I have been to the Lake District many times, but never have I been this lucky with weather. Our three days in the region each dawned sunny and cloudless, yet still a bit cool. Perfect weather for hiking, which is what this region is all about. Mountains loomed into blue skies, green lakes offered endless reflections, bluebells cast a blue haze over meadow and forest.We chose Keswick, in the north of the district, as our base. Like many tourists, I'd previously stayed closer to Windermere, in the centre of the tourist hot spots. I will never do so again. Keswick, it turns out, is actually not so far from Windermere on the main road, yet feels a little bit less touristy. (Just a little, mind you. This whole region is about tourism; nowhere is "off the beaten track".) The surrounding landscape is bigger, bolder, wilder, with jaw-dropping views. Keswick itself is a lovely town with lots of restaurants and outdoor shops. A bit less picturesque than Windermere, Grasmere or Ambleside, but a town that actually gives you a sense that it serves at least a few locals in addition to the tourists. It's also connected by a major "A" road to the motorway, so very convenient for arriving and departing.
The B&B
Our B&B was a couple of miles past Keswick in the village of Braithwaite, and gets a high recommendation. Maple Bank is a large Victorian house with accommodation spread over two floors. The ground floor has a spacious lounge and dining room, both with truly spectacular views over valley and hills. There's a huge garden with a big deck in the back. Owners Rhona and Tommy took over just six months ago, are delightful hosts and are obviously lavishing care and investment on the place. Paintwork, wallpaper, linens and curtains are all obviously new. Breakfast was suitably hearty for a day's hiking, and the village had three pubs serving dinner within walking distance. Dogs are welcome for a small additional fee, and the rates for people are very reasonable. We paid £25 per person per night as part of a mid-week special, a price that had me expecting something far more humble. Maple Bank is super value for money and becomes my top B&B pick for the area.
The Sights
Neither words nor pictures will properly capture the drama and spectacle of our hike in the hills above Buttermere. The walk, which has one steep climb and covers about seven miles, was graded "easy" in a local tourism magazine. That's more than a bit of understatement, unless you consider climbing 12 stories a doddle. But with rests along the ascent, it's manageable for anyone
reasonably fit.
The walk starts in a beautiful wood above the village of Buttermere, where you need to step carefully as you follow a follow a forest path on the edge of a ridge above a merrily babbling brook. After about half a mile you clear the woods to see the daunting slope of a very large hill before you. Should you need any encouragement, all you need to do is turn around every 50 steps or so and take in the views, which get ever more dramatic as you near the top. The summit gives you a remarkable view of two lakes, Buttermere and Crummock Water, ringed by low mountains. From the summit, we cut across a grassy alpine meadow and then started a more gradual descent between looming hills, accompanied by another babbling brook. It's near the bottom, only in May, that you encounter one of the most spectacular sights in England: The Rannadale bluebells. The flowers cover the valley floor, casting a pale blue haze over the whole scene in gorgeous contrast to the vivid greens of the turf and trees and the deeper blue of the sky. The path eventually comes out on Crummock Water, then it's a mile along the road back to Buttermere. Where, thankfully, there was not only a pub with hearty ploughman's platter, but a farm famous for selling home made ice cream from the Ayrshires we'd just walked past.
A less strenuous but equally pleasant day took us to Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's farm. Like many homes of famous writers, its fascinating for the insight it gives into the author and her creative process. Throughout the house you'll find copies of her books open to illustrations that took inspiration from something within your line of sight. The guides throughout the house are all passionate about their posts and happy to share fascinating stories. From one of the small sitting rooms upstairs, a guide will point out the house on the other side of the village ... perhaps 200 yards away ... where Potter moved after she married in her mid 40s. She maintained Hill Top as her private domain, however, and continued to work here until her death. Anyone who's seen the film Miss Potter will find the visit even more poignant.
In addition to revolutionising children's literature, Potter was instrumental in preservation of Lakeland farms the establishment of the National Trust. Much of the land around Hill Top is now owned by the Trust thanks to Potter's donation. It's lovely hiking country of a different sort to the hills around Buttermere; gentle, lush, wooded. There's a lovely 2.5 mile walk through the village of Sawrey down to the Windermere lakeside, where there's a ferry in good weather.
We also made the obligatory stop in Grasmere to visit the Wordsworth Graves and Sarah Nelson's gingerbread shop, practically a sacred obligation in this region.
Dining
Braithwaite is generously served by its pubs. We sampled two of the three, and both rank highly for traditional English fare. The Middle Ruddings, closest to the B&B, prides itself on its local ingredients and has a menu that lists the provenance of its meats, vegetables and cheeses. I opted for sausage and mash with onion gravy followed by sticky toffee pudding. Hardly weight watchers friendly, but a perfect meal after an active day.
