20 Things To Do in the Lake District

There is so much to do in the Lakes, the place is just one big playground. However, we’ve whittled down the list with something for everybody:

 

Hire motor or rowing boat on any lakes

Get out on the lakes and take command of your own ship in a style that you fancy. Hone those rowing skills you might never know you had with a rowing boat hire, or relax in the shelter of a motor boat. All the main lakes (Derwentwater, Ullswater, Windermere and Coniston) offer rowing and motorboat hire. There are quite a few companies, so we’ve created a whole new list you can reach by clicking here.

 

Treetop Adventures and GoApe

Fancy a bit of a challenge through the trees? There are numerous tree adventure companies, including GoApe in Grizedale forest and Zip World beside Windermere.

 

Honister

From the ruins of an old slate mine emerged an adrenaline fuelled experience like nowhere else in the lakes. Climb the face of a cliff via the Via Ferrata or cross a gorge with the invisible bridge. Or simply enjoy a mine tour and learn about the history of this beautiful valley. Check out their website here.

 

Windermere Jetty Museum

Boats have been bobbing around the lakes for centuries. The Jetty Museum has a beautiful collection of finely restored classic boats, ranging from steam launches where landed gentry lunched, to speed machines setting records on the lake. The museum is very well laid out and the building itself even word an architectural award.

 

World of Beatrix Potter

For fans of the book, Beatrix Potter World offers an insight into not just the stories, but the inspiration behind them. Far from a kids museum, this is very much one for the young and old at heart.

 

Hill Top House

Beatrix Potters house, Hill Top House, has been meticulously kept as it was when Beatrix lived there nearly a century ago.

 

Walk tarn hows

This vast man made tarn (lake), was once the preserve of a private estate, but now one of the grandest tarns in the lakes. If you’re in the area Tarn Hows makes a nice hour or twos walk and a lovely picnic spot.

 

Blea Tarn

If you’re over Langdales way then Blea Tarn is a lovely way to spend an hour. No circular walk, but a lovely out and back in one of the most spectacular parts of the lakes (The scenery was used in an opening sequence to Countryfile)

 

Grasmere town

Grasmere is wonderful quaint lakeland village. park up, walk around the town, enjoy a tearoom or two and maybe head down to the lake.

 

Wordsworth Cottage and Museum

Visit “The loveliest spot that man hath ever known” and learn more about one of the worlds literary greats; Wordsworth at his old house of Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum in Grasmere. Come in early Spring to enjoy the famous daffodils.

 

Spa day

Everyone loves a spa session and the lakes is full of spa hotels. But save the £400 a night accommodation and head over for the day. We recommend Lodore Falls Hotel, Low Wood Bay Hotel and Langdale Hotel just for three to name.

 

Aira force

A beautiful round walk to see a spectacular waterfall, Aira Force. You can park at the lower car park for a longer circular walk or the upper one for a slightly shorter walk, although the upper car park is smaller. You can also extend a walk from the upper car park to Garbarrow fell.

 

Cruise on a lake

Each of the larger lakes (Derwentwater, Ullswater, Windermere and Coniston) have their own unique cruise boats from which you can relax and enjoy a nautical trip out. Derwentwater has traditional wooden launches, while Ullswater has some of the oldest ferries in the UK. Windermere has an armada of larger launches taking your the full 10 miles of Englands largest lake while Coniston has the only steam powered launch in the lakes.

Why not make it an active voyage? Most of the launches and ferries stop off along the lakes and allow you to enjoy one way walks along the lake shores.

 

Round Buttermere walk

Buttermere is one of the most unspoilt and beautiful valleys in the lake district and this flat 5 mile walk around the lake is a grand day out, which can be mixed in with a trip to Honister Slate Mines and activities. Our recommendation is to park at Gatesgarth, just after Honister pass and walk down one side of the lake to Buttermere village for a a refreshing tea and cake or a delicious lunch before coming back up the other side.

