Lake District hotels
One of the most beautiful regions in England, the Lake District continues to attract visitors from all over the world, with a wide range of accommodation, attractions and facilities.
My first introduction to the Lake District, more than twenty years ago, left impressions which must be all too familiar to summer visitors. Mist and rain drifted over fell and dale, reputedly spectacular views were near at hand but infuriatingly were glimpsed only imperfectly, promis¬ing walks were curtailed and the wet slate towns of Keswick and Ambleside became well known.
Things to do in the Lake District
But the special attractions of the district had clearly ensnared me, for later in the 1960s I was back, much more regularly now, based at a cottage in the far western fells and exploring the largely unfrequented country between Ennerdale and Wasdale. The list of unlikely ascents included Lank Rigg and Grike, Herdus and Haycock this one, together with Pillar, conquered on a raw December day in driving snow yet providing a marvellously exhilarating walk. These were the days, too, of hound trails and Cumberland hotpot on New Year's Day, of Egremont crab fair in the autumn, and of leisurely evenings and early mornings in Ennerdale Bridge and Calder Bridge.
Leisure breaks in the Lake District
The Lake District has evolved since those early days, and you can now spend a wonderful weekend in a boutique hotel near Windermere, make the most of the numerous campsites or take advantage of a range of luxury hotels in Bowness and Ambleside.
This was also the time of my first acquaintance with Blencathra, the mountain that was to become my personal favourite. First impressions were once again deceptive: we missed the path to Scales Tarn and later found ourselves, ill equipped, kicking steps in the snow up a steep gully onto Sharp Edge.
The ascent, thankfully, was abandoned but the magic of the mountain had struck a chord and I was to return on countless occasions, becoming familiar not only with Sharp Edge and Foule Crag but also with Hall's Fell and Doddick Fell and, at a lower level, Gategill and the excellent approach from Mungrisdale, that most delectable of Cumbrian hamlets.
Still more surprises were in store in the 1980s when, with a young family in tow, I discovered the lower fells. High Rigg is an outstanding example; a mere pimple to peak baggers, it offers a wonderfully varied walk with grassy paths and little rocky turrets, and has as fine a view as many more exalted fells, with Blencathra and Skiddaw, the craggy north-western outliers of the Helvellyn range and the attractively grouped north-western fells all displayed to advantage.
The Roman Roads in the Lake District
Many more facets of lower level Lakeland took on greater significance, too, and increasingly I became fascinated by the rich archaeological and historical heritage of the area. I explored stone circles and standing stones, revelling in the extraordinary air of mystery surrounding Swinside and Moor Divock. I puzzled over the routes of Roman roads and confessed bafflement at the supposed 'thingmount' in Little Langdale.
I explored pele towers, castles, statesman farmhouses and above all the surviving medieval fragments of the monks' short¬ lived supremacy. And all the time the Lake District remained tantalisingly capable of new surprises and new delights. No one will ever be able to say they know it completely.
The Western Lake District and places to visit
My early introduction to the western Lake District was invaluable. More than anything else it impressed on me the scope for escape from the inevitably crowded honeypots to quieter spots where spectacular surroundings, the natural history of the area or more intimate facets of the landscape could be enjoyed more peacefully and at leisure.
Wonderful walks, for example in Back 0' Skidda' country, meeting only one other walker in a whole day; visits to historical or industrial monuments such as the Roman forts, the mills at Caldbeck or the abbey ruins or dale chapels; nature strolls in Johnny Wood or on Claife Heights or Whitbarrow Scar; all these and more spring to memory as special days spent far from the madding crowd.
The result is that although in times of exile from the Lake District my mind's eye may well conjure up classic images such as that of early morning Wasdale, with the shimmering but still vaguely threatening expanse of Wastwater a magical foreground for the misty ring of outstanding mountains at its head, or the deeply eroded southern face of Blencathra, with the irresistible challenges of its rocky ridges and deeply riven gullies, it also ranges widely over a remarkable diversity of experiences freely available to Lakeland visitors.
Days on Hallin Fell or Mellbreak can provide as much pleasure as more demanding expeditions around the head of Eskdale or on the Helvellyn edges; the spinning galleries of Hartsop and the pele towers of the Lake District fringes rival more celebrated venues such as Lowther Castle, Hill Top Farm or Dove Cottage. And, as succeeding chapters of this book make clear, even this menu of widely varying attractions does scant justice to the outstanding qualities of the Lake District, truly the jewel in England's crown.
