Love the Lakes ! Fresh Air, Scenery, Activity & Dog Friendly !

As a child myself, I spent holidays in Cornwall, Wales, the Lake District and Scotland, with great memories. Now as a parent myself over the years we have done many of our own UK family holidays, however never got as far as the Lake District, so I really wanted to make sure that my own children, (aged 14 and 9 years old) had the opportunity to experience more of the beautiful country we live in. The appreciation of what we have on our doorstep is so important (bearing in mind I want to show them the world!) So, with a desire for open space, fresh air, activity and great walks with our dog, off we went for our family holiday in August this year. We stayed directly on Lake Windermere in a 2 bedroom pet-friendly lodge with the added bonus of our own hot tub! You can sit in a hot tub, whatever the weather, and even going in August we were under no illusion of guaranteed sunshine, although we were very lucky and most of the week was beautiful sunshine!

We were located directly on Lake Windermere between Troutbeck and Ambleside, very close to the Brockhole Visitor Centre. We had access to onsite facilities such as an indoor pool, restaurant, bar and small shop. This was a great base for a family, the short walk to Brockhole Visitor Centre was excellent and offered an array of things to do, great to keep those little people active or in our case (not so little anymore). Brockhole House with its gardens are set in a beautiful location, offering a Treetop Trek, Treetop Nets, Archery, Adventure Playground, Woodland walks and much more. On the edge of the Lake you can pick up Windermere Lake Cruises and further around the lake we tested out the water sports. Kayaking off into the lake was a great adventure, getting each other very wet and getting excited when a larger boat passed as it created some waves to master – very funny memories made! Top tip: the roads can get very busy around the Lakes in peak season so do allow plenty of time.

We visited Ullswater Lake, not only a stunning drive up and over Kingstone Pass to reach here but some great spots on this lake to take a swim, both kids and the dog loved it! Ambleside (about 10 mins ways from us) and Grasmere (about 20 mins) are both lovely, great for a wider choice of shops, cafes, restaurants. Definitely pay a visit to Baldry’s Tearooms in Grasmere, the best Lemon Meringue Pie we have ever had!

Bowness and Ambleside both offer boat hire, we hired our boat for a few hours from Bowness. Another great day, armed with a pack lunch, lifejackets and a small crazy dog who now loved water and swimming (We managed to keep him in the boat!) we explored and checked out beautiful scenery, not forgetting stunning properties located along the edge of the lake, very relaxing and interesting.

Not happy with all these water activities, we also managed to go horse riding and take in some great walks with the dog. With our last day spent on the other side of the lake, east of Coniston Water in Grizedale forest, here we all completed the Go Ape Treetop Challenge – a few wobbly, high up and hilarious moments, great fun though and more family memories made!

We truly only scratched the surface of this stunning part of the country. With something to suit everyone, from families with children of all ages to adults travelling solo, couples or groups, and things to do no matter how fit or unfit you are!

You can experience all the scenery and activities from whichever kind of base you prefer, whether it be a self-catering lodge, cottage, B&B, luxury hotel, there is so much choice. Also lots that are dog friendly too. In fact, even though you'd expect it to be a dog friendly area, I was nicely surprised to see how much accommodation advertised this and the number of cafes, shops etc that love to accommodate both you and your four-legged furry friend should you have one with you!

So, whether this is a short break, your main holiday or a stop on route somewhere else, please get in touch to find out more and let me help you plan your experience of the Lakes – we will most definitely be going back again!