Ambles from Ambleside

125 Comments
North Cottage, Ambleside

Above is the Lake District home-from-home in which we spent a week at the beginning of June. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, parked the car and didn’t move it again until we left a week later! This wasn’t what we originally intended, but we discovered that there were plenty of walks which we could do straight from the door, or using the efficient open-topped buses and, on one day, the Windermere ferries. So forgive the cheesy title, which I couldn’t resist: here are our ambles from Ambleside.

Sunday – Loughrigg Fell

It’s possible to do a circular walk from Ambleside taking in Loughrigg Fell. At only 335 metres / 1099 feet it’s not a very big hill, but the ascent is steep – however, if this was meant to be a warm-up for greater things it didn’t quite work out that way.

Monday – Wray Castle and Claife Heights

Windermere at Ambleside

On Monday, we purchased Walkers’ Tickets from the pier at Ambleside – three ferries with a walk in between ferries one and two. The first boat took us to Wray Castle which we’ve visited before. There have been improvements such as an upgraded café (whoop!) and new displays.

Wray Castle

The neo-Gothic “castle” was built in the 1830s as a retirement home for just two people, James and Margaret Dawson, using Margaret’s inheritance from her father’s gin business. Until recently it was assumed, given that marital law at the time gave a husband control over his wife and her property, that James was the driver behind this. However, research in Wray’s archives turned up proof that Margaret inherited as feme sole (sic), in other words had legal control over her own inheritance. It’s likely, therefore, that she had a much bigger role in building the new house than was previously thought.

Artworks and information panels throughout the house illustrated this. For example, I enjoyed a game on the giant Silk Stockings and Social Ladders board, a variant on Snakes and Ladders based on the prizes and pitfalls facing a respectable young woman of Margaret’s time. Staff insisted this should be played wearing a silly bonnet, which you can see I have whipped off in time for the photograph. Purse of Power considers the powers available to Margaret – or not. The trumpet banners represent the vote, which she did not have, and the juniper berries refer to her father’s gin fortune, which she did.

Silk Stockings and Social Ladders
Purse of Power

After the castle, we set off on a four mile walk to our next ferry. Well, it was probably longer than that because we chose an alternative route via Claife Heights. Actually, we’d have been better sticking to the lakeside as far as the views were concerned – with the trees in full leaf (not complaining) we only caught occasional glimpses through the gaps.

The path ended at the remains of an old viewing station, built in the 1790s for early tourists to the Lakes. In the 19th century it was also used for parties and dances, and the path from the courtyard below was lit by Chinese lanterns and coloured lamps. The small cottage in the courtyard was, at that time, the home of an old woman who welcomed visitors and escorted them to the station – including one of the Lakes’ most famous residents, William Wordsworth. Today, it houses a café where we had probably the best lunch of the week, albeit a late lunch at 3pm. (Don’t worry about us expiring, we had partaken of brownies at Wray Castle and we also have plenty of fat reserves.)

Windermere from Claife Heights
Claife Viewing Station
Claife Viewing Station
Claife Viewing Station
Station Cottage
Windermere Lake Cruises

From here it was a short step to Ferry House where we caught a launch to Bowness, and from there a larger boat back to Ambleside.

Tuesday – Grasmere

The previous day, my ankle had started to hurt. I’d bashed it on something a couple of weeks before, and it seemed to have recovered, but obviously walking boots were applying pressure in just the wrong place, and when I took them off my ankle was bruised and swollen. An easier day was called for, so we caught the bus to Grasmere.

Lakesider bus
Grasmere Tea Gardens

We know the village well, having stayed there on all our visits to the Lakes over the past 15 years. We started out in the Grasmere Tea Gardens, just visible to the left of the bridge above, which were established in 1889. In those days, visitors had to get out while their carriages crossed the River Rothay by ford and  the owner of the house, Mrs Dodgeson, served refreshments from her kitchen table.

After a riverside walk, we headed up to Allan Bank, a National Trust property. It was too nice to spend much time inside, so we mostly strolled its grounds and took its Woodland Trail. Great views from the Viewing Seat of the fells we wouldn’t be climbing!

Allan Bank
Allan Bank
Allan Bank
View from Allan Bank
View from Allan Bank
Allan Bank Viewing Seat
Helm Crag from Allan Bank

For lunch, we headed to Lancrigg, the hotel we used to stay in. It was then exclusively vegetarian ( a rare treat for me) but since our last visit three years ago it has been sold and now has a mixed menu. It still has great veggie choices though! After a final walk through Lancrigg’s woods and the lower reaches of Easdale we hopped back on the bus to Ambleside.

Lunch at Lancrigg
Lancrigg
Easdale

Wednesday – viewpoints over Windermere

On Wednesday, we were back on the bus, this time in the opposite direction to Bowness-on-Windermere. From here, we took a 3-4 hour circular walk to three viewpoints over the lake: Post Knott, School Knott and Biskey Howe.

