Day One
We started our adventure in Windermere with some food at Homeground Coffee + Kitchen. I had the best french toast of my life! They’re dog friendly, so Indy, our springer spaniel was happy too. After a little mooch around Windermere we headed out to a National Trust location called Tarn Hows.
Tarn Hows harbours a beautiful collection of trees with a lake at the heart of it. There is an short and easy walk around the lake, but we needed something to burn off some energy, so decided to walk to Black Crag. The circular hike covers 4.1 miles with an elevation gain of 921ft.
Once we got to the top of Black Crag, the views over Lake Windermere and Coniston Water were truly stunning. We were really lucky to have a clear day with views for miles and miles. We spent some time at the top taking in the view and eating some lunch.
After our hike, we were pretty hungry, so popped into Ulverston for a chippy. We parked up just outside Ulverston next to the beach, taking in the views of Morecambe Bay.
Then it was time to check into our cottage for the week. We stayed at La’al Riddings just south of Coniston Water, it’s on a working farm and perfectly placed to get to everywhere we needed. Our hosts had even made up welcome cookies and had left us dog biscuits for Indy too. Everything had been thought about, and even a little dedicated parking spot for the car too, so we were out the way of the farm vehicles.
Day Two
The next day we wanted to explore the west of the Lake District. So I picked for us to go to St. Bees, firstly the name sounded so pretty, and secondly I’d spotted there was a lighthouse within a reasonable walk, so off we went.
St. Bees has a huge beach, and parking area making it really easy to park up for the day and have a wander around. We headed up the coastal path aiming for St. Bees Lighthouse, which was about 2.5 miles away. There were a few old ruined stone built outpoints along the way.
The views from the cliff edges spectacular. There were a number of bird hides, but we didn’t seen many birds, it may have just been out of season. We passed through some fields with sheep in, so we made sure to keep Indy on the lead and keep our distance. One sheep even squared up to Indy and started following us, but once he realised we were just passing through, he soon simmered down.
We finally got to the lighthouse and there wasn’t a soul around. It was so peaceful. We ate our packed lunch near the Lighthouse, taking in the views. And as we started to double back on ourselves and take the route we cam on, we met a gentleman who was planning to continue walking form the coastal path to Newhaven and then get the train back to St. Bees. Sadly we hadn’t thought of this, and probably didn’t have enough time to do it all with the parking we’d allowed. But what a great idea, possibly one for another day.
On the way back to St. Bees we came off the coastal path down some rocks onto Fleswick Bay. We had the whole place to ourselves, it was heaven. The sand was black and the waves were crashing. It’s a RSPB nature reserve home to England’s only colony of black guillemots. Sadly we didn’t see any, but it was lovely to walk along it.
We got back in the car and made our way to Wastwater. Indy went for a swim, she didn’t want to get out and we spent a few hours having a walk around.
That evening the heavens opened, so we settled for tea in the cottage and an early night.
Day Three
It was a wet start to the morning, so we headed to Coniston Water for breakfast at Bluebird Cafe with a walk around the water’s edge.
Then onto Rydal Water, where we explored the caves too. The main cave was impressive, you could hop from stone to stone across the water to delve deeper, until you were in darkness. It was quite busy with people, so we ended up hiking up above the cave, to see the views over Rydal Water. You could even see as far as Helvellyn.
Our final stop of the day was Lodore Falls. The entrance from the road was very subtle, thankfully I’d pinned it on my phone so I knew where we were going. It’s right next to Lodore Falls Hotel and Spa. I wouldn’t say it was worth going out the way for, but Indy had a nice play in the stream. We went for a drink at the nearby restaurant hotel Mary Mount. Then back to our cottage for tea and sleep.
Day Four
It was due to be a rainy day, so we set out knowing we were going to be soaked, but we didn’t mind. We headed to Buttermere via some pretty scenic mountains, and parked up at a National Trust carpark on the edge of the village. We walked to Croft House Farm Café for breakfast. We were all soggy by this point, so it was nice to dry off and warm up in the café, the dog included.
The Buttermere trail was an easy 4.2 miles with great views all the way around. We scoffed millionaire shortbread half way, under some trees, despite the rain dripping from us. It turns out, it tastes just as good wet.
After completing Buttermere Walk, we decided to find Scale Force Waterfall. There wasn’t quite a clear path, but we managed to find our way there. We followed the stream up and then met a gentleman at the top and followed him back down. The route was boggy, like walking on a waterbed but thankfully nobody lost a shoe.
Day Five
As today was our last day, we decided to find something to do via the journey back to Shropshire. I’d had Malham Cove pinned on my Google maps for a while, so it seemed like the right time to visit. There was a great visitor centre near the carpark, and a cute cafe, The Old Barn Tearoom we had breakfast at.
The cove itself was impressive towering 80 ish metres high. We followed a path up the left hand side of the cove taking us to the top.
From the top you could walk along these carved out stones. It looked like a giant stone brain, but it’s the remnants of an ancient glacier. The rocks were carved out by the water and ice. I’d highly recommend a visit, but some bits were slippery and the gaps between rocks were a bit dangerous.
From Malham Cover, we walked a few miles to Gordale Scar Gorge. According to the signage, it was created by lots of small caves collapsing over millennia to create the deep gorge there today. There’s a small waterfall in the gorge too. Looking back the photos I took, it doesn’t give a sense of the huge scale. It was incredible impressive.
Sadly, at this point the sky opened and to say it rained, is an understatement. It poured it down. We continued our walk to Janet’s Foss, but due to the heavy rain, I didn’t manage to get any photos. We’ll just have to return at some point in the future.
Conclusion
All in all, we had a great time exploring the Lake District, and edging into the Yorkshire Dales. It did rain quite a bit, but we were prepared, and it kind of made it more fun, as it meant there were less people about. My idea of peace, is getting away from the crowds and enjoying nature in more of a solitary way.
Highlights for me were Tarn Hows, Buttermere and Malham Cove.
Thanks for reading, Ashley x