4 Days in the Lake District
Located up in the far north of England the Lake District is one of the picturesque locations in the United Kingdom. Stunning scenery combined with the charm of the English countryside with plenty of pubs to quench your thirst after a long day of hiking.
What to do in the Lake District
Most people that come are here to walk. There are hundreds of possible trails covering the entirety of the National Park. These range from light strolls to steep ascents like Coniston Old Man, Scafell Pike, and Helvellyn.
Aside from this, there are various museums, cycle trails, boat, and train trips as well as just simply getting away from it all (there a plenty of places where you will blissfully be without signal).
How long do you need
You could easily be here for a week and still have things left to do. Based on what you want to do on the time you have available.
Incidentally, it can get busy in the school holidays and at weekends as crowds bring both money and frustration to the locals.
Where to stay
The Lake District National Park is huge. As a result, the area you stay is less about geographical location and more about whether it has the things you want. For example, Ambleside and Windermere have plenty of restaurants and shops, but also far too many people for our liking. Outside of these two places, there’s a good chance you will escape the crowds.
We stayed in the tiny village of Crosthwaite in a farmhouse built-in 1709. Plenty of walks from the property, plus it was a reasonable drive and very reasonably priced.
Getting around
You will need a car. There are some buses but if you want to walk and enjoy the beauty the Lake District has to offer, then you really need your own set of wheels.
To access any kind of public transport you will need to base yourself in the main town in Windemere, which being frank I would not recommend. Peak seasons bring coach loads of tourists and the streets are packed. Certainly not the quiet idyllic pace of life for which the Lake District is famed.
Eating and Drinking
The area is chockful of awesome country pubs serving great food and a selection of British ales. Our personal was the Black Labrador near the small village of Underbarrow. You will find the best pubs away from the Windermere and Ambleside, although if you’re looking bad Chinese food washed down with a Costa Coffee then these two should suffice.
Day 1 – Hiking Around Crosthwaite
We arrived in Crothswaite at around 2 pm after a 6-hour drive from the South of England. There were a number of hiking options around our Airbnb so we took the chance to stretch our legs and leave the pain of driving in London far behind.
Safe to say it was absolute bliss.
The village is tiny, even by UK standards, but there are some lovely trails that will take you through the countryside offering some lovely views and encounters with sheep and horses.
Day 2 – Elderwater and Cathedral Cavern
We drove all the way around Lake Windermere to the tiny village of Elderwater. If you get there early enough then you may be able to park on the side of the road outside the village. Failing that there are two car parks that will happily relieve you of a few quid. They only take coins so make sure you bring some shrapnel!
From the village of Elderwater, there are plenty of walks and there is a lovely pub to rest your feet and quench your thirst when you’ve finished.
Our hike took us to the Cathedral Chamber (sometimes known as Cathedral Cavern). The views on the trail over from Elderwater are sublime. From here we headed towards Colwith Force and Skelwith Force bringing us back into Elderwater. Overall it took us about 4 hours and there’s plenty of options to extend the walk further.
In the village of Elderwater itself, there is a holiday cottage office that will be able to provide you with some useful advice. We took on a middle distance route, however, you can extend this route further into the wilderness. There are some multi-day trails in the area that will require you to camp en route.
Day 3 – Coniston Old Man
We took on one of the Lake District’s most famous trails; Coniston Old Man. Located on the western edge of Lake Windermere this steep uphill track offers remarkable views over the lake itself, the wider National Park and out to the coast. This is tougher walk than the Elderwater loop we did on day 2, however, it’s doable for anyone who is reasonably fit. Due to the steepness of the trail, you will need a good pair of hiking shoes.
Technically the hike starts in the village of Coniston. However, drive up Walna Scar Road to find a huge car park that will knock at least 3 hours of dull road walking off your hike.
From the carpark head north to join the main trail all the way to the top. There are numerous stops on the way offering great views, old slate quarries and even a lake for a cheeky dip.
When you get to the top you have 3 choices. The first is that you can go down the way you came. You can continue the walk along the spine of the mountain and join up with another trail before coming back down. There are plenty of other trails that will take you here, there and everywhere. However, this route will not take you back to the car park you started at. The final option is to head back down to the carpark by looping round into the valley to the west of Coniston Old Man peak itself. This will take you via Goats Water and is much quieter than the route coming up. Sadly the views on this route are not as spectacular as the ascent.
Day 4 – Ullswater
Ullswater is in the north of the National Park and is definitely one of the quieter areas. Most people that visit are here to climb Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England. The area is home to numerous hiking trails. We took a short option around Keldas, as we were heading to Manchester that evening. If you had more time than we did then Scafell Pike is an excellent option. Alternatively, you can take a boat across to the other side of Ullswater and hike back along the lake’s edge.