Windermere places to go in the lakes
The perfect location, the exact spot from which to take in the essence of the Lake District: many will have an idea for such a viewpoint. For some it will be Orrest Head above Windermere, with the Langdale Pikes prominent in the westerly view. Others will quote Skiddaw Little Man, that outstanding belvedere for the high fells beyond Derwentwater; still others will opt for the prospect of the tremendous group of mountains at Wasdale Head, or perhaps Helvellyn and Striding Edge from the slopes of Place Fell, across the head ofUllswater and the Patterdale valley.
Sadly, none of these will do. Neither, despite its quite superb all¬round panorama, will the viewpoint I have chosen to illustrate some of the distinctive features of the Lake District. For the simple truth’s that no one viewpoint can represent the greatest single asset of the region, namely the immense variety of scenery both between and within the dales.
Nevertheless, we have to begin somewhere, and though my choice of starting point, Dale Head in the north-western fells, may surprise some, the quality of the prospect from its splendid cairn will surely enchant many more. The best approach is from Newlands, either up the dale or along one of the flanking ridges, but let us assume that we have taken the shorter and easier path from Honister, arriving at the top of Dale Head with time to spare.
There is plenty to see, for this is one of the most revealing viewpoints in the Lake District, as well as one of the most exciting. The highest point is marked by a shapely and attractive cairn and is superbly situated at the head of the Newlands valley, with panoramic views of the main mountain groups.
The spectacular downfall into Newlands leads the eye along the mine road threading its way down the dale (a hint of the area's remarkable industrial past, with mines below Scope End, at Castle Nook and on the higher slopes of Dale Head itself) past the little wooded hill of Swinside to the tremendous bulk of Skiddaw, flanked by buttressing fells such as Ullock Pike and Lonscale Fell.
Things to see in the Lake District
These gently rounded fells are characteristic of Skiddaw Slate country, though the east side of Newlands, with Eel Crags dropping abruptly below the summit of High Spy, serves as a pertinent reminder that there are also outbreaks of naked rock in these apparently gentle northern fells. Bassenthwaite Lake is glimpsed to the left of Skiddaw, while to the right is Carrock Fell, its summit crowned by an Iron Age hillfort.
The south face of Blencathra, silhouetted above Eel Crags, is a further indication that this is a landscape of infinite variety: the broad flanks of the fell contrast starkly with the dramatically narrow central ridges and deep gullies, and above it all there is a fine summit perched at the edge of the abyss.
To the east, beyond the wellwooded glacial trench of Borrowdale (it's a pity that so little of this delectable and varied dale can be seen), the long serrated skyline of the Helvellyn massif can be seen in its entirety, with half a dozen northerly summits culminating in the celebrated and immensely popular top of Helvellyn itself, directly to the east of Dale Head. Between Helvellyn and Fairfield the highest point of the Lake District's most easterly ridge, High Street, can just be glimpsed.
Though far from the centre of things this is a fine mountain and an historic one, too, with a Roman road travelling along its crest and after being neglected for decades by fell walkers it has now come into its own, as witness the often congested car park at Mardale Head. The sight of the col at Greenup Edge recalls another ancient route, that of the medieval packhorse trail from Borrowdale to Grasmere.
Scafell Pike and Scafell the Lake District
The Dale Head panorama is just as spectacular to the south, with the distant tops of the Langdale Pikes, those most instantly recognisable of the Lakeland fells, to the left of a remarkable skyline hinting at the majesty of the highest land in Britain the shapely Bowfell, Esk Pike, the tremendous northern crags of Great End and, highest of all, Scafell Pike and Scafell.
Honister to Great Gable
Just to the right the great north face of Great Gable is particularly prominent. The path from Honister to Great Gable can clearly be seen, together with Moses' Trod, the smugglers' route to Wasdale, later reused by quarrymen carrying Honister slate to the coast on rough sledges. Still further right, just beyond the distinctive notch of the Black Sail Pass (used by another ancient route), Pillar and the High Stile range define the position of the unseen Ennerdale, possibly the least visited of all the dales.
Buttermere, commonly regarded as the prettiest dale, lies just to the left of Robinson, and finally, somewhat nearer at hand, Grasmoor and its neighbours occupy the northwestern quadrant, immediately left of that splendid view along the Newlands valley.
The all-round panorama is stupendous, then, but there is no point in pretending that we have so far done more than scratch the surface in describing the landscape of the Lake District.
From humble beginnings, when aristocratic Victorians used to visit the Lake District to breahe in the fresh country air, the region now offers a wealth of great boutique hotels, luxury accommodation and romantic hotels close to Windermere and Bowness, plus a wide range of cheaper alternatives for the budget-conscious visitor.
