One of the top wild swimming, river paddling and picnic spots in the Lake District is across the lake from Woodside
Fell Foot Park, Bowness and for an unusual way to travel to Fell Foot Park why not take the ferry from Lakeside to Fell Foot Park. Fell Foot Park, Bowness is sat on the shore of Lake Windermere, opposite Lakeside and Woodside cottage and only 15 minutes from Fell View Cottage. You’ll find a National Trust café with baby changing, outdoor picnic benches and lots of grassy picnic blanket areas, rowing boats for hire, children’s adventure playground. But most importantly it has a beach-like access for splashing about in Lake Windermere
Whilst you are at Fell Foot you can hire boats of all description. Check this out for great fun on the waterhttps://www.stokedwatersports.co.uk/
The second wild swimming and picnic spot I would choose is at High Dam, near Finsthwaite and a short walk from Woodside
Grizedale has everything for a great family day out. Located to the east of Coniston Water and to the south of Hawkshead (15 minutes for Woodside) Set in the heart of the Lake District National Park, Grizedale offers an unrivalled day out for everyone.
Sculpture trails, picnic areas, forest way marked trails, (Riddings Wood is push chair/wheel chair friendly) Gruffalo Trail , mountain bike trails, Mountain bike hire but book in advance!, excellent café/tearoom. Go Ape Tree Top Adventure, Zip Trekking Adventure Forest Segway,
Go Ape is the Zip Trekking Adventure – a network of seven tandem zip lines that traverse the sky-scraping Douglas Firs. A brilliant day out for the adventurous and for those not quite so adventurous you can just look! You can enjoy two to three hours in the trees taking on Zip Wires, Tarzan Swings, Rope Ladders and a variety of obstacles and crossings; a high ropes course for all the family. Set in a forest of sky-scraping Douglas Firs, Grizedale feels seriously high, mainly due to its vertigo-inducing 19 metre platforms. There are two Zip Wires which fly over the road below!
We highly recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment
3.The most awe-inspiring view!
o If you want to experience a World Heritage site in all its glory, get yourself to Claife Heights Viewing station on the banks of Lake Windermere
· By road …Junction 36 off M6, then take A684 which becomes the A591 to Windermere and Ambleside. B5285 from Windermere via Windermere ferry 3 miles. B5286 and B5285 from Ambleside 9 miles. B5285 from Coniston 8 miles.
· Parking: Ash Landing, very near Claife Viewing Station and Harrowslack, on Windermere’s west shore.
· There’s a cosy cafe in the courtyard and it is open every day 11am-3pm. Dogs are welcome on the west shore of Windermere.
· This colourful Viewing Station has endless lake views and waterside paths for you to explore. Children love looking through the amazing coloured glass.
4. The coolest boat ride in the Lakes
· Coniston Water is home to The Goldola. This lake is nearly five miles long, and has a maximum depth of 184 feet. The elegant Victorian Steam Yacht Gondola sails between March and November. Renovated by the National Trust, its passengers can travel in opulently upholstered saloons – a superb way to appreciate the magnificent scenery. The traditional timber craft of Coniston Launch provide regular hourly sailings throughout the year to jetties around Coniston Water, including Brantwood.
· The Victorian philosopher John Ruskin bought Brantwood house to the east of the lake in 1871 declaring the view over the lake to ‘The Old Man of Coniston’ to be ‘the best in all of England’.
· Sir Malcolm Campbell chose Coniston for his attempt at the water speed record in 1939, which he achieved at over 141 miles per hour. On his death, his son Donald Campbell [left] took up where his father left off. His aim was to better 300 miles per hour, which he did on 4th January 1967, but the craft, ‘Bluebird’, shot up into the air and disappeared into the lake. Until early in 2001, his body had never been found. There is a memorial to him near the Information Centre in Ruskin Avenue. The story is told in the refurbished Ruskin Museum.
4.A steam train back in time . Head for the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway at either Lakeside or Haverthwaite , where you can travel back in time when you climb aboard these amazing train. If you are staying at Woodside it is a short walk to lakeside to pick up the train.
o A distant memory of bygone years for some and new experience for others, it’s a unique day out for all.
· If you want to, you can combine your day out with a visit to The Lakes Aquarium or continue your journey aboard a Windermere Steamer to Bowness or Ambleside. The trains welcome dogs and owners.
5.Explore an amazing garden of weird and wonderful trees.
· I’m talking topiary at Holker Hall. Just off the A590 the house and gardens is the family home of Lord and Lady Cavendish. It is a delightful family home with fine displays of antique furniture and art.
· You can tour the house without the restriction of ropes and barriers, and see the distinguished library, elegant drawing room, and ornate dining room. Climb the striking staircase and you can view portraits of Charles II, and Catherine of Braganza. You can visit the bedroom where Queen Mary stayed in 1937.
· Children will be fascinated by the unique shaped trees as they complete a quiz (bought from the shop) of the garden. The café is very good. In the Summer they sometimes have the steam engine working in the court yard.
10. PaddleboardingWhilst you are at Fell Foot you can hire boats of all description. Check this out for great fun on the waterhttps://www.stokedwatersports.co.uk/
The Top 10 Dog Friendly Places To Visit In The Lake District
1.Windermere Lake Cruises (if you are staying at Woodside, you can walk to the cruisers)
There are many great days out that can be reached by boat on Windermere with Windermere Lake Cruises. Dogs on leads travel free on all boats, including the self-drive and rowing boats, and it turns out they even get a ticket of their own!
