Tag: lake-district

Wansfell Pike – 7.5 miles, an easy Wainwright with a pint – Lake District, Far Eastern Fells

This is an ideal route if your heart is set on ticking Wainwrights regardless of the weather. The paths are excellent and easy to find. With a summit below 1,500ft it is a great one to keep for the winter.
Start in Ambleside, where you will find samples facilities and Troutbeck is just after the descent. An ideal spot to stop for a warming bowl of soup or a drink by the fire-place. The route back to Ambleside is fairly flat and straightforward (Coffin Route)

Stats

Difficulty	Moderate
Length	7.5 mi – 12 km
Total elevation	1,824 ft – 556m
Highest point	1,500 ft – 457m
Walking time	3h20
Terrain	Footpaths, Bridleway and road
Equipment	Good shoes, it can get muddy in places. Layers as it can get windy on top.

View route (Click on menu to reveal the image)

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Getting there

Driving: Car Park in Ambleside
Public transport:
From Carlisle: Train to Oxenholme, then train to Windermere then bus 555 to Ambleside (1h30)
From Lancaster: Train to Oxenholme then train to Windermere and bus 555 to Ambleside (< 1h)
From Manchester: Train from Piccadilly to Oxenholme then train to Windermere and bus 555 to Ambleside (< 2h)
From Preston: Train to Oxenholme, then train to Windermere then bus 555 to Ambleside (1h15)

Watering Holes

The Mortal Man – Troutbeck – 3 miles in and straight after the descent.
A fab traditional village inn dating from 1689.
Muddy paws and boots are always welcome.
The pub is big on supporting charities and will donate 10% of the sales on their cask ale to their favourite charity.
For the food, expect pub classics with local ingredients, roast dinners on Sunday and more gastro dishes for the evening such as Venison Haunch when in season.
There are 3 sections to the pub for a traditional cosy corner with board games to more formal dining.
Fantastic beer-garden in the summer and roaring fireplaces to warm you up in winter.
Back to the beer garden, it was voted in the top 10 in UK by the Times newspaper !
The Unicorn Inn – Ambleside – End of the walk
My preferred pub in Ambleside is the Unicorn. Muddy boots and paws are welcome.
Part of the Robinson Brewery, it is situated in the centre of Ambleside, yet away from the hustle and bustle.
There is a decent selection of real ales and the food is home-cooked. The Sunday roasts are delicious.
The only downside is the lack of outdoor seating and cosy fireplace. But this is the oldest pub in Ambleside. It offers a warm atmosphere and the staff are very welcoming.

Make a week-end of it – Where to stay and eat

Ambleside is a great town to stay at for a week-end in the Lake District.
Less crowded than Windermere, yet accessible if you are coming from the South.
It hosts a wide range of bars, pubs and restaurants as well as shopping facilities.
Watch your purse if you are after walking gear …. there are several shops to suit all budgets. From Mountain Warehouse and Trespass, to Gaynor for the midd to upper mid-range and the Epi Centre for high end designers.

Alternatively, for a quieter week-end centered around walking only; Troutbeck is a nice village and the Mortal Man has recently refurbished their rooms.

For a week-end of great food and fab walks: The Mortal Man in Troutbeck
The 11 rooms have been gradually refurbished since January 2023. At least one of them has a four poster bed.
The inn welcomes all pets (Dogs, cats, parrots etc) and has several cats of their own.
The ducks on the pond will provide your eggs for breakfast.
separate loo and shower. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming and the self-use kitchen comes in very handy to store food for your hike the next day. The outdoor and indoor common spaces are very comfortable.

For a luxury or romantic week-end: The Salutation Inn – Ambleside
Although very modern looking, the hotel has been there for 350 years!
Perfect for a romantic couple’s weekend, some rooms have their own hot-tubs.
70 bedrooms in total. Rooms with private balconies, private hot-tubs and rooms with private sauna. The various categories will fit all levels of extra luxuries and budget.
All with access to the impressive spa facilities included in the price. As well as the sauna and hammer.
The quality and choice of the breakfast is notorious. It has won several awards and you can get extras such as kipper, smoked haddock or a full Cumberland breakfast experience.
Again; the hotel is slightly outside the town centre but boasts stunning views over Windermere.

For tight budgets: YHA Ambleside – Ambleside
The hostel has private rooms, dorms, and family rooms.
Slightly ex-centered, it offers great views over Windermere. And for those who like to swim; there is a pontoon right outside the door.
The bar has a great atmosphere; and by Ambleside standards is reasonably priced.