 

Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway

The La’al Ratty, as the locals call it, is an old slate railway that turned to tourism over 100 years ago. Rattling from the sandy coastal town of Ravenglass, where you can play in the sand or watch the gulls diving in the sea the steam trains take you deep into the picturesque Eskdale valley. We recommend considering a pub lunch in Boot.

 

Threlkeld quarry

Another railway, but a bit closer to home and shorter, the Threlkeld Quarry offers a wonderful insight into the industrial heritage of the local area. It’s not a whole day out, but great if you have a couple of hours to spare, maybe if you have time to kill when you arrive or leave?

 

Lowther castle

On the edge of the lakes is what is, but can’t truly be described as, the ruins of Lowther castle. An old lord left it to ruin barely a century ago, but over recent years it’s flowered into a beautiful destination with a famous garden and estate to walk around.

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20 Things To Do in the Lake District

There is so much to do in the Lakes, the place is just one big playground. However, we've whittled down the list with something for everybody:   Hire motor or rowing boat on any lakes Get out on the lakes and take command of your own ship in a style that you...

Best Takeaways in Keswick

Who wants to cook on holiday? If you're looking for a break from the kitchen, but don't fancy going out then here are our best takeaways in Keswick:   Indian Takeaway Lakeland Spice Cuisine - www.lakelandspice.co.uk Sultan of Keswick -...

Best Pubs in Keswick and Surrounding Area

We wrote a whole post about the 5 Best Pubs in Keswick and the Surrounding Area. However we then decided to ask our customers on our facebook page for their favourite beer soaked carpet pubs in the surrounding area and got a great response. So here is a list of pubs,...

5 Traditional Pubs In and Around Keswick

The UK is famed all over the world for our traditional country pubs. With the old wood beams, comfortable chairs (or bar stool) and a menu where you can guarantee some classic dishes (think fish and chips, burgers and pies). We're very lucky to have so many great pubs...

Start of Life At Low Nest Blog

We've decided to start a blog! We've tried to start one on numerous occasions, but wanted to wait for a momentous occasion, or the start of a week/month. We also didn't know what to write about, but with both of us now working at Low Nest and with the management of...

How to Hatch Chicken Eggs

We're hatching chicks! The chickens have been a major focal feature for Low Nest over the last 12 months. With plenty of space we decided to get a couple more chickens, but instead of just buying point of lay 14 week old chickens we fancied a challenge; hatching and...

The Old Milking Parlour

  I've milked many a cow in those two studios. Little known fact - should the need arise you could fit 2 cows side by side in the bathrooms with room between to get in to milk them. It's true. The old 'Byre' (posh name milking parlour) was divided in two to make...

How to Climb Coniston Old Man

The Old Man of Coniston is a real special mountain. It's easy to navigate and riddled with slate mining ruins to explore. Distance: 12km Time: 5 hours Activity Level: Strenuous Navigation Level: Medium Path condition: Good, some loose slate then steps followed by more...

Cumbrian Dialect

Ignoring the southern accent I am a proud Kendalian, of Scottish descent. While at school I always remember a friend of mine messing about. When asked what she was doing she replied "Nowt", only to receive a swift sharp reply of "What?!". Dialect levelling is the...

Sheep Terminology

If you visit an agricultural show, a shepherds meet or a stock auction you'll rarely hear the word Sheep. Farmers have a wide terminology and vocabulary describing not just the gender, but age and purpose of the sheep. Cull Yow - An old female yaw (ewe) that is too...

Introducing our new apartment; Stybarrow   We are proud to announce the opening of our brand new apartment; Stybarrow.  When taking on somewhere as special and successful as Low Nest Studios making a personal stamp can be hard. However we hope we have done...

New Logo

When we took over Low Nest Studios we never inherited a logo. For website and social media purposes we needed to cobble one together, which we did. As the months have rolled on while we did really like the logo we'd done, it never really felt quite right. Over the...

How to Climb Coniston Old Man

The Old Man of Coniston is a real special mountain. It’s easy to navigate and riddled with slate mining ruins to explore.

