Cotswolds or Lake District Walking Tour
 

I will be in London for work the first week of Oct and would like to extend my trip with a self-guided walking tour in either the Lake District or the Cotswolds. I will be traveling alone, but I'm a very seasoned European traveler and hiker/walker. I would love a combo of countryside and villages. I originally picked the Lake District due to the fact I was a literature major with a focus on the Romantic Poets. What do you suggest?

I think you're likely to have more reliable, if not completely dry, weather in the Cotswolds. And while there will be tourists in the better known towns & villages, in my experience, when we walk we pass through many with few or no visitors at all and on the paths through the countryside you'll have a great deal of solitude, very nice.

The Lakes are gorgeous -- the Cotswolds are more gentle. But by the middle of October you could have any sort of weather (well, actually you could have any sort of weather any time of year) and I'd personally thinks the cotswolds would be a safer bet. Plus more to do if the weather turns really awful.

Head up North, maybe the ferns are turning colour a sort of rustic golden brown.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...eekend-breaks/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...y-Windsor.html
http://www.herdwickcroft.co.uk/thing...t-this-autumn/
I would suggest you hunt some of these guide books down.
http://wainwrightguides.co.uk/

Those who can product the weather are amazing what a skill to have and then hold back and only write on this forum.

Hi, lisakinnear. I've done solo walks in both the Lakes and the Cotswolds, and I'd choose the Cotswolds. The Lakes can be beautiful once you climb to the prime viewing spots, but the walks up didn't seem as scenic or pleasant as the walks in Cotswolds.

Dove Cottage was interesting to visit and well preserved, but there are many more interesting buildings to visit in the Cotswolds on a rainy day, and the Wordsworth museum is rather small and would likely only take you about 2 hours if you were to read every handwritten page on display. This visit, I'd opt for the Cotswolds.

But either way, you'll have gorgeous scenery. Have fun planning.

"Those who can product the weather are amazing what a skill to have and then hold back and only write on this forum."

Number of rainy days in October, according to weatherbase.com:

Keswick: 17.8
Bourton-on-the-Water: 12.5

Indeed, we are amazing but everywhere, not just on this forum.

>>Those who can product the weather are amazing what a skill to have and then hold back and only write on this forum.<<

Nope, we can't product/predict the weather (In October nor in July nor in April) but IF the weather is nasty/really wet which is semi-likely in mid October there would be more options in the Cotswolds.

I once planned a week with an English friend in the Lake District and it poured continuously, which can happen anywhere I realize and it was unusual even for the Lakes. We ended up abandoning our non-refundable hotel rooms and fleeing south. I think when time is limited it's a good idea to go with the odds.

So janisj are you suggesting never book anything so you can change the area to get better weather? But it might just be bad weather in said country what do you do then?

MmePerdu Please tell us all how the weather history websites can give us a weather prediction? These sites give information on what has occurred, however what is the data behind the numbers issued. It is like those polls before a vote. One thing is guaranteed Statistically they are a waste of Internet.
Yours; Bill Giles.

We visit the Lakes a lot (we live within easy reach) and have often had fabulous weather in October. If your interest is the Lake poets then there are numerous places to visit beyond Wordsworth's house. Plus the castles and stately homes in the area will still be open (most close at the end of October).
Definitely no shortage of things to do.
Whatever place you choose be prepared to be flexible with your plans.

>>So janisj are you suggesting never book anything so you can change the area to get better weather?<<

Oh heck no. I travel to the UK in just about every month of the year. I (me personally) just wouldn't plan a walking holiday in more remote areas like the Lakes, parts of Scotland, etc. at that time of year. Now -- I did LOTS of outdoorsy stuff in Fall and Winter . . . when I <i>lived</i> in the UK. I could change plans if conditions were really awful and go somewhere else or re-schedule for a different weekend.

But if I am traveling half way around the world I tend to plan activities that give me the best odds.

**just wouldn't plan a walking holiday in more remote areas like the Lakes, parts of Scotland, etc. at that time of year**
Plenty do so you may not be correct or you may be made of sugar and melt in the rain! I have got some of the best autumn colour photos in my collection form that time of year in the Lakes. Golden browns, greens, blue skies and grey rocks.

Thanks to all of you for your advice. Didn't intend to start a weather battle on the forum �� I will continue to research and plan, but I will definitely consider the Cotswolds now.

well I just hope it does not rain on you there either ;-)

Personally, having worked in the Cotswolds and still living not far away, I have walked quite a few walks in the Cotswolds, admittedly going back a bit now.

In my opinion some areas of the Cotswolds are nice for walking, if a little sedate. The Slaughters are great and so is Cleeve hill. It is difficult however to get a feeling of remoteness in the Cotswolds which is criss crossed by roads.

I would choose the Lake District if I had a choice of the two. Stay away from Windermere and head for quieter lakes; Patterdale on Ullswater offers some great walks - Helvellyn if you are feeling energetic, Buttermere is also very nice. Public transport makes some of these areas a bit less accessible without a car.

You could consider North Wales as an alternative with good access via railways from London and possibly making use of the Welsh Highland heritage steam railway to access walks.

Whatever you choose, I am sure you will enjoy your trip.