October 2, 2024

The Langdale Pikes – 7 Wainwrights in 7 miles

The Langdale Pikes, is an iconic walk in the Central Lake District.
And for those bagging Wainwrights, this hike takes in: Loft Crag, Pike of Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Pavey Ark, Thunacar Knott, High Raise, Sergeant Man, Stickle Tarn

Stats

Difficulty	Moderate + to strenuous
Length	7 mi – 11.3 km
Total elevation	2,960 ft – 620m
Highest point	2,500 ft – 762m
Walking time	c. 5h00
Terrain	Hiking paths, footpaths and some light scrambling
Equipment	Layers, layers, layers ! The top can get exposed to wind-chill and plenty of water (Although You will cross some ghyll / stream after c. 2 miles, 4.5 miles, 5 miles, 5.5 miles, and will be following the ghyll again from the 6th mile onward) – Good sturdy shoes as some parts are bit scrambly (no technical skills required) and some parts can be muddy.

View route (Click on menu to reveal the image)

Getting there

Driving: The National Trust car park at the Langdales is free to members but expensive otherwise. The New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel has a spill over in its adjacent field that is the cheaper than the NT car-park and open to anyone (you don’t have to be a guest)
Public transport: Sadly, the walk is not easily accessible by public transport.
It takes about an hour and 2 busses from Windermere

Watering Holes

The New Dungeon Ghyll – Langdale – at the beginning or end of the walk.
Owned by the Red Cat Pub Company
For sunny days; there are some seating in front of the hotel and further seating in the 6 acres garden with some deck chairs and stunning views of Crinkle Crags. For the cooler day; the Walker’s bar is open to non-residents and has a wood-burning fire.
It serves its own branded ales as well as other locally brewed ales. And the food is locally sourced.
Expect pub classics as well as gastro-pub type dishes served from 12:00 daily
You can also grab breakfast or a cup of coffee before setting off as Stickle Barn does not open before 10 am.
Stickle Barn – Langdale – at the beginning or end of the walk.
Taken over from the National Trust by Lanty Slee in May 2024; the company has spent renovating the property.
They have a free tuk-tuk service from 16:00-21:00 to the NT campsite. And live music on some nights.
Some local ales served in the bar, the beer-garden or the cute and shaded family friendly outdoors area.
Delicious cakes throughout the day and American type menu.

Make a week-end of it – Where to stay and eat

The Langdales is walker’s paradise for a week-end. You could enjoy this particular hike on one day, and take it easy the next day with my low-level walk around the Langdales the next day: https://peregrinatenw.co.uk/2024/08/13/great-and-little-langdale-a-low-level-lake-district-walk-with-4-pubs-1-swim-and-a-cathedral/
But you will find countless other options if you fancy something easier / shorter or more technical (like Jack’s Rake or rock-climbing).
Unlike Ambleside or Keswick; this would be an outdoor pursuit only week-end. There are a few options nearby for food and drinks but no shopping there.

For a luxury stay: The New Dungeon Ghyll – Langdales
It offers comfortable rooms in a mix of double, twins and family rooms.

For groups: The Great Langdale Bunkhouse – behind the New Dungeon Ghyll
Sleeps 18 divided into 3 twin rooms and two rooms of 6 (all bunk beds).
Equipped with biomass central heating and hot water with powerful showers.
Separate male and female shows and toilet facilities.
There are no self-catering options but a tavern, the New Dungeon Ghyll and Stickle Barn on its doorstep.

For a cosy B&B or self-catering for up to 6 people: Millbeck Farm – Langdale
A beautiful 17th centrury farm-building. (Actually still a working farm!) And the owners breed Herdies.
Basic rooms with shared bathrooms at the B&B. With delicious and substantial breakfast.
They also rent 2 rustic cottages that can accommodate 6 in total (Double, twin and bunk room)

September 7, 2024

Lake District – Scout Scar: A castle, a cafe at the dairy parlor and a pub

This low-level walk near Kendal is under 10miles but punches above its weight. It takes in a medieval castle owned by the National Trust, a cafe and farm-shop where you watch the cows being milked and a pub that serves delicious food.

Scout Scar is a Wainwright Outlying Fell in the Lake District. This is a walk 10 miles walk starting from Sizergh, near Kendal (South Lakes). It also takes in a Medieval castle run by the National Trust, a farm-shop at a dairy parlor where you can watch the milking and the Strickland Arms pub — Click on the picture to see the full slideshow and route video

Stats

Difficulty	Moderate
Length	10 mi – 16.2 km
Total elevation	1,506 ft – 459m
Highest point	735ft – 224m
Walking time	4h15
Terrain	paths, roads, walking paths, streets
Equipment	Enough water to walk 8 miles or 3h30. There is a cafe at the Beginning and the end but nothing in between.

