/Rod Edwards

Lose yourself in the Lakes

The Lake District National Park is a considerable size with a variety of things to see and do – you could spend weeks there and not see it all. To help you get the most from your visit, we’ve chosen a few of our favourite places…

Windermere
Spanning ten miles between Ambleside and Newby Bridge, Windermere is the largest lake in the Lake District and is one of the National Park’s busiest sights. You can take a scenic boat trip around the lake and its islands from Bowness-on-Windermere, which is a great little town to wander around to enjoy its scenic charms. Bowness is also home to the World of Beatrix Potter attraction (08445-041233) and located near Lake Windermere is Hilltop (01539-436269), Beatrix’s former home. Now owned by the National Trust, the cottage showcases her life, work and passion for wildlife. For time away from the tourist crowd, try the western shoreline of the lake, which is much quieter, in areas like the wooded trails of Claife Heights and the grounds of Wray Castle.

Aira Force waterfall
This is a National Trust area to the western side of Ullswater and parking is easy in the Trust’s car park, directly off the A592. It’s a half-mile walk from the car park to the falls (occasionally steep in places), through lovely ancient woodland to where the water falls 70 feet from below a stone footbridge. You can view the Force from below or climb higher up the path and cross the footbridge to admire the awe-inspiring view back down. There’s plenty of walking to do in the surrounding woodland and following the river. The surrounding woodland is part of an arboretum created in the 1840s, with over 200 specimen conifers from across the world, including a Sitka Spruce which is now over 100 feet high.

Honister Slate Mine & Via Ferrata
At the southern end of Derwentwater is the valley of Borrowdale, leading to the Honister Pass and the home of Honister Slate Mine (01768-777230). The mine has a visitor centre and guided tours, which vary depending on your level of adventure. They range from a flat walk underground, to venturing out onto the mountain and across an Infinity Bridge. For those with a huge sense of adventure (and a massive dose of bravery too), Honister also offers Via Ferrata (01768-777714). Using a series of metal cables, rungs, ladders and bridges, those taking part ascend to unimaginable heights, all while attached by fixed safety cables.

Rydal Water and cave
To explore this area you can park at White Moss car park, which is on the left on the A591 heading between Rydal and Grasmere. Here you will find details of various walks, some just on flat ground to see the river and others to scale the heights of nearby Nab Scar. One of the longer walks leads over the river, through the woods and heads uphill. When you exit the woods you’ll be out onto open fell with stunning views and then after a bit of a walk, Rydal cave will come into view on the right. After nosying in the cave, take the path that leads ahead downhill through trees and you’ll end up in the village and towards the main road and the little church. The path by the church leads uphill again, past a farm and through fields where you can ascend Nab Scar if you wish. There are of course many routes to wander in this area, each one offering unforgettable views of this varied landscape.

Keswick
This busy market town, whose fortunes were founded on graphite and slate mining, lies between the towering presence of Skiddaw’s hills and the serene beauty of Derwentwater. Keswick has a wide range of shops, restaurants and even a Saturday market which began in 1276. As with Windermere and Ullswater, you can enjoy a cruise across the lake from the jetties beside Hope Park, or there are traditional wooden rowing boats if you want to explore at your own pace.
The town has a couple of quirky museums – The Puzzling Place (01768-775102) is great for all ages and is a fun foray into the world of optical illusion, while the Keswick Pencil Museum (01768-773626) houses the world’s first pencil and the world’s largest one too!

Sites nearby:

Braithwaite Fold Camping & Caravanning Club Site
Glebe Road, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria LA23 3HB
Tel: 01539-442177 Web: www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk
Open: 14 March - 5 January Price: From £16.20 (2 adults, pitch, electric)
Halfway down the eastern shore of Windermere, 100m from the lakeside and five-minute walk from Bowness.

Skelwith Fold Caravan Park
Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0HY
Tel: 01539-432277 Web: www.skelwithfold.co.uk
Open: 1 March - 14 November Price: From £24.00 (2 adults, pitch, electric)
130-acre country retreat. Lots of woodland walks. Children’s play area. Fifteen-minute drive from White Moss car park and Rydal.

The Quiet Site
Ullswater, Cumbria CA11 0LS
Tel: 07768-727016 Web: www.thequietsite.co.uk Open: All year Price: From £16.00 (2 adults, pitch, electric)
Set amongst the fells which overlook Ullswater. Lovely rustic bar on site. Direct access to Aira Force Falls via an eight-mile circular route from site – maps available.

Inspired to take a trip to the North West? Take a look at our features on Cheshire's charm and bustling Blackpool.

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31/05/2013 Share this story

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