The Majestic Lake District: A Winter Journey
Discovering the Majestic Lake District: A Winter Journey
The Lake District is the most visited of the UK’s 15 National Parks, welcoming upwards of 19 million visitors a year. I hadn’t been there in 45 years - the last time I visited was in a Morris 1000 with a small boat on the roof, and the journey took eight hours. Highways and vehicles have improved a lot over that time and a couple of weeks ago we arrived in Ambleside after just five hours of quiet and comfortable motoring. No wonder the national park is so popular even with Westcountry folk who have to travel a long way to reach it.
In our case almost 300 miles… But the trip was more than worth it - The Lakes really are monumentally beautiful.
Buttermere
We knew that because we’d been there once before, but over 45 years you can forget just how lovely a place is. And in winter when the area is almost empty, the snow-capped mountains make it even more stunning, especially when the sun comes out. We were lucky in that respect, so in the winter sunshine we decided to visit as much of the Lake District as possible - which in itself required a fair amount of driving, punctuated by icy walks and lunches grabbed on the hoof.
Last week’s Hesp Out West covered our adventures in the southern half of the national park, for the second part of our stay we moved base and headed north. Actually, we relocated to a hotel just a few miles north, but it was worth it because Ambleside is the perfect base for the visitor who wants to see as much of The Lakes as they can in the time available.
Luxurious Retreat at Rothay Manor, Ambleside
And our hotel, the lovely Rothay Manor, proved to be 100 percent perfect when it came to the task of keeping us extremely comfortable, well rested and well fed. The elegant country house hotel provides a quintessentially English retreat that offers refined comfort and a gateway to the national park. The charming old house dates back to 1823 and combines historic charm with modern luxury. We were staying in the newly built Pavilion annex set in the handsome gardens, a building which boasts large beautifully appointed suites with wall-to-ceiling view windows.
You could use the phrase to describe all of Rothay Manor. Beautifully appointed. The owners have blended classic design with contemporary touches - think: plush beds, stylish furnishings, and thoughtful details. Food is at the heart of the experience and the hotel’s restaurant is a destination in itself, offering dishes that showcase the best of seasonal and local produce.
Lovely food at Rothay Manor
The Rothay Manor is perfectly positioned between Windermere and the high fells and so it offers the ideal mix of comfort and convenience for people who are out and about all day exploring the lakes, valleys, and picture-perfect villages. The hotel is situated towards the lake on the outskirts of Ambleside, which is a charming little town. As you stroll around the streets, so you begin to realise it is a community of contrasts. By which I mean, Victorian heritage and outdoor adventure. I’ve never seen so many outward-bound shops in one place.
Cosy drawing room at Rothay Manor
Located at the northern tip of Windermere, it is one of those places which has been shaped by the surrounding landscape. Lake, mountain and river. The environs of Ambleside are all about water, woods, and fells. For example, there’s the dramatic waterfall at Stock Ghyll Force nearby, and within 20 minutes you can be striding along the high paths leading towards well known landmarks such as Loughrigg and the Fairfield Horseshoe. On a wet day (not that we had one) you could visit the much-celebrated Heaton Cooper Studio and admire local artworks, or call at tiny Bridge House, possibly the most photographed building in the Lake District and a popular subject for many artists including Turner. 1
1. www.artfinder.com www.artfinder.com
Exploring Wordsworth Country: Grasmere and Beyond
A few miles drive north and we enter Wordsworth Country, passing his old home at Rydal before reaching Grasmere which has its own rugged charm set, as it is, deep in a valley between high fells. The village has been attracting visitors for centuries - most notably its most famous and devoted fan, William Wordsworth, who declared it “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.”
The Wordsworth graves
The village plays host to the poet’s other home, the famous Dove Cottage, and of course there is a Wordsworth Museum where you can learn all about the great man. Apart from the literary heritage, Grasmere is gateway to some of the Lake District’s finest walks. The steep paths to Helm Crag, Easedale Tarn, and Loughrigg Fell offer varied routes through wild landscapes, while a gentle lakeside stroll provides a quieter way to take in the dramatic scenery.