No Lake District holiday is complete without a lake cruise of some description, and with Windermere Lake Cruises you can enjoy a tour of the lake on one of its main ‘steamers’, Swan, Teal, or Tern, or travel on one of its smaller vessels to selected destinations. Dogs are welcome free of charge! 015394 43360, windermere-lakecruises.co.uk
2. The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway (if you are staying at Woodside, you can walk to the steam trains)
The southern tip of Windermere is home to the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, where you can take a ride on a steam locomotive, complete with 1950s carriages, as it makes its way along 3.5 miles of the former Furness Railway branch line. As Windermere Lake Cruises and the railway connect at Lakeside, consider buying a combined ticket to travel by both boat and rail – dogs travel free of charge on the railway too! 015395 31594, lakesiderailway.co.uk
3.Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Finsthwaite Across the road from Woodside Cottage
The only working bobbin mill left in the Lake District, English Heritage’s Stott Park Bobbin Mill gives you a great sense of the area’s industrial history.
Dogs on leads are welcome to explore the site along with their owners at Stott Park Bobbin Mill. Stott Park Bobbin Mill is an industrial museum which explains the process of bobbin making in the Lake District. Visitors can book a guided tour of the mill to see how a wooden bobbin is made.. There’s also a lovely walk nearby to High Dam, a man-made tarn which once fed the mill.
4. Grizedale Forest
The Forestry Commission’s Grizedale Forest is a great place to walk with your dog, and has several waymarked trails for all tastes and abilities. The forest is most famous for its outdoor sculptures, with around 40 artworks to be found along its network of pathways. Dogs are also welcome inside Grizedale’s café. 0300 067 4495, forestry.gov.uk/grizedale
Grizedale has everything for a great family day out. Located to the east of Coniston Water and to the south of Hawkshead (15 minutes for Woodside) Set in the heart of the Lake District National Park, Grizedale offers an unrivalled day out for everyone.
Sculpture trails, picnic areas, forest way marked trails, (Riddings Wood is push chair/wheel chair friendly) Gruffalo Trail , mountain bike trails, Mountain bike hire but book in advance!, excellent café/tearoom. Go Ape Tree Top Adventure, Zip Trekking Adventure Forest Segway,
Have fun in Grizedale !
5.Backbarrow Motor museum Address: Old Blue Mill, Backbarrow, Ulverston LA12 8TA (if you are staying at Woodside, you can walk to the museum, in about 35 mins or take the car.)
A nostalgic visit suitable for all ages, this museum is located in Backbarrow, on the site of the former Backbarrow Blue Mill – best known for manufacturing the washing additive, Dolly Blue. Well-behaved dogs are welcome throughout the exhibition areas free of charge, but do note that Café Ambio next door doesn’t accept dogs, but you can sit on the terrace to eat food with your dog.
30,000 exhibits that trace the development of road transport throughout the twentieth century – cycles, motorbikes, motor cars and automobilia.
Housed in a converted mill in the heart of the Lake District, we’re minutes from Lake Windermere and offer joint tickets with Windermere Lake Cruises and other local attractions.
Much more than just a motor museum, our local history and period shopping displays, authentic recreations and picturesque riverside cafe makes it a great day out for the whole family.
OPEN 9:30am to 4:30pm every day except Christmas Day
The Lakeland Historic Car Club meet on the first Saturday of every month at the museum and Cafe Ambio. Everyone is welcome to attend whether you’re an owner, enthusiast or just keen to see some great examples of some classic local cars.
6. Claife Heights
If you want to experience a World Heritage site in all its glory, get yourself to Claife Heights Viewing station on the banks of Lake Windermere. Dogs can go into the viewing station . Four legged friends are welcome on the west shore of Windermere. There’s a cosy cafe in the courtyard and it is open every day 11am-3pm. With an undercover area where you and your dog can sit and enjoy a hot chocolate or soup!
By road …Junction 36 off M6, then take A684 which becomes the A591 to Windermere and Ambleside. B5285 from Windermere via Windermere ferry 3 miles. B5286 and B5285 from Ambleside 9 miles. B5285 from Coniston 8 miles.
Parking: Ash Landing, very near Claife Viewing Station and Harrowslack, on Windermere’s west shore.
This colourful Viewing Station has endless lake views and waterside paths for you to explore
7. The grounds of NT Wray Castle
Dogs are welcome in the grounds on leads; assistance dogs only inside. There are also some very good walks along the lake off the main grounds were you can let dogs off leads and play fetch by the lake. Picnic seating is available outside the castle (And cafe) so you can still partake of a lovely scone with your fury friend (weather permitting).
8. Coniston Launch and the National Trust’s Steam Yacht Gondola (outer decks only)
A cruise on Coniston Water is delightful. You can see the landscape that inspired Arthur Ransome to write his popular Swallows and Amazons series of novels! Coniston water is where Donald Campbell sadly lost his life during his ill-fated world water speed record attempt in 1967. You can choose from a number of short or longer cruise options on board a Coniston Launch or the National Trust’s Steam Yacht Gondola (dogs allowed on the outer decks but not inside the saloons), and Coniston Launch offers special ‘Swallows and Amazons’ and ‘Campbells on Coniston’ cruises too. Gondola and Coniston Launch both stop at Brantwood on the eastern shore of Coniston Water, where dogs on leads are also welcomed in the grounds (requires a ticket purchase) and café too. 017687 75753, conistonlaunch.co.uk and 015394 32733, nationaltrust.org.uk/steam-yacht-gondola
Coniston and the surrounding areas are full of many different attractions. From taking a cruise with the steam yacht gondola to climbing through the trees in Grizedale Forest, as well as many unique historical houses in the area, there is sure to be something for you at Coniston.
Fancy something totally unique?
