What We Squeezed into a One Week Break in The Lake District

When we first visited The Lake District four years ago, we all fell in love with the area. With its rolling hills, beautiful vast lakes, stunning countryside, incredible views and peaceful atmosphere, it was the perfect holiday destination for us outdoorsy, nature lovers. Back then, we went for ten days and saw and did so much that I wondered if we could squeeze enough into a week. Of course we could, this is us: we decide, we plan and we make sure to pack it all in. Yes, by the end of it we were utterly exhausted, but in a good way – it was all worth it, and amazing memories have most definitely been made. Here is all we got up to…

Saturday – Day One

We arrived at our holiday home in Broughton-in-Furness on the Friday evening so we could make the most of our time off. This meant we could get settled, unpack, take in our food delivery and get a good night’s sleep, so we were all ready to go first thing.

First on our itinerary was to hike up to Stanley Ghyll Force. Set in Eskdale, this 60ft waterfall is hidden within a beautiful forest surrounded by rockery, greenery and countryside. We parked nearby in the Trough House Bridge car park (free) and set off on foot to find the trail up to the falls. It was quite easy to find, but it is an uphill climb with rocky steps and slippery surfaces so do bear this in mind if you choose to visit (there is no accessible path). I would ensure that you wear good walking boots, take hiking poles if you have them and plenty of water and snacks/lunch.

The whole hike is simply beautiful, make sure you take the time to stop and look up and around at your surroundings plus there are lots of great points for photo opportunities such as the bridges and mini falls found on the journey up. We made it to the top in around 45 minutes and even though we were all a bit breathless, it was really worth it. The waterfall was stunning as was the view. We stopped at the top and had lunch perched on a fallen tree.

My husband had read that there was another way down but we couldn’t find this route so we went down the way we came up which was much easier and faster this time. I have to say, I’m glad we went early because as we descended, a lot more people and larger groups were hiking up, maybe something to consider for when you visit.

On our drive back, we stopped off to look at the Hardknott Roman Fort located on the west side of Hardknott Pass. There are limited parking spaces (free) dotted along the road, so you may have to wait and time it well during busy periods. We parked about halfway up and took a wander up over the hill until we came to the stony ruins. It is quite remarkable to think that these have survived since the second century, during Hadrian’s reign, and they are still here today for us to view. The children loved seeing these ruins and imagining what action was seen up here back in the day.

We then sat looking across the valley to enjoy the views with a cup of tea and snacks (top tip: always take a flask!) And then we headed back to our holiday home to jump into the hot tub – ideal for achy legs after lots of walking!

Sunday – Day Two

We booked a rowboat hire on Coniston Water for an hour in the morning. There are plenty of options for boat hire around many of the bodies of water in The Lake District, during our last visit we hired an electric boat on Lake Windermere which you can read about here. We were really lucky with the weather, the wind was low, the sun was out and the sky was clear, making the experience lovely and relaxing. The views of the hills in the distance looked like something straight out of a postcard.

Once our time was up, we settled down on the beach area to enjoy our picnic and were expecting to take our paddleboard out on the lake but the wind started to get up which created waves and tricky conditions on the water, plus it became quite chilly so we opted for plan B (my husband always has lots of alternative plans up his sleeve!) We took another hike – yep, we do love to walk! We chose the Yewdale Valley Walk from Coniston Water which took us up Guards Plantation, along Yewdale Beck and back down via Whins Wood to Coniston (if you wanted to go even further, this walk does take you all the way up to Tarn Hows, which is another amazing place to visit). The walk we did was really nice and easy-going, with lots of watery stops available for cooling down, perfect for families.

Monday – Day Three

So, the weather for May really took a big turn and we ended up having a huge heatwave which meant we had to change our plans around quite a bit because overbearing heat plus long hikes and a little black dog, do not mix. So, we did the most sensible thing and headed to the beach. Last time we visited we went to Drigg Beach which was absolutely stunning so we chose a similar beach nearby called Silecroft. Parking is by donation, there are toilets plus a cafe which is all always a bonus. On top of this, the beach is around 3 miles long, and when the tide is out, it is covered in gorgeous golden sand, making it a great spot for active families without being on top of others.

With the tide having gone out, the kids could play in the pools left behind, which were nice and warm. There was plenty of space for beach games and the sea was so calm that the paddleboard just had to come out at last.

Tuesday – Day Four

After all that exercise and excitement, it was time for a chilled morning in our lovely holiday home. We got so lucky with this considering we booked very last minute. Set on farmland, away from the road, basically in the middle of nowhere, this converted barn has 4 bedrooms, plenty of en suites, a large living room, an annexe, a large kitchen with a seating area with the best views, a dining room, garden and the hot tub. This has to be one of THE MOST relaxing places I have ever stayed at.