View route (Click on menu to reveal the image)

Getting there

Driving: 6 free car-parks along the way: On Nannypie Lane before the Stricklands Arm / Near St John’s Church Helsington / Underbarrow Road before the paid Scout-scar car-park / Brigsteer Road / Scroggs Lane / Hawes Lane
Public transport: Kendal Bus X6 to the Approach stop (C. 20 mins)
From Manchester: Train to Carnforth then bus 755 to the Approach stop (c. 2h05)
From Preston: Train to Arnside then bus 552 to the Approach Stop (c. 1h50)
From Lancaster: Bus 555 to Ashbank lane stop (c. 45mins)
From Carlisle: Train to Kendal then Bus 555 to Ashbank lane stop (c. 1h35)

Watering Holes

The cafe at Sizergh Castle – Sizergh – C. half a mile after the start (15 mins).
National Trust Cafe
This is handy if you have forgotten water, your lunch or want a perk me up coffee before starting the walk.
Wheatsheaf Inn – Brigsteer – Technically not on the original route, but worth the small detour. It would only be 2.29 miles in (c. 1h00) and would add an extra mile to your walk. Happy to customize the gpx, AllTrails or Komoot to include on the route.
Owned by Robinsons breweries. This cosy tenanted pub offers good ales, pies, pub classics and sandwiches; a beer garden for the summer and a roaring log-fire in the winter. Food served from 12:00-15:00 and 17:00-20:00 Monday – Thursday and 12:00 to 20:00 on Friday to Sunday. The pub also has 6 rooms. (See below sections). Muddy paws and boots are always welcome.
Romneys – Helsington / Kendal – Again, not on the route but a detour worth making. This would be at the 6.5 miles (c. 3 hrs) and would add an extra mile to the walk.
It is a traditional Cumbrian pub with rooms. The local ale and food with delicious pub classics, carvery on Sunday. Prices are very reasonable for the area and there are several options in the children’s menu.
Beer garden with a children’s play area, log-fire for the winter and dogs are welcome. The pub also offers accommodation (see below section for details)
Low Sizergh Barn Cafe – Sizergh – C. 9.2 miles after the start (4h00).
The best one if you are walking with the kids – A dairy parlor where you can watch the cows being milked at 15:30.
Delicious ice-creams, farm-shop and the raw milk is on sale.
The Strickland Arms – Sizergh – At the end (or beginning) of the walk.
The best for gourmets – it is listed in Michelin and Good Food guide. The food is home-made and cooked to order. The ale is just as good and the pub recommended by the good beer guide. A favorite with the locals and dog-owners. It is a very cosy pub with a large beer-garden, outside dining with a view and a roaring fire.

Make a week-end of it – Why South Lakes and Kendal ?

For those who have never visited the Lake Districts, Kendal is not a bad place to start from. The first largest town in the National Park, yet less crowded with tourists and more down to earth than Windermere. You will find the genuine cumbrian hospitality that made the region, a good selection of places to eat and drink; shops for the outdoors enthusiast offering better value than their counter-parts in Ambleside and further north. A farmer’s market and great brewery for the foodies. There is an array of scenic low-level walks in the area and good bus connections to the Lakes.

For the seasoned mountaineers and fell-walkers a wet and cold day on the fells is not always a pleasant experience. Whether you have ticked all all your Wainwrights already you do not fancy a high-level walk with poor visibility on a day where the weather is unkind; the outlying fells are perfect to keep you ticking.

For the culture enthusiasts there are multitude of place to visit around Kendal: Sizergh Castle, a medieval castle owned by the National Trust; the Levens Hall, an Elizabethan country manor with gardens and a deer park; Abbot Hall art gallery for fine art from the 18th-20th century and last but not least, the Kendal Museum with its collections of Natural History, Cumbrian history and World Wildlife gallery

For the adventurers: Kendal has a climbing hall, Adventure Makers has a meeting point not far from the climbing centre and offers guides to take you Ghyll scrambling, Canyoning, and caving.

Make a week-end of it – Where to stay and eat

For walkers: The Weatsheaf Inn
The Inn has 6 cosy rooms above its pub

For a lazy Sunday: Romneys in Helsington offers 5 self-catering cottages and 5 snugs. Very close to both Kendal town centre and the walk route. Stay overnight and enjoy an amazing Sunday Lunch at the pub.

For the campers and families: Sizergh Barn and Farm – tent and caravan pitches as well as a glamping pods that sleeps 4 and has a kitchenette.
Enjoy the walk, a visit to Sizergh Castle with a unique stay on an Organic Dairy farm. It has an award winning farm shop and cafe. Sells raw milk and you can watch the cows being milked everyday at 15:30.

July 15, 2024