Why not float back to Victorian times by travelling Lake Coniston on a steam-powered craft?
Painstakingly rebuilt from the original Victorian ‘Gondola’, passengers can enjoy the silent gentle gliding motion combining their cruise with a visit to Brantwood House or disembarking at Monk Coniston jetty for a circular walk to Tarn Hows.
Full Lake cruises run daily and take in the full length of Coniston Water with an interesting talk by the crew about Coniston’s famous connections.
Steam Yacht Gondola (outside of saloons), Coniston Water
If you’re after an extra special cruise on Coniston Water (again useful for breaking up a longer walk using the Walker’s Cruise), the National Trust’s Victorian Steam Yacht Gondola is a fantastic historic experience. Dogs are welcome on the outside decks, which is where you’ll want to be anyway on a sunny day. As with Coniston Launch, Gondola also stops at the Brantwood jetty. Cruises commence from Coniston Pier from 11am, daily from April until the end of October.
You can also park on the road by the side of the lakes.
There are no toilets on board. Public toilets including disabled facilities are available at the pier. Refreshments available at the Bluebird cafe.
Opening details
Mon to Friday: 11am, 12 noon, 1pm (2.30pm Full Lake) Sat & Sun: 11am Walkers/Full lake Cruise, 1pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm
Head of Lake Cruise (45 minutes)
Request stops at Brantwood for house and gardens (not NT) and Monk Coniston Jetty for walks to Tarn Hows (approx 3 hrs). Walking leaflet available aboard. Break your journey and re-join Gondola on a later sailing.
Full Lake Cruise (1hr & 45 minutes)
Enjoy an extended sailing aboard Gondola and soak up the atmosphere of this unique steam yacht. Hear all about Coniston Water’s famous connections, with the option to pre-order afternoon tea or the new ‘Steam & Cream’ hands-on experience – see website for details.
Walkers Cruise
Cruise to Lake Bank Jetty (45 mins) for walks at the southern end of Coniston Water or Parkamoor Jetty (55 mins) for the east shore. Walking leaflet available aboard or download from our website (OS map and compass recommended). Walkers can re-join Gondola at Brantwood or Monk Coniston jetties on a later sailing. You can also stay on board for the round trip if preferred (Full Lake ticket required)51.
NT members note: There is a 10% reduction on all scheduled round trip cruises on production of your current membership card.
9. Brantwood is a very peaceful garden. The grounds and natural gardens at Brantwood are a joy. Although not permitted in the house itself, dogs on leads are welcome in the gardens and at the café – you can buy a gardens-only ticket and parking is free. The road to Brantwood affords beautiful views of Coniston Waters. You can stop at the side of the road and take in the view. If your lucky you con see the gondola chugging up and down the lake.
10. Fell Foot Park (NT) (If you are staying at Woodside you can walk to the ferry at Lakeside and take the 5-minute ride over to Fell Foot. The ferry runs during the Summer only)
Plenty of space for your dog. Lovely walk along the bank of Lake Windermere to where it meets the River Leven. You can take a ferry over to Lakeside and then the steam train to Haverthwaite with dogs welcome on both
This ship was built in 2020 by Damen Shipyards Group. The sections of boat were transported by road to Lakeside and assembled. The M.V. Swift is 34.4 metres long and uses 2 x Volvo Penta engines to power an electrical propulsion system. It is manned by a crew of four.
Swift has three decks and at full capacity can hold 300 passengers.
Passenger facilities include:
Refreshment bar and licensed bar
Promenade deck
Indoor/outdoor upper deck with glazing that can be lowered/raised for different weather conditions
View stations
Centrally heated saloons and toilets
Wheelchair accessible toilet
All facilities are wheelchair accessible on this boat.
If you seek serenity and an opportunity to enjoy fresh mountain air, stunningly beautiful scenery a little known location, yet easy to get to on foot, then a walk to High Dam is a must!
Location
High Dam is a very peaceful lake. It can be found near the villages of Finsthwaite and Newby Bridge in the Southern Lake District. There is a well sign posted carpark off the Finsthwaite road with a steep incline up to it. From the LDNPA car park, where you have to pay, there is a footpath which marks the beginning of the walk on the left hand side. The route takes you through beautiful dense woodland, and first to Low Dam, and then on to High Dam. The walk is a circular route which can be altered to take you down and through the village of Finthswaite and then on to Newby Bridge. The walk takes about an hour, but allow longer for viewing and photographs.
High Dam
The High Dam is actually 2 small lakes which can be walked around and afford the opportunity to sit on a rock or bench to take in the peace and quiet. It is surrounded by mixed woodlands of oak, birch, larch and Scots pine to name a few. The woodland floor is scattered with bilberry, bracken and heather. It’s a man made dam built across the southern end of the tarn in the early 1800’s to supply water to the Stott Park Bobbin Mill, nearby.
Stott Park Bobbin Mill
The mill is run by English Heritage and well worth a visit. The water in the lake was used in the 19 century to power the steam turbines at the Bobbin Mill. The Bobbin Mill made wooden bobbins from the many coppiced trees in the surrounding woods which were sent to the cotton mills of Lancashire. It was a labour intensive industry and there are some fascinating insights into bobbins. The mill is open to the public and their “Steam Days” are most informative.
My thanks to Beth Holmes for her kind permission to use her photograph of High Dam .
Turn right off the A592 and park your car in the Forestry Commision car park on the right as you are going up the road .
Gummers How Car Park LA12 8NW
Walk across the road and through the gate signposted ‘Gummers How’. It’s a lovely woodland walk to start with across a brook followed by a fairly strenuous hill. The path up has been formed into steps . There are lot of steps, and at busy times it can be difficult to pass people who are going up or down the steps!.
