Lake Windermere, at Bowness near Belle Isle
I used to holiday in the Lake District, one of the most picturesque districts of England, as a child and remember lovely country walks, dipping my toes into Lake Windermere and staying in caravans with my mother, grandparents and brothers. So when I had my own children, I wanted to revisit the quaint holidays of my youth while also introducing them to England's beauty spots.
Top of my list for our first ever family holiday as 2+3, I wanted a traditional lakeland cottage so we could soak up some of the atmosphere after days out. I plumped for a barn conversion in Troutbeck Bridge, a tiny hamlet midway between Bowness and Ambleside. Horror of horrors, there was no mobile reception in this cluster of cottages but that actually made for a nice vacation free from interruptions.
Our cottage was everything we wanted it to be. Painted fresh white and in the midst of a cluster of cottages on a hillside, it was every bit the homely country cottage. Downstairs was a farmhouse style kitchen dinner (with all the modcons, natch) and a cosy sitting room. Upstairs was three bedrooms, a large master bedroom with toile de jouy fabrics, a pretty pink bunk room with Cath Kidston-style decor and a teenyweeny blue room with just enough space for a single bed.
The view from Barn Cottage and a pretty pink room.
Naturally, we weren't here purely for the cottage. We wanted to experience all the Lakes had to offer our young family.
We managed to pack in plenty of activities for our week there. A day out in Bowness found us with incredibly hot weather, a funfair, an air display and gazing out across the white sailboats of Windermere to the secluded Belle Isle. How we wished we could sail too! We also took a day trip out to Muncaster Castle - a must for The World Owl Centre - and made sure to visit the World of Beatrix Potter museum (do try the delicious take away fish'n'chips from the shop opposite) where the children could paint their own plaster Peter Rabbits while exploring Potter's stories. A visit to Brockhole Visitor Centre found us paddling at the lakeshore and enjoying a country walk easy enough for the little ones, plus their children's play park with huge rope climbs and twisting slides is amongst the best we've ever been to.
Another day saw a boat trip across the lake with a ticket deal that enabled us to go to the Lakes Aquarium too (get these from the ticket booths on the lakeshore at Bowness or try the boat/steam train combo ticket) and another day saw us meandering in Ambleside where we had lunch at the famous Apple Pie (kid's menu £2-£5, mains £5-£6) - the homemade apple pie is a must and we were able to stock up on fudge and Kendal Mint Cake (a very sweet, very minty treat) nearby for pressies.
We did aim to go to Tarn Howes, a noted beauty spot, but the weather defeated us on that occasion. Having said that, the drive there along narrow twisting country lanes was beautiful and we spotted deer - an absolute treat for us!
Lake Windermere at Brockhole.
For a first family holiday, the Lakes was ideal. Breathtaking scenery, a wealth of things to see and do that was feasible for all the family (and didn't require a second mortgage) plus a great variety of places to stay. We've been back since, staying in a different cottage. We'll go back again when my youngest is a touch older so we can get more out of the many walks here and I'm sure the Lakes is one of those places where we will certainly visit time and again.
Note: Parts of this post were originally published on family travel blog Have A Lovely Time here and you can find more of my travel reviews there too.
Images copyright: Camilla Chafer
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