My first introduction to the Lake District, more than twenty years ago, left impressions which must be all too familiar to summer visitors. Mist and rain drifted over fell and dale, reputedly spectacular views were near at hand but infuriatingly were glimpsed only imperfectly, promis¬ing walks were curtailed and the wet slate towns of Keswick and Ambleside became well known.
Things to do in the Lake District
But the special attractions of the district had clearly ensnared me, for later in the 1960s I was back, much more regularly now, based at a cottage in the far western fells and exploring the largely unfrequented country between Ennerdale and Wasdale. The list of unlikely ascents included Lank Rigg and Grike, Herdus and Haycock this one, together with Pillar, conquered on a raw December day in driving snow yet providing a marvellously exhilarating walk. These were the days, too, of hound trails and Cumberland hotpot on New Year's Day, of Egremont crab fair in the autumn, and of leisurely evenings and early mornings in Ennerdale Bridge and Calder Bridge.
Leisure breaks in the Lake District
The Lake District has evolved since those early days, and you can now spend a wonderful weekend in a boutique hotel near Windermere, make the most of the numerous campsites or take advantage of a range of luxury hotels in Bowness and Ambleside.
This was also the time of my first acquaintance with Blencathra, the mountain that was to become my personal favourite. First impressions were once again deceptive: we missed the path to Scales Tarn and later found ourselves, ill equipped, kicking steps in the snow up a steep gully onto Sharp Edge.
The ascent, thankfully, was abandoned but the magic of the mountain had struck a chord and I was to return on countless occasions, becoming familiar not only with Sharp Edge and Foule Crag but also with Hall's Fell and Doddick Fell and, at a lower level, Gategill and the excellent approach from Mungrisdale, that most delectable of Cumbrian hamlets.
Still more surprises were in store in the 1980s when, with a young family in tow, I discovered the lower fells. High Rigg is an outstanding example; a mere pimple to peak baggers, it offers a wonderfully varied walk with grassy paths and little rocky turrets, and has as fine a view as many more exalted fells, with Blencathra and Skiddaw, the craggy north-western outliers of the Helvellyn range and the attractively grouped north-western fells all displayed to advantage.
The Roman Roads in the Lake District
Many more facets of lower level Lakeland took on greater significance, too, and increasingly I became fascinated by the rich archaeological and historical heritage of the area. I explored stone circles and standing stones, revelling in the extraordinary air of mystery surrounding Swinside and Moor Divock. I puzzled over the routes of Roman roads and confessed bafflement at the supposed 'thingmount' in Little Langdale.
I explored pele towers, castles, statesman farmhouses and above all the surviving medieval fragments of the monks' short¬ lived supremacy. And all the time the Lake District remained tantalisingly capable of new surprises and new delights. No one will ever be able to say they know it completely.
The Western Lake District and places to visit
My early introduction to the western Lake District was invaluable. More than anything else it impressed on me the scope for escape from the inevitably crowded honeypots to quieter spots where spectacular surroundings, the natural history of the area or more intimate facets of the landscape could be enjoyed more peacefully and at leisure.
Wonderful walks, for example in Back 0' Skidda' country, meeting only one other walker in a whole day; visits to historical or industrial monuments such as the Roman forts, the mills at Caldbeck or the abbey ruins or dale chapels; nature strolls in Johnny Wood or on Claife Heights or Whitbarrow Scar; all these and more spring to memory as special days spent far from the madding crowd.
The result is that although in times of exile from the Lake District my mind's eye may well conjure up classic images such as that of early morning Wasdale, with the shimmering but still vaguely threatening expanse of Wastwater a magical foreground for the misty ring of outstanding mountains at its head, or the deeply eroded southern face of Blencathra, with the irresistible challenges of its rocky ridges and deeply riven gullies, it also ranges widely over a remarkable diversity of experiences freely available to Lakeland visitors.
Days on Hallin Fell or Mellbreak can provide as much pleasure as more demanding expeditions around the head of Eskdale or on the Helvellyn edges; the spinning galleries of Hartsop and the pele towers of the Lake District fringes rival more celebrated venues such as Lowther Castle, Hill Top Farm or Dove Cottage. And, as succeeding chapters of this book make clear, even this menu of widely varying attractions does scant justice to the outstanding qualities of the Lake District, truly the jewel in England's crown.
Windermere places to go in the lakes
The perfect location, the exact spot from which to take in the essence of the Lake District: many will have an idea for such a viewpoint. For some it will be Orrest Head above Windermere, with the Langdale Pikes prominent in the westerly view. Others will quote Skiddaw Little Man, that outstanding belvedere for the high fells beyond Derwentwater; still others will opt for the prospect of the tremendous group of mountains at Wasdale Head, or perhaps Helvellyn and Striding Edge from the slopes of Place Fell, across the head ofUllswater and the Patterdale valley.