Approximately halfway to the summit, the path splits into two. You can continue left and scramble your way up to the top or turn right behind the hillock and take a more leisurely grassy path upward. I took the easier route and very pleasant it was.
You soon arrive at the summit (20 mins) and tyou are rewarded with views all around. Find a good place to sit and take in the view before you make your way back down. Either take the same route you took to the top, or make a circuit and chose an alternative route back down.
This walk is ideal for youngsters. A picnic on the top is a great idea!
Humphrey Head is a limestone outcrop situated south of the village of Allithwaite in Cumbria, England. It is whale-back-shaped and accessible for walkers, giving views over Morecambe Bay to Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham and over the Leven estuary to Ulverston. There is an Ordnance Survey trig point at the top
You can walk through the lanes from Fell View or park by the RSPB Nature reserve on the lane not far from the foreshore itself.
From here, you have the choice of 2 walks. The first is going across the cattle grid and up the road to the RSPB reserve on your left. Follow the path to the fence right, into a large field. Keep the fence on your right and follow it up to the trig point on the top.
You can either retrace your steps or follow the fence towards the sea.
At the sea, go over the stile and turn left. Walk through the woods, (in May full of bluebells,) keeping to the path. The path then climbs up, steeply in places and over a stile, and you are back on the RSPB reserve. Return down the drive.
Second walk :
Park the car and walk along the lane to the sea. At the forehore you can follow the path at the base of the cliffs with the cliffs on your left for as long as you want .
BEWARE of the tides! Morecambe bay has quick sand, do NOT venture out onto the marsh. Keep near the cliff and watch the tide.
A lovely flat walk in the Southern Lakes can be found in the walk from Low Wood near Haverthwaite to Greenodd village and back. You can park near The Clock Tower at Low Wood, cross the road and take the narrow lane all the way to the footpath if you want. However, at times you also have the opportunity to take a footpath on your right which will take you parallel with the river as it makes it way out to sea. This route is ideal for walkers and cyclists, who want an easy route, it’s quiet and flat. For cyclists it is part of route 700. At the end of the walk you have to cross the footbridge and then the A590 and walk into the village of Greenodd. Greenodd has an excellent cafe /bakery selling excellent brad cakes and pies. Ideal for lunch. https://www.bakehousebornandbread.co.uk/
On a Friday and Saturday evening they do a takeaway pizza service between 5.00pm -8.30pm phone to order 01229861265 Dogs are welcome in the cafe
If you are coming to the Lakes in the next few weeks (or in fact anytime of the year) and you enjoy nothing better than a walk around a beautiful garden. Then I have one of the Lake District’s best to share with you. http://holehirdgardens.org.uk/
Holehird Gardens is spectacular . It is an extensive 10 acre site located near Windermere. It is the home of the Lakeland Horticultural Society. The garden consists of a large variety of plants, particularly those suited to the local climate with its high rainfall. On the A592, 1 mile from Windermere. If approaching from the north, do not follow satnav but follow brown tourist signs. The Lakeland Horticultural Society Patterdale Road Windermere Cumbria LA23 1NP If you are looking for quality accommodation in the area, check out Fell View and Woodside cottages
Cruising the largest natural lake in England must be one of the loveliest ways to spend an afternoon! And this you can do from Ambleside, Bowness or Lakeside. My preference is Lakeside, as you can walk to it from Woodside , or you can drive from Fell View in a few minutes and park the car easily. The are car parking charges but then there are charges in all the car parks in the Lakes!
Cruises take from 45 minutes to 3 hours . In fact, you can even spend all day on and around the lake with the Freedom of the Lake ticket.
The trip gives the traveller the most magnificent views of mountain scenery, secluded bays and many wooded islands. It definitely is a must do if you visit the lakes.
Also you can break your journey at each of the ports to explore what’s nearby.
It truly is a perfect day out.
There are island cruises. This is a 45 minute circular cruise from Bowness
The yellow cruise takes 90 mins and goes from Bowness to Lakeside and back, whilst the Red cruise takes 75 mins from Bowness to Ambelside and back.
The 1500m distance swim is suitable for newbie open water swimmers or those wanting to swim a shorter distance, whereas the 3km swim incorporates an extra out & back loop & double the distance. This is swim with a difference with different depths along the way, beautiful scenery and wildlife and has been described as a “truely unique swim”. After trialing our one way swim last year, we had great feedback with swimmers enjoying the A to B swim & beautiful meadow walk back to the start. The Windermere “Wild” Swim is a lake/river swim starting at Fell Foot, Windermere with the different distances, It is a beautiful swim and you get a chance to enjoy the beautiful views of the South Lakes with Gummers How fell in the distance & the beautiful Fell Foot park. Non wetsuits swimmers allowed providing the water is 14 degrees. Decision to be posted a day before event date. 14 years and over on event day for 1500m (parents will need sign a waiver). Any swimmers under 16 must be a club swimmer and will need evidence of this from a coach or club. All U18 swimmers will need to wear a wetsuit. All non wetsuit swimmers must wear a tow float. Due to the nature of the swim, we can get currents in some parts of the swim course and reserve the right to shorten the distance or change the route of the planned swim, if deemed necessary for safety. All non wetsuit swimmers must use a tow float. Entry – just £25 online on 1.5km and 3km No entries on the day – entries close Wednesday 21st August 2018. Event Swim cap Event medal to all finishers Refreshments Changing area/toilets on site Beautiful swim Registration – 8.am – 8.30am at lakeside (at the Blue Gazebo) Prizes to 1st Male & Female in the 1.5km & 3km. Any questions email Christine at info@sleekerswim.co.uk or text/call 07832 376230
If you’re planning a BBQ when you’re in the Lakes, where do you go for your food? I will share the best places to go for the best BBQ!
