July 21 to 27 th
We arrived after driving on the highways from Scotland into out unit in the middle of town of Windamere. The unit is huge and a great location, “Hazelhurst” is on Hazel and Oak St. We walked around town, washed and went out for dinner.
Day 2
We walked down to Bowness on Windermere to the Lake and did the cruise to Amberside.
Windermere lake is the biggest in the lake area, one mile wide , 21 kms long. 67 metres deep at its deepest point.
Ambleside
A lovely but tourist town full of slate houses and Inns, book shops, bakeries and outdoor hiking shops.
The cruise stops at Water head wharf. One mile from Ambleside and we caught the bus one mile up to the town, had lunch , walked around and went to famous Bridge house
we Cruised back to Bowness and walked back to Windermere via the Beatrix potter shop, where we bought cards for the grandies.
Day 3
First stop was Grassmere
We parked outside the traditional Ginger shop, famous for its gingerbread biscuits where the queue is normally huge but this morning was quiet short.
Then into Wordsworths daffodil garden
St Oswords church where Wordsworth went regularly and his families graves.
Then after a walk around this cute town we stopped at a tiny bakery window right on the road and bought ginger crush.. yum
then onto Keswick past Thirlmere lake and mountains
Outside Keswick is the Castle crag stone circle
Built 4500 yr ago it is from prehistoric farming communities, a place of ceremony and exchange.
Keswick
a nice town with a cobbled main area and a walk town to the lake.
The scenery here the mts are very rugged
We drove out to Ashness bridge
and Surprise Lookout that overlooks the Derwent lake
along the Borrowdale road and turned back before Honister Pass a steep and narrow pass in the mountains.
Back to Windamere the way we came here.
day 4 ……..to the coast and railway
A long drive to Ravenglass for the tiny train trip to Dalegarth.
This tiny pintsize train had little open carriages . After the train ride
We drove to beachside town of Seascape, with its rocky beaches
and onto Whitehaven for lunch with its harbour
Then we drove towards Cockermouth, by- passed the town
and onto to Buttermere Lake . The views over Crummock water as we drove towards Buttermere were amazing.
Buttermere lake was lovely as was the scenery, the roads windy steep and brick fences everywhere on the sides of the roads, no room for mistakes driving here,
We drove up to Hob Carton pike, more fantastic scenery and then back down to do Horricks pass. Again amazing views.
Stopped briefly at the Slate mine
back to Keswick and then down to Windermere.
So nice to have a sunny hot day.
Day 5 We drove through the kirkstone pass, another hairy drive!
to Glenridding.
A cold day , who can work out the English summers. Shorts one day Jeans and jumpers the next.
We did a cruise on the Ullswater lake, the scenery very rugged mountainous.
Then the areas flattened out and we saw lots of sailing kayaking etc on the water at Pooley Bridge ,the end of the Ullswater lake. Cruised back to Glenridding ,lunch at the Inn then
Back to Windermere.
Day 6
We drove to Lakeside at the end and other side of Lake Windamere.
Then onto Hawkshead , a touristy cute town with lots of shops selling local produce, I bought some peter rabbit letters for the girls. A church sat up a small rise, lots of graveyards and a view over the area. The area known for Beatrix Potter.
Then more horrible tiny windy lanes to find the Drunken Duck Inn which serves a lovely fine dining lunch, expensive but yummy.
Back to Windamere the same way as road works were blocking our other way back.
We had a lovely unit Hazelhurst right in town ,fantastic and the lakes district was great and very scenic. It rains here in the lakes a lot but we had fantastic weather albiet the odd cool overcast day .
