leslieq

I've heard great things about HF Walking and am interested in one of their Lake District guided walking plans. I will be going by myself the first week of September, 2017. I hope to do a 7 day guided walking tour.

They have two houses they own in the Lake District: one at Derwentwater and one at Conistonwater. Both look interesting, each with a choice of 3 guided walks per day. I would choose either the medium or harder walks, as I hike 10-12 miles with up to 2,600 feet elevation gain several times a week at home near San Francisco. I'm choosing the guided walks as I don't want to hike alone these longer distances and risk getting lost!

Several questions:

1. Would you have a preference for either location as to the walks you can do?
2. Is one of the houses preferable?
3. Which location is best for seeing other small towns or sights nearby without a car?

Also, which is the closest airport/train combo to reach the Lake District? I might fly into a London airport and go to some museums first, but would be interested in other options as well.

Thanks.

ribeirasacra

It does depend on where along Derwent Water you are, but for me that would perhaps be your better option on what you are looking for.
Keswick is a nice town near by.
Bus details http://www.lakedistrictonboard.com/b...ctions.html#01 with links to a fuller bus timetable.
Getting to the LD
http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visit...it/gettinghere
Trains only go as far as Windermere.Form there use local buses.
you might also consider this service. http://www.mountain-goat.co.uk/Home

sofarsogood

Keswick is more convenient public transport wise. Without your own transport Coniston is more remote. Either location has more than enough options for walking.

Nearest airport is Newcastle followed by Manchester. If you’re coming from London then train to Penrith and bus to Keswick would be the way to go.

annhig

my DH has done a couple of HF walking hols, one in Shropshire based at Church Stretton and the other in the Brecon Beacons in Wales. They were both very well organised and he was quite happy just to go down to the pub at night. Excursions are available I believe as well as the walking so you can take a "day off" and join one of the other groups if they are visiting somewhere you feel like seeing. Therefore there isn't really any need to be 'near' somewhere as all your transport is provided for you. however if you feel that you might like to "escape", then the Derwentwater base is quite near Keswick:

https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/holiday...-derwentwater/

The Coniston base is rather more remote by the looks of it though it is on a bus route:

https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/holiday...conistonwater/

each of the links tells you how to get to the base, so that shouldn't be a problem.

https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/destina...lake-district/

i'm a bit strapped for time so i can't look at the houses themselves now but I'll come back and do that later.

leslieq

Thanks, all! Since both locations look wonderful for hiking, it's been hard to make up my mind which one to do.

Based on the comments so far, I'm inclined to choose Derwent Bank as the house/location. As I'm traveling by myself for the first time without my husband, convenience of transport etc. is more important.

For Derwent Bank, looks like I could easily walk from there into Keswick on the day off if so inclined...or just hang around and enjoy the scenery at Derwentwater!

HF has so many great looking houses/walks it's been hard to choose. I also might opt for 4 days in one location and 4 in another rather than 7 days at one house.

Thanks, everyone. I especially appreciate the transport advice, which helps in planning.

ribeirasacra

Enjoy The Lakes. It is wonderful place to have a vacation.

annhig

hi again, Leslie,

based on your dates I think that you would enjoy the itineraries on offer at both properties but there is no doubt that the walks on offer at Derwent Water are some of the most outstanding that you can do in the Lake District, indeed in the UK. You've got Scafell Pike, Blencathra, Causey Pike, Haystacks, and if you were there on 9th September, Skiddaw. The walks on offer at Coniston are great but apart from Coniston Old Man it does not offer the same classic walks of the high peaks that Derwent Water does.

if you can get hold of any of the Wainwright books about the Lakes it might be worth having a look to see what he says about the different walks on offer.

of course if you could do 4 and 4, that might be the best of both worlds!

leslieq

Hi Annhig,

You read my mind!! I'm actually thinking of doing 7 days at Derwent Water location and 4 nights at the Coniston location. Derwent is September 1-7 and Coniston September 9-12, with a day in between. I hope to be able to stay as a B&B guest at Coniston Sept 8.

I've been busy now reading on transportation options in the area. Looks like I should fly into Manchester and take a train to Penrith, then bus from there to reach Kestwick...then maybe walk from there to Derwent Bank.

Next is figuring out how to get from Derwent to Coniston and then Coniston back to Manchester.

If you know this area, any advice is welcome!

Thanks, LEslie

annhig

Hi Leslie - I'm sure that a taxi would get you from Keswick to the hotel for not too much money - it's only a mile or so but you don't want to start off exhausted!

And the HF should be able to suggest how to get from one property to another - the website has travel suggestions for both properties.

I think that the balance of time you have in mind is good; there isn't much at Coniston to be honest but it is a lovely place and the yacht gondola is very beautiful.

As for knowing the area, for a few years [before kids] DH and I used to spend a long weekend in the Lakes every year, usually at Braithwaite which is just north of Keswick. We'd arrive at about 9am, stop off at Coniston and climb the Old Man before having lunch in the pub, then drive slowly over to Derwent water. Scafell Pike and Skiddaw were the peaks that we climbed most often, Wainwright in hand.

but this was 35 or so years ago so my memories are a bit sketchy to say the least. If you are a keen walker, which you clearly are, and have some half-decent weather, you should have a great time.

Fishnlines29

We loved staying in Keswick and hiking Derwentwater!

leslieq

Well I just booked 7 nights with HF at Derwent Water and 4 nights at Coniston Water. Their guided hikes look great and the prices are very reasonable.

annhig - yes, love walking/hiking and have a group I walk with now, doing around 10 miles and up to 2,500 feet elevation. After a long drought, it's been super rainy and stormy for the last months in California so even if I get rain in England it won't stop me! Have been slogging through mud and drizzle a number of times. Thanks for the help.

Thanks so much to all of you for the help!!

sofarsogood

You might find this blog interesting – the family live in Loweswater but lots of info about walks all over the Lakes.

http://www.loweswatercam.co.uk/index.html

And even though you’re going on guided walks get yourself some OS maps

https://dash4it.co.uk/ordnance-surve.../explorer.html

annhig

Leslie - that sounds like an ideal preparation for the Fells. I hope you have great time.

leslieq

Sweet family blog, sofarsogood! Thanks for the link.

janisj

>>it's been super rainy and stormy for the last months in California so even if I get rain in England it won't stop me! <<

Ain't that truth!! I generally don't let rain stop me in the UK, but I will admit I am well and truly SICK of rain. It is already the wettest rain season on record here in northern California (the season is measured from October through April) and MORE is coming this afternoon and the next few days.

One doesn't usually travel to the UK for better weather but both of my last two trips (in early December and mid March) it was warmer and dryer there than at home.

annhig

JJ - the weather here is super at the moment. We haven't had the heat that London and the SE had last weekend but it's warm and dry and forecast to be the same for the next week if not longer. Our new guests in the barn [German] are thrilled, though they are old Cornwall hands and know what to expect.

leslieq

Just returned from another wet and muddy hike in the California redwoods...with masses of blue forget me nots and glossy burgundy manzanita branches. Sweet little newts, lots of bright yellow banana slugs. Lovely.

Thanks again!

janisj

annhig: >>JJ - the weather here is super at the moment. <<

While here in 'sunny' California it has been raining most of the day and another storm is due in tomorrow . . .

annhig

Sorry JJ. Want to swap?

janisj

Yes