As for the burgers, sausage, pies and steak you need to visit Higginsons in Grange over Sands
When it comes to baps and buns its got to be The Hazelmere in Grange over Sands
For BBQ sauce and relish you must visit Hawkshead’s own Hawkshead Relish and try their Bloody Mary Ketchup! or Black garlic!
You need some beer? Well I’ve got that covered. Go to Unsworth’s Yard in Cartmel for their own brew from Cartmel Brewery
Need a bottle of wine? Then also in Unsworth’s Yard in Cartmel is the Drinks shop, where you can buy excellent quality wines.
Like a bit of cheese? That’s OK as next door is “Cartmel Cheeses” where you can try before you buy. An extensive array of cheeses are for sale.
And finally. Have you got a sweet tooth? Then it’s got to be the Village Store in the centre of Cartmel. Fondly known in my family as “The Sticky Toffee Pudding Shop” And yes, it’s got to be sticky toffee pudding all round.
These few shops will provide you with the ultimate BBQ!!
The video is Unsworth’s Yard in Cartmel.
For a great children’s activity try the best paddling and picnic Spots
1.My first choice is a secret, hidden lake a few minutes walk from Woodside. High Dam, just outside the village of Finsthwaite is a real beauty spot! This stunningly peaceful lake is ideal for wild swimming and paddling.
2. My second choice is one of the top wild swimming, river paddling and picnic spots in the Lake District. It’s across the lake from Woodside at Fell Foot Park, Bowness. For an unusual way to travel to Fell Foot Park why not walk to Lakeside and then take the ferry from Lakeside to Fell Foot Park?
3. Fell Foot Park, Bowness is sat on the shore of Lake Windermere, opposite Lakeside and Woodside cottage and only 15 minutes from Fell View Cottage. You’ll find a National Trust café with baby changing, outdoor picnic benches and lots of grassy picnic blanket areas, rowing boats for hire, children’s adventure playground. It is ideal for children’s activities. But most importantly it has a beach-like access for splashing about in Lake Windermere
For the adventurous child why not try Grizedale Forest. Only 15 minutes from Woodside and 35 mins from Fell View
2. Grizedale has everything for a great family day out. Located to the east of Coniston Water and to the south of Hawkshead (15 minutes for Woodside) Set in the heart of the Lake District National Park, Grizedale offers an unrivalled day out for everyone and is great for children’s activities.
Grizedale Forest has :Sculpture trails, picnic areas, forest way marked trails, (Riddings Wood is push chair/wheel chair friendly) a Gruffalo Trail , mountain bike trails, Mountain bike hire but book in advance!, excellent café/tearoom. For the really adventourous there’s Go Ape Tree Top Adventure and Zip Trekking Adventure Forest Segway,
Go Ape is the Zip Trekking Adventure – a network of seven tandem zip lines that traverse the sky-scraping Douglas Firs. A brilliant day out for the adventurous and for those not quite so adventurous you can just look! You can enjoy two to three hours in the trees taking on Zip Wires, Tarzan Swings, Rope Ladders and a variety of obstacles and crossings; a high ropes course for all the family. Set in a forest of sky-scraping Douglas Firs, Grizedale feels seriously high, mainly due to its vertigo-inducing 19 metre platforms. There are two Zip Wires which fly over the road below!
Go Ape Opening times :February Half Term [open daily] March [weekends only] Easter, Half Term and Summer Holidays [open daily] October Half Term [open daily] November [weekends only] December [Tree Top Junior and Tree Top Adventure open 3rd-4th only]
We highly recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.
3. Beatrix Potter Revealed
A lovely place to visit in the Summer is Beatrix Potter’s 17th-century farmhouse. This is a time-capsule of her life. Her house ,Hill Top is a few minutes from Woodside . A very pleasant drive through woodland lanes takes you to Near Sawrey, Hawkshead, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LF . Although it is open most of the Summer months , from September it is closed on Fridays
Furthermore ,you can enjoy the story of Beatrix Potter and her life,as Hill Top is full of her favourite things. The house appears as if Beatrix had just stepped out for a walk! Every room contains a reference to a picture in a ‘tale’.They run children’s activities during the Summer.
The lovely cottage garden is a haphazard mix of flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables. Bought in 1905 with proceeds from her first book, the Tale of Peter Rabbit, she used Hill Top itself and the surrounding countryside as inspiration for many of her subsequent books.
Hill Top is a small house and a timed-ticket system is in operation. . Hill Top can be very busy and visitors may sometimes have to wait to enter the house. Tickets cannot be booked in advance and early sell-outs are possible in the Summer holiday periods.
4. The most awe-inspiring view!
If you want to experience a World Heritage site in all its glory, get yourself to Claife Heights Viewing station on the banks of Lake Windermere. This venue is child friendly and a great place for kids of all ages.
By road …Junction 36 off M6, then take A684 which becomes the A591 to Windermere and Ambleside. B5285 from Windermere via Windermere ferry 3 miles. B5286 and B5285 from Ambleside 9 miles. B5285 from Coniston 8 miles.
Parking: Ash Landing, very near Claife Viewing Station and Harrowslack, on Windermere’s west shore.
There’s a cosy cafe in the courtyard and it is open every day 11am-3pm. Dogs are welcome on the west shore of Windermere.
This colourful Viewing Station has endless lake views and waterside paths for you to explore. Children love looking through the amazing coloured glass.