Sadly, none of these will do. Neither, despite its quite superb all¬round panorama, will the viewpoint I have chosen to illustrate some of the distinctive features of the Lake District. For the simple truth’s that no one viewpoint can represent the greatest single asset of the region, namely the immense variety of scenery both between and within the dales.
Nevertheless, we have to begin somewhere, and though my choice of starting point, Dale Head in the north-western fells, may surprise some, the quality of the prospect from its splendid cairn will surely enchant many more. The best approach is from Newlands, either up the dale or along one of the flanking ridges, but let us assume that we have taken the shorter and easier path from Honister, arriving at the top of Dale Head with time to spare.
There is plenty to see, for this is one of the most revealing viewpoints in the Lake District, as well as one of the most exciting. The highest point is marked by a shapely and attractive cairn and is superbly situated at the head of the Newlands valley, with panoramic views of the main mountain groups.
The spectacular downfall into Newlands leads the eye along the mine road threading its way down the dale (a hint of the area's remarkable industrial past, with mines below Scope End, at Castle Nook and on the higher slopes of Dale Head itself) past the little wooded hill of Swinside to the tremendous bulk of Skiddaw, flanked by buttressing fells such as Ullock Pike and Lonscale Fell.
Things to see in the Lake District
These gently rounded fells are characteristic of Skiddaw Slate country, though the east side of Newlands, with Eel Crags dropping abruptly below the summit of High Spy, serves as a pertinent reminder that there are also outbreaks of naked rock in these apparently gentle northern fells. Bassenthwaite Lake is glimpsed to the left of Skiddaw, while to the right is Carrock Fell, its summit crowned by an Iron Age hillfort.
The south face of Blencathra, silhouetted above Eel Crags, is a further indication that this is a landscape of infinite variety: the broad flanks of the fell contrast starkly with the dramatically narrow central ridges and deep gullies, and above it all there is a fine summit perched at the edge of the abyss.
To the east, beyond the wellwooded glacial trench of Borrowdale (it's a pity that so little of this delectable and varied dale can be seen), the long serrated skyline of the Helvellyn massif can be seen in its entirety, with half a dozen northerly summits culminating in the celebrated and immensely popular top of Helvellyn itself, directly to the east of Dale Head. Between Helvellyn and Fairfield the highest point of the Lake District's most easterly ridge, High Street, can just be glimpsed.
Though far from the centre of things this is a fine mountain and an historic one, too, with a Roman road travelling along its crest and after being neglected for decades by fell walkers it has now come into its own, as witness the often congested car park at Mardale Head. The sight of the col at Greenup Edge recalls another ancient route, that of the medieval packhorse trail from Borrowdale to Grasmere.
Scafell Pike and Scafell the Lake District
The Dale Head panorama is just as spectacular to the south, with the distant tops of the Langdale Pikes, those most instantly recognisable of the Lakeland fells, to the left of a remarkable skyline hinting at the majesty of the highest land in Britain the shapely Bowfell, Esk Pike, the tremendous northern crags of Great End and, highest of all, Scafell Pike and Scafell.
Honister to Great Gable
Just to the right the great north face of Great Gable is particularly prominent. The path from Honister to Great Gable can clearly be seen, together with Moses' Trod, the smugglers' route to Wasdale, later reused by quarrymen carrying Honister slate to the coast on rough sledges. Still further right, just beyond the distinctive notch of the Black Sail Pass (used by another ancient route), Pillar and the High Stile range define the position of the unseen Ennerdale, possibly the least visited of all the dales.
Buttermere, commonly regarded as the prettiest dale, lies just to the left of Robinson, and finally, somewhat nearer at hand, Grasmoor and its neighbours occupy the northwestern quadrant, immediately left of that splendid view along the Newlands valley.
The all-round panorama is stupendous, then, but there is no point in pretending that we have so far done more than scratch the surface in describing the landscape of the Lake District.
From humble beginnings, when aristocratic Victorians used to visit the Lake District to breahe in the fresh country air, the region now offers a wealth of great boutique hotels, luxury accommodation and romantic hotels close to Windermere and Bowness, plus a wide range of cheaper alternatives for the budget-conscious visitor.
Labels: Honister to Great Gable, Things to see in the Lake District
posted by Windermere Boutique Hotels | 06:37
1 Comments:
You just left a nice impression taking Lake District hotels.
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