Slightly less impressive food but marginally better atmosphere is to be found at the Coledale Inn, which benefits from an impressive hilltop location above the village. The dining rooms have a grand Victorian elegance to them, the crowd is convivial and the staff delivers excellent service. Stake and ale pie emerged from the kitchen flavourful and piping hot; profiteroles delivered the sweet comfort needed after a day of exertion. Matched with several pints, a perfect end to a perfect day.
Our B&B was a couple of miles past Keswick in the village of Braithwaite, and gets a high recommendation. Maple Bank is a large Victorian house with accommodation spread over two floors. The ground floor has a spacious lounge and dining room, both with truly spectacular views over valley and hills. There's a huge garden with a big deck in the back. Owners Rhona and Tommy took over just six months ago, are delightful hosts and are obviously lavishing care and investment on the place. Paintwork, wallpaper, linens and curtains are all obviously new. Breakfast was suitably hearty for a day's hiking, and the village had three pubs serving dinner within walking distance. Dogs are welcome for a small additional fee, and the rates for people are very reasonable. We paid £25 per person per night as part of a mid-week special, a price that had me expecting something far more humble. Maple Bank is super value for money and becomes my top B&B pick for the area.The Sights
Neither words nor pictures will properly capture the drama and spectacle of our hike in the hills above Buttermere. The walk, which has one steep climb and covers about seven miles, was graded "easy" in a local tourism magazine. That's more than a bit of understatement, unless you consider climbing 12 stories a doddle. But with rests along the ascent, it's manageable for anyone
reasonably fit.
The walk starts in a beautiful wood above the village of Buttermere, where you need to step carefully as you follow a follow a forest path on the edge of a ridge above a merrily babbling brook. After about half a mile you clear the woods to see the daunting slope of a very large hill before you. Should you need any encouragement, all you need to do is turn around every 50 steps or so and take in the views, which get ever more dramatic as you near the top. The summit gives you a remarkable view of two lakes, Buttermere and Crummock Water, ringed by low mountains. From the summit, we cut across a grassy alpine meadow and then started a more gradual descent between looming hills, accompanied by another babbling brook. It's near the bottom, only in May, that you encounter one of the most spectacular sights in England: The Rannadale bluebells. The flowers cover the valley floor, casting a pale blue haze over the whole scene in gorgeous contrast to the vivid greens of the turf and trees and the deeper blue of the sky. The path eventually comes out on Crummock Water, then it's a mile along the road back to Buttermere. Where, thankfully, there was not only a pub with hearty ploughman's platter, but a farm famous for selling home made ice cream from the Ayrshires we'd just walked past.
A less strenuous but equally pleasant day took us to Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's farm. Like many homes of famous writers, its fascinating for the insight it gives into the author and her creative process. Throughout the house you'll find copies of her books open to illustrations that took inspiration from something within your line of sight. The guides throughout the house are all passionate about their posts and happy to share fascinating stories. From one of the small sitting rooms upstairs, a guide will point out the house on the other side of the village ... perhaps 200 yards away ... where Potter moved after she married in her mid 40s. She maintained Hill Top as her private domain, however, and continued to work here until her death. Anyone who's seen the film Miss Potter will find the visit even more poignant.
In addition to revolutionising children's literature, Potter was instrumental in preservation of Lakeland farms the establishment of the National Trust. Much of the land around Hill Top is now owned by the Trust thanks to Potter's donation. It's lovely hiking country of a different sort to the hills around Buttermere; gentle, lush, wooded. There's a lovely 2.5 mile walk through the village of Sawrey down to the Windermere lakeside, where there's a ferry in good weather.
We also made the obligatory stop in Grasmere to visit the Wordsworth Graves and Sarah Nelson's gingerbread shop, practically a sacred obligation in this region.
Dining
Braithwaite is generously served by its pubs. We sampled two of the three, and both rank highly for traditional English fare. The Middle Ruddings, closest to the B&B, prides itself on its local ingredients and has a menu that lists the provenance of its meats, vegetables and cheeses. I opted for sausage and mash with onion gravy followed by sticky toffee pudding. Hardly weight watchers friendly, but a perfect meal after an active day.
Slightly less impressive food but marginally better atmosphere is to be found at the Coledale Inn, which benefits from an impressive hilltop location above the village. The dining rooms have a grand Victorian elegance to them, the crowd is convivial and the staff delivers excellent service. Stake and ale pie emerged from the kitchen flavourful and piping hot; profiteroles delivered the sweet comfort needed after a day of exertion. Matched with several pints, a perfect end to a perfect day.
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