5. The coolest boat ride in the Lakes is on Coniston Water.This is a great family friendly day out! Coniston is nearly five miles long, and has a maximum depth of 184 feet. It is the third largest of the lakes. It provided an important fish source for the monks of Furness Abbey who owned the lake and much of the surrounding land in the 13th and 14th Centuries. More recently Coniston Water was used to transport slate and ore from the many mines worked in the Coppermines Valley above Coniston It has three small islands, all owned by the National Trust.
The elegant Victorian Steam Yacht Gondola sails between March and November. Renovated by the National Trust, its passengers can travel in opulently upholstered saloons – a superb way to appreciate the magnificent scenery. The traditional timber craft of Coniston Launch provide regular hourly sailings throughout the year to jetties around Coniston Water, including Brantwood.
The Victorian philosopher John Ruskin bought Brantwood house to the east of the lake in 1871 declaring the view over the lake to ‘The Old Man of Coniston’ to be ‘the best in all of England’.
Sir Malcolm Campbell chose Coniston for his attempt at the water speed record in 1939, which he achieved at over 141 miles per hour. On his death, his son Donald Campbell [left] took up where his father left off. His aim was to better 300 miles per hour, which he did on 4th January 1967, but the craft, ‘Bluebird’, shot up into the air and disappeared into the lake. Until early in 2001, his body had never been found. There is a memorial to him near the Information Centre in Ruskin Avenue. The story is told in the refurbished Ruskin Museum.
7. A steam train back in time . Head for the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railwayat either Lakeside or Haverthwaite , where you can travel back in time when you climb aboard these amazing If you are staying at Woodside it is a short walk to lakeside to pick up the train.
A distant memory of bygone years for some and new experience for others, it’s a unique day out for all.
If you want to, you can combine your day out with a visit to The Lakes Aquarium or continue your journey aboard a Windermere Steamer to Bowness or Ambleside. The trains welcome dogs and owners.
8. Explore an amazing garden of weird and wonderful trees.
I’m talking topiary at Holker Hall. Just off the A590 the house and gardens is the family home of Lord and Lady Cavendish. It is a delightful family home with fine displays of antique furniture and art.
You can tour the house without the restriction of ropes and barriers, and see the distinguished library, elegant drawing room, and ornate dining room. Climb the striking staircase and you can view portraits of Charles II, and Catherine of Braganza. You can visit the bedroom where Queen Mary stayed in 1937.
Children will be fascinated by the unique shaped trees as they complete a quiz (bought from the shop) of the garden. The café is very good. In the Summer they sometimes have the steam engine working in the court yard.
8. Why not take to the water in crafts of all shapes and sizes at Fell Foot and Coniston where there is a huge variety of watersports, from canoeing and sailing to windsurfing and diving,. From Woodside you can walk to lakeside and take the passenger ferry over to Fell Foot park or you can drive the few minutes there. Rowing boats are available at Fell Foot.
Kayaking on Lake Windermere is something rather special! Peace Quiet only the lap of the paddle can be heard.
£42 for a half-day session – including packed lunch and all equipment provided
Places are limited (8 per session) so please book.
The Aquarium of the Lakes is an ideal wet weather attraction and a short walk from Woodside . Aquarium with freshwater and marine life, featuring an underwater otter tunnel and stingrays.
Address: Rocky Bank Lakeside, Newby Bridge, Lakeside, Ulverston LA12 8AS
I must confess I love a wander around a castle. All that history. Even better that in the Southern Lakes we are near to 4 of the best castles in the Lake District!
First up, and about 45 mins away in the car,from Fell View and Woodside, is Muncaster Castle. Which is supposed to be Britain’s most haunted castle and their ticket entry Halloween Week events are coveted.
Muncaster Castle is a great day out with with the castle, gardens ,owl and hawk displays. There’s plenty to keep all the family happy.
There is a very busy events calendar:- haunted castle tours for Halloween, Christmas Tea, Muncaster Festival (running annually over May season) and Food & Drink Festivals, as well as tours.
Ticket prices to Muncaster Castle include access to 77 acres of woodland and gardens – the bluebell woods are popular in spring. For the more adventourous there’s an outdoor Adventure
My second choice is Sizergh Castle, about 15 mins from both of our cottages and owned by the National Trust.
Sizergh estate and garden walks are very popular. Sizergh Castle gardens include the National Trust’s largest limestone rock garden, wildflowers and water garden including two lakes, woodland walks, and follow the National Trust Wildlife Walk to enjoy the rich agricultural landscape of the Lyth Valley. Other popular walks include the The Sizergh Fell walk.
There’s a kitchen garden and greenhouse to explore and then you can enjoy a excellent food in the cafe.
For children there is an excellent play walk.
My third choice is Wray Castle . Managed by the National trust and on the banks of Lake Windermere. This castle is not old, as in built about 180 years ago by a surgeon and an heiress from Liverpool. The castle would only ever have to defend itself from the Cumbrian weather!
With all the furniture and artwork long gone and the last family moving out in the 1920s, the castle has had mixed uses and only opened to visitors in 2011.
The castle has church-like interiors and panoramic Lake District views. It is still a work in progress . As such it is great for families who have rooms to run and play in.
There is a fabulous walk down to the lake. (The video will give you a flavour of this fabulous castle and its wonderful setting!)
My final choice is Kendal Castle.
The castle is now a ruin and has been ever since the Tudor period, but it’s an intriguing place to explore. It was originally built in the 12th century for the barons of Kendal, and now the castle is home to some displays of fantastic medieval objects.
There are some wonderful views all around Kendal castle, so don’t miss out if you’re visiting. The most famous connections for this castle are the Parr family , Catherine Parr being Henry VIII’s, sixth wife!
