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.
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
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.
Holker Hall owned by the Cavendish Family, is a few minutes from both of our cottages and has lovely gardens and tearoom. It is set in 18.800 acres so there’s plenty of room to run around! It is a few minutes from Grange over sands and Cartmel on the stunningly beautiful Cartmel peninsula.
They have some great events happening over the next few months .This is just taste of what’s happening!
Over the Summer in the Lake District, they hold the most fabulous shows and these shows are not to be missed! What’s available to see on the day can range from food stalls to Michelin chefs giving a talk ( Cartmel) from Cumberland & Westmorland wrestling competitions to flower displays, from vintage tractors and machinery to hounds, terrier racing and dog agility. These family-friendly events are a great way to experience the traditions that have shaped the Lake District and there’s lots of things for children to enjoy at the shows, from bouncy castles to face-painting .
I’m sure you get the picture! Everything you can think of connected with Lake District life is on display, which is why they make for a really good day out and one not to be missed.
This list is just a few of the many shows that can be enjoyed over the next few months. The video is of Hawkshead Village
One of the most peaceful places to visit in the English Lake District is Cartmel’s Medieval priory.
Worship has been at the very heart of Priory life for centuries. Throughout history, people from all around the world have made pilgrimages to the Priory for prayer and worship, each with their own stories to tell. If you look close enough, marks and notches can be found where pilgrims have left their mark for others to discover.
Exploring the Priory will uncover myths, legends and tales of the past, housed in the impressive building that stood all those years ago. If you want to find out more about the centuries of history and heritage that this church is built on, take a look at their History and Architecture pages.
The Priory is open to everyone, and welcomes people from all walks of life
The Priory Church of St. Mary
and St. Michael,
Cartmel, Cumbria,
LA11 6QD
A lovely place to visit in the Summer is Beatrix Potter’s 17th-century farmhouse which is a time-capsule of her life.
Her house is called Hill Top and it is a few minutes from Woodside and a very pleasant drive through woodland lanes. It’s at Near Sawrey, Hawkshead, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LF . Although it is open most of the the Summer months , from September it is closed on Fridays
You can enjoy the story of Beatrix Potter and her life,by visiting Hill Top. It is full of her favourite things, and the house appears as if Beatrix had just stepped out for a walk! Every room contains a reference to a picture in a ‘tale’.
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 to avoid overcrowding and to protect the interior. 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..
One of the most interesting antique shops to visit in The lake District can be found at Yew Tree Barn near High Newton not far from Newby Bridge.
It is an reclamation yard and if you’re like me you just never know what you can find. It’s great for a browse around, they have a superb tearoom and at Christmas there is a brilliant craft market!
Christmas Market (30 November, 1 & 2 December 2018)
30th November, 1st & 2nd December 2018 10am – 4.30pm The annual Christmas Market, the must visit festive event in the South Lakes takes place December 2018.
Friday Evenings in Harry’s Cafe Bar. Harry’s Cafe Bar will be open in the evenings.
ue to popular demand we opening Harry’s CafeBar in the evenings. Please give us a call to reserve your table!
FRIDAY EVENINGS IN HARRY’S CAFEBAR
Through the year Harry’s CafeBar is open in the evenings, first Friday of the month, bookings advisable.
Now taking bookings for Friday 18 May 2018
This is what one of our Friday nighters posted on Tripadvisor after dining in Harry’s CafeBar…..
‘Harry’s Cafe operates during daylight hours as a cafe, but over the spring/summer months opens once a week on Friday evening for dinner. The furniture is all reclaimed, quirky, different, and generally all for sale. During the day it can be pretty busy as it is a very popular place, but the staff do an amazing job of seating you quickly, making everyone feel welcome, and checking you are happy. The food is tasty, the coffee good, and the cake portions hearty. On an evening, you are warmly welcomed, talked through the specials, and left to take in the cosy, intimate feel of the place whilst making your mind up. The food is delicious, especially the vegetarian options, which are a welcome variation from the usual cheese and pasta based affairs of less imaginative places. The wine list is excellent and would strongly recommend the quaffable Sangiovese. My only comment would be that the portions were so generous that I was left with little room for a dessert. The main meal could have easily been half the size and I would have remained over the moon on the presentation and taste. We will definitely be making this a place to regularly visit for coffee and cake, as well as pay day date nights during the summer!’
Dinner Evening Friday 18 May 2018
serving from 6.00pm
Tempura king prawns served with a fresh lime, coriander and chilli sauce on cherry tomato & cucumber salad £6.95
Trio of lamb & apricot meatballs served with a spicy tomato & cumin sauce finished with fresh mint yoghurt dressing £6.95
Blue cheese and creamy mushroom potato cake served on crispy salad with garlic & herb aioli £5.75
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Slow cooked lamb shank on spring onion mash served with a fresh mint and cranberry gravy £16.25
Grilled plaice fillet with lemon, crayfish & pine nut butter served on wilted baby spinach, cooked in garlic & finished with white wine £14.95
Pan fried pork fillet served on black pudding and mustard mash finished with caramelised apple & cider sauce £14.75
Wild mushroom, fennel and leek pie served with creamy leek sauce and sweet potato wedges £13.25
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Cheese board served with celery & apple, homemade biscuits and chutney £7.25 (add a glass of Port (£4.00)
Fresh fruit roulade served with raspberry coulis and chantilly cream £5.50
Bailey’s chocolate cheesecake served with ice cream £5.50
Ice creams (Handmade Ice cream co) £4.50
Dinner Evenings
18 May – 1 June
6 July – 3 August – 7 September – 5 October
(Why not use the X6 bus service, it stops outside YTB, so you can enjoy a drink?) Please ring to book your places in Harry’s Cafébar asap 015395 31498
This extensive working mill produced literally millions of wooden bobbins vital to the Lancashire spinning and weaving industries in its hey day.Having been one of many it is now, the only working bobbin mill left in the Lake District today.
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.
Although small compared to other mills, some 250 men and boys (some drafted in from workhouses) worked here over the years in often arduous conditions to produce a quarter of a million bobbins a week. Woodside and the neighbouring cottages were where the men and boys lived. They would rent rooms in Woodside and Fern Cottage and would be paid a very small wage,which the owner’s of the mill expected to be spent in their shop in Finsthwaite. This effectively meant there was little chance of leaving the Bobbin Mill to work elsewhere. The last owner of Woodside had worked at the bobbin mill , man and boy, as too had his father and grand father before him!
It was a very hard life.
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.
Steam Weekends throughout the summer (see events for more information)
See bobbins being made buy your own bobbin from the gift shop
ice creams can be bought from the shop.
Woodside for Quality accommodation in the English lake District
Not far from Newby Bridge is the Motor Museum at Backbarrow (which you can walk to through the lanes from Woodside,) It’ s a great afternoon out. When I went I didn’t think I would find it that interesting, however I was so wrong!!!
There are so many fantastic cars to see, even if you’re not a car enthusiast. You just can’t help but enjoy this museum.
And when you fancy a cuppa or lunch, you can just go next door to Cafe Ambio for some great food. Their coronation chicken sandwiches are my favourite.
And yes! dogs are welcome in the museum and on the terrace at the cafe.
https://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/
Travel Tip created by Brian and Alison Smith in association with Vacation Soup