Windermere from School Knott
Windermere from Bisky Howe

Thursday – Brockhole

Brockhole – Lake District National Park Visitor Centre

By Thursday, my ankle was starting to feel better – and John’s knee was sore. What a pair of old crocks! We took the bus a few stops to Brockhole, built in 1899 as a family home. Since 1966, after a stint as a convalescent home for Merseyside ladies, it has been owned by the Lake District National Park Authority, opening as a Visitor Centre three years later.

We started on the café terrace (no surprise there) which you can see John is enjoying hugely. I had my eye on the couple at the far end who, it seemed to me, had the best seat in the house. As soon as they moved, I shot into their place – and proved myself right.

Brockhole
Brockhole
John at Brockhole

The grounds were being prepared for a big event at the weekend, so we didn’t linger. Crossing the main road, we climbed through farmland and forest to a path that took us back to Ambleside, looking down on the lake the whole way.

Windermere view
Windermere view

Friday – Rydal Park

Rydal Hall

By Friday, John’s knee was really hurting (the doctor has since told him it’s probably arthritis 😦 ) We chose another easy, circular walk, of which the route notes said: “This is a really soft walk with virtually no ascent. It is ideally suited to those recuperating from heart attacks, violent hangovers or loss of a leg.” Even so, for the first time in living memory it was John asking me not to go so fast.

The walk took us to Rydal Hall, these days a religious conference centre, so you can’t visit the house, but are free to wander the grounds. The sculpture in the gallery below, The Angel, was created in 2007-09 by Shawn Williamson from a piece of limestone from York Minster. The little “Grot” dates from 1688 and was deliberately built to provide a window to frame the view of the lower Rydal Beck waterfall.

Rydal Hall garden
Rydal Hall garden wall
The Angel by Shawn Williamson
Rydal Hall – the Grot
Grot and Waterfall
Rydal Hall waterfall

The Hall does have a café, but we spurned that and headed off past Rydal Mount (Wordsworth’s home for many years and open to visit) and Rydal St Mary’s Church – both also spurned. We had a destination in mind – the Badger Bar where we have enjoyed lunch and a pint (or two) many times over the years, usually on a longer and tougher walk, but, hey – medicinal purposes!

Rydal St Mary’s
Badger Bar

After lunch, we took an alternative route back to Ambleside for the last night of a wonderful holiday.

Ambleside and its surrounds also featured in two of my posts for Becky’s recent roof challenge – if you missed them, see #RoofSquares 9-15 and #RoofSquares 16-22.

This post is linked to Jo’s Monday Walk, where this week she is in Krakow.

England, UK , , , , , , , , , , ,

125 Comments »

  2. Pingback: April Squares: Ambleside ambles – The Glasgow Gallivanter

  3. Thanks for the wonderful tour. I especially enjoyed the little humorous asides, and am glad to know that you did not expire, thanks to the timely ingestion of brownies.

    Jude

    Like

  4. sounds perfect cottage to me, not needing a car at all after arrival!

    I am intrigued by Silk Stockings and Social Ladders, was it something they had created or is it something available for the general public. Just thinking it would be fabulous for the festival this year!

    Like

  6. Ahhh… I think you and Jo should write a book. Obviously you know where to go, where to eat (and drink) and where to take photos!!! If not a book, maybe be a travel agent (serves seniors only)? 😉
    Have a great day, Anabel.

    Like

  7. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : A Tall Ships Treat | restlessjo

  9. It looks like a wonderful week!

    I always enjoy a vacation where we can forego a car. When we travel to Key West, we rent a car and drive out the beautiful Overseas Highway, but we abandon it as soon as we get to the island and don’t get in another car until we leave. It’s absolutely fantastic.

    Like

  10. Now that’s a retirement home. (Hope the fireplaces made it cozy)
    Beautiful area. Darn those ankle and knees – maybe they were just trying to slow you down so you wouldn’t rush and miss anything HAHA
    Badger BAr – who could walk past the and not go inside.
    Enjoyed walking along

    Like

  12. That game sounds like a blast (I would have liked the bonnet too, but I do love wearing stupid hats)! The Purse of Power is also awesome, though it’s a shame it doesn’t represent more actual power on Margaret’s part. At least she was able to control her inheritance, which I know is a lot better than what most women got.

    Like

  13. What wonderful “ambling” around the Lake District. Beautiful scenery and so many interesting activities even if you couldn’t walk too far (hope your ankle and John’s knee are both much better now!). The tea rooms and pubs sounds delightful 🙂

    Like

  15. I think the best vacations are the ones where we park the car at the beginning of the week and don’t use it again until we are headed home! What a lovely area the Lake District is. And I can’t believe that “castle” was someone’s retirement home. PS: Hope your husband’s knee is feeling better soon!