There are many great days out that can be reached by boat on Windermere with Windermere Lake Cruises. Dogs on leads travel free on all boats, including the self-drive and rowing boats, and it turns out they even get a ticket of their own!
No Lake District holiday is complete without a lake cruise of some description, and with Windermere Lake Cruises you can enjoy a tour of the lake on one of its main ‘steamers’, Swan, Teal, or Tern, or travel on one of its smaller vessels to selected destinations. Dogs are welcome free of charge! 015394 43360, windermere-lakecruises.co.uk
View of Lake Windermere
The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
The southern tip of Windermere is home to the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, where you can take a ride on a steam locomotive, complete with 1950s carriages, as it makes its way along 3.5 miles of the former Furness Railway branch line. As Windermere Lake Cruises and the railway connect at Lakeside, consider buying a combined ticket to travel by both boat and rail – dogs travel free of charge on the railway too! 015395 31594, lakesiderailway.co.uk
Haverthwaite to Lakeside Steam Railway
3.Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Finsthwaite Across the road from Woodside Cottage
The only working bobbin mill left in the Lake District, English Heritage’s Stott Park Bobbin Mill gives you a great sense of the area’s industrial history.
Dogs on leads are welcome to explore the site along with their owners at Stott Park Bobbin Mill. Stott Park Bobbin Mill is an industrial museum which explains the process of bobbin making in the Lake District. Visitors can book a guided tour of the mill to see how a wooden bobbin is made.. There’s also a lovely walk nearby to High Dam, a man-made tarn which once fed the mill.
Stott Park Bobbin Mill
Grizedale Forest
The Forestry Commission’s Grizedale Forest is a great place to walk with your dog, and has several waymarked trails for all tastes and abilities. The forest is most famous for its outdoor sculptures, with around 40 artworks to be found along its network of pathways. Dogs are also welcome inside Grizedale’s café. 0300 067 4495, forestry.gov.uk/grizedale
Grizedale has everything for a great family day out. Located to the east of Coniston Water and to the south of Hawkshead (15 minutes for Woodside) Set in the heart of the Lake District National Park, Grizedale offers an unrivalled day out for everyone.
Sculpture trails, picnic areas, forest way marked trails, (Riddings Wood is push chair/wheel chair friendly) Gruffalo Trail , mountain bike trails, Mountain bike hire but book in advance!, excellent café/tearoom. Go Ape Tree Top Adventure, Zip Trekking Adventure Forest Segway,
Have fun in Grizedale !#
Grizedale Forest
5.Backbarrow Motor museum Address: Old Blue Mill, Backbarrow, Ulverston LA12 8TA
A nostalgic visit suitable for all ages, this museum is located in Backbarrow, on the site of the former Backbarrow Blue Mill – best known for manufacturing the washing additive, Dolly Blue. Well-behaved dogs are welcome throughout the exhibition areas free of charge, but do note that Café Ambio next door doesn’t accept dogs.
30,000 exhibits that trace the development of road transport throughout the twentieth century – cycles, motorbikes, motor cars and automobilia.
Housed in a converted mill in the heart of the Lake District, we’re minutes from Lake Windermere and offer joint tickets with Windermere Lake Cruises and other local attractions.
Much more than just a motor museum, our local history and period shopping displays, authentic recreations and picturesque riverside cafe makes it a great day out for the whole family.
Vintage cars at Backbarrow
OPEN 9:30am to 4:30pm every day except Christmas Day
The Lakeland Historic Car Club meet on the first Saturday of every month at the museum and Cafe Ambio. Everyone is welcome to attend whether you’re an owner, enthusiast or just keen to see some great examples of some classic local cars.
I just went to do some videoing of the river down at Backbarrow and whilst I was there I thought I would check out the The Lakeland Historic Car Club . They meet on the first Saturday of every month at the museum . Everyone is welcome to attend whether you’re an owner, enthusiast or just keen to see some great examples of some classic local cars. It starts at about 10am with loads of much loved cars and their owners turning up. Everyone is very willing to chat about their vehicle and even let you sit in on occasions.
Backbarrow Motor museum Address: Old Blue Mill, Backbarrow, Ulverston LA12 8TA
A nostalgic visit suitable for all ages, this museum is located in Backbarrow,only 2 miles from Woodside and 15 mins drive from Fell View, on the site of the former Backbarrow Blue Mill – best known for manufacturing the washing additive, Dolly Blue. Well-behaved dogs are welcome throughout the exhibition areas free of charge, but do note that Café Ambio next door doesn’t accept dogs.
Motor Museum, dogs are welcome
30,000 exhibits that trace the development of road transport throughout the twentieth century – cycles, motorbikes, motor cars and automobilia.
Housed in a converted mill in the heart of the Lake District, we’re minutes from Lake Windermere and offer joint tickets with Windermere Lake Cruises and other local attractions.
Much more than just a motor museum, their local history and period shopping displays, authentic recreations and picturesque riverside cafe makes it a great day out for the whole family.
OPEN 9:30am to 4:30pm
every day except Christmas Day
It is a mixture of woodland with good paths. The hill is easily seen from the A590 with its steep limestone cliffs.
The summit of Whitbarrow Scar is known as Lord’s Seat, and an anticlockwise walk to here from Witherslack, returning along the valley to the west, forms a chapter in The Outlying Fells of Lakeland by Alfred Wainwright. He describes it as “the most beautiful [walk] in this book; beautiful it is every step of the way. … All is fair to the eye on Whitbarrow.”[6]
The walk:
The small hamlet of Mill Side is the easiest place to start this walk. There is an informal layby just across the cattle grid from the A590 – signed Beck Head and Mill Side – where half-a-dozen cars may park.