Distance: 12km
Time: 5 hours
Activity Level: Strenuous
Navigation Level: Medium
Path condition: Good, some loose slate then steps followed by more open fell land.

 

Stage 1
Park at Walna Scar car park. Many say it’s cheating as it several hundred metres above Coniston. However I’m often lacking in time and it save at least an hour.

But from the car park head along the wide level path for about a a Kilometre. You can then hang a left where the main footpath joins. The path is still easy to follow, but you start to really climb. You also start to get in amongst the old slate mines. It’s a perfect excuse to take a breather and explore!

Carry on for another 20 to 30 minutes over an area of loose slate till you reach Lows Water. Another great spot, and to be honest if some members of the group don’t want to go to the top it’s a great place to relax with a flask of tea and a book.

Stage 2
Now it’s the big push to the top. It might only take 45 minutes, but it’s a good work out, primarily on steps cut up the side of the hill.

However once at the top, if it’s a clear day then you are in for an incredible view across the lakes and south to Morecambe Bay and across the Irish sea to the Isle of Man.

Stage 3
If you haven’t left somebody at Lows Water, the conditions are good and you feel energised then I thoroughly recommend heading North along the ridge to Swirl How. The walking is almost freeing after the steep uphill climb. The slope is a gentle undulation, which allows you to get your breath back and take in the stunning scenery.

Stage 4
Downhill from here! Coming off Swirl How it is rocky and slow going as you reverse scramble down the crags.

Once you reach the cross paths you can choose to head up to Whetherlem to complete the circuit. But if you’ve parked up by Walna Scar then it’s easiest to turn right and head down to Levers Water. The path does become a bit more difficult to follow as you go through bogs and get off the beaten track. But generally aim for the big bit of water down the hill.

Take a breather and enjoy Levers Water before contouring round it, crossing the dam and heading up through the rocks and back to the main path. It’s now only a couple of kilometres back to the car park.

There, you’ve done it! I’d recommend heading down to the Black Bull Pub in Coniston for a well earned pint.

Introducing our new apartment; Stybarrow

 

We are proud to announce the opening of our brand new apartment; Stybarrow.

 

When taking on somewhere as special and successful as Low Nest Studios making a personal stamp can be hard. However we hope we have done so with Stybarrow.

Unlike Dollywaggon, White Side and Raise, Stybarrow not only has a seperate bedroom (making it a one bed apartment) but a pull down murphy bed offering accommodation for up to 4! But there’s no sharing facilities as each room is an ensuite. In fact the main room has a bath! The only Low Nest Apartment to have one.

Stybarrow is available to rent from the end of September. If you’ve already booked contact us for an upgrade!

We’re Open!

We’re officially open! It’s the start of our very first season here at Low Nest Studios and all only a matter of weeks since we got the keys. Despite a few hurdles we got there!

We’re really excited about not just the season ahead, but about the many years ahead of us. This morning was a stunningly beautiful morning (See images below) and we had a lovely walk to the Stone Circle to get Mackie exercised.

It wasn’t the smoothest of mornings prepping; the welcome packs still had John and Alisons details in it because the laminator hadn’t arrived so a mad rush printing and laminating fire instructions and maps. We then had the electrician in to do work to the new 4th apartment, put a new light into Raise’s kitchen and fix a flickering bathroom light in Dolly Wagon (however he had the wrong bit for Dolly Wagon! Doh). Open reach were also in adding an extra phone line. However the poor lad has to now lay 2.5km of new cabling (we do have WiFi for guests, as we’re adding a 4th apartment we wanted to give the internet a bit of a boost).

While all this was going on Alasdair popped into the boiler room to find the water UV filter had blown a leak and was blowing water everywhere (all fixed fairly quickly). So safe to say it wasn’t the cussiest of starts!

However we’re there! We are up, running and guests seem to be happy. So thank you to everybody who has helped us along the way and we look forward to seeing all the wonderful (and the rest of you) guests this year and next. We still have a couple of weeks left this year and 2020 is booking up fast, bookings open for 2021!