Hey peeps! With the upcoming bank holiday weekend I thought it would be nice to share with you some of our favourite places in the Lake District.
We’ve been going back to Lake District on and on as it just feels like you can never have enough of it!
We’ve recently purchased a National Trust membership too (Yes, I know, we should have done this ages ago! and we always meant to but never did until now).
The places that I will be sharing with you below are in random order and the photos are taken in various seasons e.g. you might see snow in some or sunny summer days.
At the end of the post, I will also insert some videos we posted with Lake District on our YouTube channel.
I’ve also included postcodes for parking.
Enjoy and let me know what you think and if you’ve been to these places before or planning to go next.
I hope you have a lovely Easter bank holiday weekend! 🙂 🐇
Buttermere and Honister Pass
Buttermere lake is 1.24 miles long and is the perfect combination of mountain and lake. When you face The Buttermere Court Hotel if you turn right there’s a pay & display car park and you can also enjoy some food and drinks at The Buttermere Court Hotel like we did in the summer – we called it ‘dinner with a view’. From the hotel you can set off on the footpath which runs round the lake, through the forest and to the waterfall.
Postcode: CA13 9XA.
Honister Pass starts at Gatesgarth Farm in Buttermere and connects the Buttermere valley to Borrowdale valley. Its summit is of 1167 feet and is one of Cumbria’s highest passes. At the summit you can visit the Honister Slate Mine.
Postcode: CA12 5XN.
Windermere, Rydal Cave and Wray Castle
Windermere lake is 10.5 miles long and is the largest natural lake in both the Lake District and in England. On the lake you can enjoy lots of boating activities, including rental of boat. Windermere is also the most famous and popular area in the Lake District.
Postcode: LA23 3AP.
Rydal Cave is a large cavern on the north side of Loughrigg Fell above Rydal Water. This spot is actually man-made as a result of slate quarrying. You can take the stepping stones through the lake at the entrance to access the cave.
Postcode: LA22 9SE.
Wray Castle is a National Trust owned gothic revival castle on the shores of Lake Windermere. You can either enjoy a picnic around the castle or whilst enjoying the views of the lake. The castle has an interesting history – it was built for Dr James Dawson (retired Liverpool surgeon) using his wife’s inheritance from gin fortune, it is being said that apparently she took a look at the house once finished and declined to live in it.
Postcode: LA22 0JA.
Keswick, Surprise View and Castlerigg Stone Circle
Keswick is the major centre for tourism in the northern Lake District, offering plenty of tourist attractions including boating trips around the lake. It contains several islands, including Derwent Isle, Lord’s Island, Rampsholme Island and St Herbert’s Island (the largest); Derwent Isle is the only island on the lake that is inhabited, it’s run by National Trust and open to visitors 5 days a week.
Postcode: CA12 5DG.
At Surprise View you can look out to the whole Derwentwater (Keswick) and beyond to Bassenthwaite Lake; be careful here as there are no barriers and you are on the top of a cliff. Also the bridge where you pass with the car is very narrow but well worth the journey.
Postcode: CA12 5UU.
Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in Britan and the earliest stone circle in Britain; its origins are unknown but it is believed that was used for ceremonial/religious purposes. There are 38 stones in a circle, within the ring there’s a rectangle of a further 10 standing stones.
Postcode: CA12 4RN.
Coniston Water, Hardknott Pass, Wastwater and Ennerdale Water
Coniston Water is the fifth largest of the lakes (5 miles long), once used to provide an important fish source for the monks of Furness Abbey, most recently used to transport slate, it has 3 small islands all owned by the National Trust. There’s a nice place for food/drinks on its shore.
Postcode: LA21 8AN.
Hardknott Pass is a single track road through the middle of the Lake District – very steep and twisting but fun to drive. My photos do not make it justice but the pass is described as one of the most challenging roads in Britain – has a maximum gradient of 1 in 3 (about 33%). We went through the pass when it was raining and it was scary but would definetely do it again when it’s dry and nice outside.
Postcode: LA22 9JU.
Wastwater is situated in Wasdale Valley, the lake is 3 miles long, half a mile wide and 260 feet deep – deepest of all of England’s lakes. I love this lake, the mountains look huge once you are at the lake, it’s a nice picnic area where you can enjoy just the noise of the water, breeze and the view.
Postcode: CA20 1EU.
Ennerdale Water is the most westerly of the lakes and the most remote, deep glacial lake, 2.5 miles long. The area is very calming and quiet, the lake currently serves as a reservoir for the coastal towns of West Cumbria and it’s the only lake without a road running alongside it.
Postcode: CA23 3AS.
Ullswater and Aira Force Waterfall
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the Lake District with 7.5 miles length and is well known for its clear water. There are cruises operating on the lake whilst also boat hiring, sailing and windsurfing services.
Postcode: CA11 0PA.
Aira Force Waterfall is the most famous and impressive waterfall in the Lake District, main force falls 70 feet from below a stone footbridge, and the area around the force is landscaped in a Victorian park and is an enjoyable walk to the waterfall.
Postcode: CA11 0JS.
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