A great trip out from Cartmel but in fact any destination in the Lake District at the moment is a trip to Ulverston.
Ulverston is not only a delightful market town with interesting shops and antique stores, but is also the home of a small, but perfectly formed and most informative museum! Ulverston is the home of the Laurel and Hardy Museum, which seeing at the film “Stan and Ollie” has just come out ( January 2019) I thought I would share this lovely town with you all.
First a little history about the duo. Laurel and Hardy were a comedy act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema. Stan Laurel was English (1890–1965) and Oliver Hardy American (1892–1957). They became well known during the late 1920s to the mid-1940s for their slapstick comedy. Laurel played the clumsy and childlike friend of the self- important Hardy. They are famous for their signature tune which was played over their film credits (The Dance of the Cuckoos”). their bowler hats!
Prior to emerging as a team, both actors had well-established film careers. Laurel had appeared in over 50 films as an actor (while also working as a writer and director), while Hardy had been in more than 250 productions. They didn’t become a comedy team until 1926 when they appeared in a movie short together, and they officially became a team in 1927 when they appeared together in the silent short film Putting Pants on Philip.
They appeared as a team in 107 films, starring in 32 short silent films, 40 short sound films, and 23 full-length feature films. They also made 12 guest or cameo appearances .
In 2005, they were voted the seventh-greatest comedy act of all time by a UK poll of fellow comedians.
The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is known as The Sons of the Desert and memorabilia of them and their work can be found in Ulverston.
Ulverston is the home of Stan Laurel and at the Roxy Cinema not only can you at the moment (January 2019) see the film, “Stan and Ollie” with John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan you can tour the delightful museum dedicated to the famous pair
Turn off the M6 at Junction 36, follow the A590 to Barrow in Furness, which will bring you to Ulverston. The easiest car park is situated on the roundabout at the entrance to the town. From the car park, we are a short walk up the cobbled street, past Gillam’s Tearoom, turn left at Costa Coffee onto Brogden Street. Their entrance is at the front of the Roxy Cinema, look out for the smiling Stan, as in the photo above!
Parking –
There is ample parking in Ulverston town centre with several Pay and Display car parks all within 5 minutes walk. Parking on the street is usually limited to 1 hour unless you have a parking permit (local residents only).
Admission Prices 2019
Adults: £5.00 Concession: £4.00 Children: £2.50 Family Ticket: £10.00 (Family Ticket consists of Two Adults and up to Three Children U16) Deluxe Ticket: £7.00 (Entry plus Hot or Cold Drink and muffin or bag of popcorn)
Annual Passes: Adult: £12.00 Concession: £10.00 Family: £25.00 Ulverston Walking Tour: £5.00 per person
Every Thursday during the School Summer Holidays
Join our experts for a guided tour of Ulverston as Stan would have remembered it. See his birthplace, the shop where Grandma bought him his Beers Treacle Toffee (a real treat!) and many other parts of our charming Market Town.
Opening Times
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Easter – Oct: 7 Days Per Week
Close Monday & Wednesday at all other times.
Christmas Opening Times: From 20th Dec to 3rd Jan,
Looking for quality accommodation in the English lake District? Look no further, check out www.lakesgetaways.co.uk
Child labour is hard to imagine in 21 Century Britain, but 100 years ago and certainly 150 years ago it was not uncommon. It was work or the work house! Many northern families had little choice but to end up working in a Bobbin Mill. One of the oldest surviving and working Bobbin Mills can be found in the sleepy hamlet of Low Stott Park, just north of Newby Bridge in the heart of the Lake District. This wonderful museum is just across the road from Woodside and so if you are staying at Woodside you really must go and explore this amazing site. The story of the Bobbin Mill is brought to life with tours and an exhibition. Visitors can also see the journey from tree to bobbin first hand during production on the original belt driven machinery. A hands-on family trail with dressing up for children helps visitors to imagine what it was like to work at the mill.
Silver winner in the Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Category at the Enjoy England Awards and Gold Winner at the Cumbria Tourism Awards.
Don’t Miss
Guided tours around the mill, start at 10.30am and repeated at half past the hour, every 60 minutes. Tours last for 45 mins.
See bobbins being made buy your own bobbin from the gift shop
The best time to visit is when the museum is having its steam days, this is when you truly get an idea of what it was like to work in the Bobbin Mill. The work was hard, long and
often boys from the work houses of Manchester and Liverpool were employed.
The young men and boys lived in the lodging house opposite the Bobbin Mill . They would rent rooms in the lodging house from the owners of the mill.
Today the lodging house is several cottages ….one of which is Woodside . Although small compared to other mills, some 250 men and boys worked to produce a quarter of a million bobbins a week!
The Motor museum at Backbarrow is a great family day out and ideal if the weather is not very good out side.
Who said it rains in the Lake district?
The museum is feast your eyes and has a unique collection of 30,000 exhibits, that includes 140 classic cars and motorbikes, all carefully assembled over 50 years.
It’s afew minutes drive or you can walk from Woodside as it is nestled in the scenic Leven Valley and open seven days a week, the Museum isn’t just about cars. The entire collection is presented in a social context, with a host of rarities to awaken some special motoring memories.
There’s something for everyone at the museum including:
in its own unique building, the Campbell Bluebird Exhibition. The is a wonderful tribute to the racing career of Sir Malcolm and Donald Campbell. Highlights include full sized replicas of the 1935 Blue Bird car, 1939 Blue Bird Boat K4 and 1967 jet hydroplane Bluebird K7.
Dogs accepted