The winter visitor doesn’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that the village must be absolutely teeming in high summer. The honeypot vibe shouts long and loud and I’m not sure I’d want to be there in August, but on a crisp sunny morning in January it was wonderfully empty. We had the place to ourselves and so were free to admire the church and the pretty churchyard (which of course contains Wordsworth’s grave) without a soul in sight, as well as peruse the many independent shops and tearooms, including the famous Grasmere Gingerbread emporium where the magic stuff is made to a secret 19th-century recipe.
Scenic Drives and Hidden Gems: From Keswick to Ullswater
Keswick
Driving north again, we pass long and lovely Thirlmere, tucked under the crags of Helvellyn, and eventually reach Keswick, with its handsome wide market street - a place that offers a lunch-on-the-hoof merchant like me a wide range of savoury and sweet opportunities.
Lunch-on-the-hoof, because we had no time to dally in town. We were all for jumping back in the car and driving in a south-westerly direction around the eastern shoreline of dreamy Derwent Water so that we could enter Borrowdale.
Derwent Water
This lovely valley rises in a westerly direction to reach a ravine that has been cleaved by a stream called the Hause Gill. A narrow road climbs along the side of this ravine to reach the dramatic Honister Pass, where good and confident drivers (I wouldn’t try this route if you’re not one of those) can pause to admire the vertiginous slate workings of yesteryear. Blimey… those guys must have been tough and have had good heads for heights.
Honister Pass
The tiny winding road then descends west down the length of the equally dramatic and scenic Gatescarthdale Beck, which pours its waters into Buttermere, one of the loveliest lakes in the national park. We stopped just before the lake to stroll up into the great amphitheatre of hills that make up Warnscale Bottom, a lonely place famed for its waterfalls. Had it not been absolutely freezing we’d have climbed alongside one of them up to Blackbeck Tarn, a lonesome little lake perched on the edge of a crag.
Warnscale Bottom
But what winter gives you in its lack of crowds, it takes away with snow and ice. Only a fool would go venturing into those wild places in such low temperatures without full-on winter gear and a sound knowledge of the conditions. We were wearing good boots and warm clothes, but we were not kitted out for outward-bound escapades in sub-zero temperatures.
Honister Pass west
Crummock Water
So we drove on around the eastern edge of Buttermere, then continued along the shores of the next lake down the valley, stunning Crummock Water - a lake which came as a delightful surprise as I’d not heard of it before and we were much-taken by the drama of its surroundings. The lane that runs along its eastern shore must be one of the most scenic roads in Britain.
Top end of Buttermere
A few miles down the valley we turned right to drive over the less demanding road that ascends the forest-lined Whinlatter Pass. It takes you east over the fells to the village of Braithwaite, which in turn sends you the couple of miles back to Keswick.
We took the bypass to continue east, five or six miles along the main Penrith road to its junction with the A5091, which takes you south into one of the loveliest of all the Lake District many areas. By which I mean the mountainous zone that surrounds glorious Ullswater. The word “magnificent” doesn’t do justice to this stunning neck of the woods, and you could do worse than follow our example and stop at the National Trust car park where the road meets the lake.
For here you will find the much-loved Aira-Force waterfall - a cataract which the Trust has made more accessible with well-laid pathways that run up one side of the falls and descend down the other. You can choose how far up you go, thanks to the fact a couple of foot bridges offer the chance to shorten the climb, allowing you to cross the cataract and return to the visitor centre and cafe, should you urgently feel in need of hot tea, ginger-bread or whatever. Needless to say, we went to the top, because this really is a superb little walk.
Ullswater on a winter’s afternoon
Ullswater
Then it was south for us, over the Kirkstone Pass along the main road, which we left shortly after the summit in order to drive down the lane which descends directly back around the contours of Scandale Fell down into Ambleside. A lane that offers dramatic views of Windermere every mile of the way.
After that little lot, we were certainly in need of the supreme comforts offered by the lovely Rothay Manor Hotel.
FACT FILE
Stays at Rothay Manor in Ambleside start from £290 per night, including breakfast. To book, visit www.rothaymanor.co.uk
The boutique hotel and restaurant is just a 10-minute walk from Ambleside, Lake Windermere, and the fells beyond. The Grade II-listed Regency hotel has 23 bedrooms in total, 15 in the main house and a further 8 luxury suites in the Pavilion.
With the surrounding fells, lakes and tarns making the perfect canine playground, Rothay Manor welcomes dogs, with eight dog-friendly bedrooms, and a dedicated dog washroom.