After lunch, we ventured out to Elterwater, a cute little village with a wonderful walk to Elter Water (the smallest of the lakes in The Lake District). Parking next to the walk was full and if you park in certain zones you will get a parking ticket so don’t be tempted to park up anywhere and go. We managed to find a car park slightly further out which was empty. It was a bit further to walk but it was cheap. The walk starts alongside a river with a manmade, wide path to walk along. You just follow this until you come to a gateway that leads out to the lake. The nice weather was still upon us so the boys went for a quick dip in the water in their clothes – yep, we forgot the swimwear, oops.

After which we followed the pathway to take in more of the views and beautiful greenery and stopped to take a look at Skelwith Force, another lovely waterfall. We then continued on to a cafe for cake and a cuppa before heading back.

Wednesday- Day Five

This was one of my favourite days of our whole trip – climbing up to a mountain lake in Langdale. Stickle Tarn is a natural lake found nestled below Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark and accessed via the steep Stickle Ghyll trail. This was a tough trail to take on, especially on a very warm day but the views and the destination are so worth it. I have written about this day in full detail in another blog post so if you’d like to know more about climbing Stickle Tarn you can do so here.

Thursday – Day Six

And onto my favourite day, a walk along and dip in the River Duddon. We parked up at Birks Bridge car park (free) and followed the river to Birks Bridge, a stunning an 18th-century, Grade II listed stone packhorse bridge with crystal clear waters running below. As we peered down, I had to remind myself that we were still in England!

We set up on a tree stump and grass to have a picnic before the boys all decided to brave the almost icy water! After a very quick dip, they dried off and we headed further down the trail to do some more exploring. We wandered through a wooded area, where we could hear Cuckoos calling overhead. We passed a large rock formation which was just staggering to see.

We clambered over a fence and down a narrow walkway towards the water where we unexpectantly found a very dry and emaciated frog which after having some water poured over him, surprised us all by coming to life! I carefully carried him down the hill to a pool of freshwater where he swam about and could fully recuperate (well, I like to think he did). Here we found ourselves in our own little oasis with the river running fast, the rocks creating little waterfalls and what looked like a whirlpool. This was a lovely spot in which to paddle and take in more of the beautiful scenery that The Lake District has to offer.

We continued our walk by following the pathway which eventually brought us out to another bridge and a good place for a swim, although a large group were already there and seemed a tad put out when they saw us so we decided to move on a bit further down. However, this became a little too overgrown, boggy and narrow for our liking so we made the decision to head back to Birks Bridge for another dip… But then we got lost! Yeah, we somehow walked too far up, ended up in a wooded area with a very boggy ground which resulted in a couple of muddy and wet shoes! We attempted to find a different route through a field but quickly realised we were penned in by fences so we had no choice but to turn back and find our original pathway. It’s easily done when our trekking in a location like the Lakes and we had a good laugh at our mishaps that happened along the way. Once we found our way back to “Cuckoo Wood” (as I called it) we were all relieved that from here we knew the way back. I was also relieved to see that our spot from earlier was free for us to set up our stuff, get changed into our swimwear so we could head down to the river. It. Was. Bliss. Cold, but bliss, especially on our swollen feet from all that hiking.

This was one of the most amazing places I have swum (another being the above Stickle Tarn). The rocks, the clear water, the narrowing under the bridge down to the waterfall. It felt like a whole different world. I am so glad it wasn’t touristy; I wonder if it’s a bit too out in the middle of nowhere for many? Making it ideal for those who love a hidden gem and some time away from crowds. I would definitely visit this area again if we return. If? Who am I kidding? When, when we return.

Friday- Day Seven

And suddenly it was the final day. We had already squeezed so much into our week that we had a hard job trying to decide what to do on this day. However, our holiday home overlooked a large hill and from day one, the kids had said they wanted to walk up it and as the day was cooler, we thought it was the perfect way to finish off our trip. I believe the hill is called The Knott and then we ventured higher to Raven’s Crag. The views from up there were spectacular.

We headed back down for lunch at the house and then chose to visit Lake Windermere for our last outing. I loved this lake so much on our first visit but we only really took the boat out on it so I wanted to explore a little more. We parked at Red Nab Car Park (free) and took a little stroll to Wray Castle where we grabbed a cuppa and snack before walking back. It was nice to end the week in a more gentle way and to see this huge lake once more.

Just as before, The Lake District stole my heart and I was left wishing we had a whole month there to squeeze even more in. It is just such a wonderful area of the UK and we are so lucky to have it. I cannot wait to go back!

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