    Like

  17. What a wonderful series of ambles through the Lake District! I love how the easy trail is for those “recuperating from heart attacks, violent hangovers or loss of a leg.” I can sympathize with your ankle pain and John’s knee pain. I’m having a lot of issues with my knee right now, but my doctor didn’t tell me NOT to do the Camino. I think it will be a painful 490 miles, but I’m determined to do it anyway. If I can’t complete it, then I can’t. But I don’t want to wait till I’m older to try! 🙂

    Like

  19. We are currently traveling car-less and it’s wonderful! I didn’t bring my Fitbit but I’m pretty sure I’m getting a lot of steps in a day. I would love to spend a week ambling in Ambleside – it looks lovely. I hope John’s knee is feeling better… and stays that way!

    Like

    • I much prefer walking to driving! And it’s much better for you. We’re always frustrated by how un-pedestrian friendly it can be in North America. Knee still a problem unfortunately – it’s been x-rayed and he sees the doctor again on Thursday to get the verdict.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. An interesting week with some lovely photographs. Ah yes, I can empathize with John -it’s my right knee that causes problems. Four times a year I have to travel for meetings and each drive is 1000 miles. Our nearest next town is 50 miles away with empty land between them and us. You tend to do a lot of driving in Outback Australia.

    Like

  21. Some great ambles here Anabel, they are the sort of walks I like to do, gentle and circular. I am tempted to return to the Lakes but fear next summer may be the opposite of this one. I love being able to park the car and hardly / not use it on holiday. Makes staying in a town much more preferable to being out in the sticks.

    Like

  24. Sorry about the aches and pains but what a treat to not have to use a car at all for a whole week of holidaying. I have just driven over 4500 miles in a fortnight so I am quite envious.

    Like

  29. Hi Anabel – what a lovely tour you’ve given us … loved seeing your photos and the chatty gossip of what you could and couldn’t do, where you’d been before, retirement homes – incredibly interesting I imagine – hope gin was available! Delightful and gave me memories of us as kids being rowed in one of those boats for many a picnic on one of the tiny islands, and being towed by our father as we ‘wallowed in the water’ … lovely memories. Thanks – cheers Hilary

    Like

  30. This takes me back to all the summers we spent in our teens, staying a Low Wray and sailing on Windermere! Sometimes in the evening we heard the sound of bagpipes from a piper on the battlements at Wray Castle.

    Like

  31. A great post, and the title is the sort of thing I would (and sometimes have) used on my camping blog. Brockhole looks like a lovely house, I’d love to live there if I could 🙂

    Like

  32. Anabel – trading ailments back-and-forth is rule in my household, too. I have to say, though, that I envy you a whole week on walking paths with no need for a car. What luxury! – Susan

    Like

  33. What a perfect week – walking and no driving! We decided when we were there that you could easily not drive, because the local buses were great and not costly either. I think next time we would base ourselves more centrally and do that. I loved seeing all these walks, the scenery is gorgeous, and I will add them all to our list. I hope John’s knee improves.

    Like

  35. Hello Anabel,
    That post here wakes up fond memories. Thanks for taking me there again. I’ve been to the Lake District 3 times in the 1980, all three times staying at the southern end. Two times I even brought my own sailing-boat [an open dinghy]. Looks like a silly idea, bringing one’s own boat up there all the way from Germany, doesn’t it? But it was fun.
    Another memory just comes up. One day, when I was driving around there, I happened to come on a steep descent: 1 in 3. And the sign there was ever so typically British, to my mind. It just said, “You have been warned.” 😉
    Have a great week,
    Pit

    Like

  37. I’m exhausted having joined both you and Jo this morning on your walks, Jo in Krakow and you in the Lake District. Sounds an idyllic place and with the added bonus of being able to leave the car behind your enjoyment of the place comes over immediately. As usual, your photographs are splendid.

    Like

  38. BeUtiful photos. Thanks for sharing. I hope your ankle is properly healed, and that John hasn’t got arthritis. I have in my left knee — and it’s really annoying.

    Like

  39. Oh, it takes me back. I used to do the Loughrigg Fell walk from Grasmere, so maybe it combined your two walks into one. Inevitably there would be orienteering on most other days I’d be in the Lakes ()sometimes accessing the competition areas by boat!), so I rarely got to other walks, although at times I’ve been to most of these places. Sad to hear the Lancrigg is no longer veggie, but probably still reliable for good veggie nosh.
    I love revisiting these places with you!

    Like

  40. A good break by the looks of it dispite the aches and pains.
    It’s always good to, to have a break from driving and the attendent worries of negotiating narrow lanes and finding somewhere to park! Better for the environment too 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  41. The game really appeals to me, Anabel, sans bonnet like you! Your photos are beautiful and I love any trip where you can see lots without having to drive for hours.

    Like

  43. What a lovely amble around Ambleside! I tend to think of this part of the Lakes as being too commercial and forget how lovely it is, and why people keep coming back. 🙂 🙂 This old age is a bummer, isn’t it, Anabel? If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Here’s wishing you both healthy, happy wandering! And thank you 🙂

    Liked by 1 person