England's Lake District.... please help
 

We are travelling in the UK in Aug / September and would like to spend some time in the Lake District as it looks so beautiful! We can probably spend around 4 days in the area. We are into photography, pretty villages, history and shortish walks. Can anyone suggest a place in the Lakes District that would be good to base ourselves in and the 'must see' attractions? We will have a car. Thanks so much!

It's a beautiful area - it will be very busy when you go though. The school children in the UK return to school at the beginning of Sept which relieves the pressure on some of the 'attractions'. However all of Sept is always busy with people holidaying who have waited for the school children to go back to school!
There's also a Bank Holiday weekend on the 25th/26th/27th August. I'd get your accommodation sorted asap.
With a car you'll have plenty of freedom. You may want to consider a farm B&B which tend to be very good value and can be in some stunning settings. However they can also be very rural so not for anyone wanting the bright lights.
Grasmere would be a possiblity as a village, and Keswick is a bustling town.
Everyone's list of must sees will be different, and many people just enjoy the Lakes for their beautiful scenery. However there's a huge literary link and you can visit the former homes of Beatrix Potter, Ruskin (Brantwood), Wordsworth etc.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hilltop/
www.brantwood.org.uk
http://www.wordsworth.org.uk/history....asp?pageid=36
We've also enjoyed visiting Blackwell House (Arts and Crafts) and Holehird Gardens.
www.blackwell.org.uk
www.holehirdgardens.org.uk
And a trip on the Ullswater Steamers (you can take a boat trip one way and walk back, a lovely day out) would also be high on my list.
www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk/
We also love the meal/cinema evenings out at Zefferellis in Ambleside.
www.zeffirellis.com
Hope this kicks off some research for you.

Thank you so much Morgana.... we wont actually get to the Lake District until after the Bank Holiday (and have accom for that weekend). Thank you so much for all of your ideas. Im cjecking out your links now.

Ok - once you have settled on an area and booked accommodation then I am sure I (and others) can help you further. We visit the area several times a year although I know the northern part better than the south.
A few more links for you to check out - favourite places of ours -
http://www.muncaster.co.uk/
Castlerigg Stone Circle (perfect photographic opportunity on a clear day). You can park across the road from the stone.
http://www.visitcumbria.com/kes/cast...one-circle.htm
http://www.levenshall.co.uk/
And two wonderful places to eat (and they both do accommodation!!)
http://drunkenduckinn.co.uk
http://www.the-punchbowl.co.uk/

Check out the Link House, near Bassenthwaite Lake.

http://www.link-house.co.uk/

I've stayed there for several nights and loved the place. The have a half board for a fairly reasonable price. Very conveniently located.

The TripAdvisor reviews are very positive.

If you wish to do some walking, try the Hard Knot or the Wye Knot, or both of them. Very popular with hikers.

We've only been the one time over the May bank holiday weekend. We stayed in Keswick and like it fine. Trip report and subsequent blog link below:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-district.cfm

If you want a great B and B - quaint with excellent service and inexpensive in a beautiful setting try Elm House by Lake Ullswater

http://www.golakes.co.uk/places/town...d=1696&miles=5

Great reports on TripAdvisor, and I have stayed here so its all accurate - the owner can not do enough for the guests

Oh thank you all so much, so many lovely websites to look at and choices to make. :-) LOVE it. I will investigate. I think for our base I would like a village that isnt one of the bigger touristy ones, but a little off the beaten path. Forgive my ignorance, but would 1 place to base ourselves be ok, or are we better to spend 2 nights in one spot and then move on? I havent really got a concept of how big this area is.

The area isn't particularly big, but the issue is the speed and ease of getting around. It will be busy, I am afraid the roads do jam and clog up, the lanes can be very narrow and twisty etc. So somewhere might not be far as the crow flies but it could take you a lot longer than you anticipate to get there.
I do remember a few years back, one beautiful summer's weekend, that a plea came out on our local news to 'please stay away from the area' as it was basically just too full and choked up (gridlock!).
Personally I'd stay in one place for the 4 days as a base - it's always an upheaval to pack up and move and wastes time.

Hello from Kendal on the edge of the Lake District (and close to the Yorkshire Dales, too).

Kendal is a great base. It's a market town with a less touristy feel than many of the places in the central Lakes. Lots going on... and lots of places of interest.

If you wanted to be in the Lakes, though, look at the more touristy centres such as Bowness, Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere, Hawkshead, Coniston and Keswick. All offer lots of potential when it comes to photography.

If history is your thing, then... ooh, well where do I start!

Kendal: Kendal Castle, Kendal Museum, Quaker Tapestry Museum, Kendal Parish Church, Sizergh Castle, Levens Hall

See more at http://www.ukattraction.com/cumbria+...ct/kendal.html

Bowness and Windermere: Windermere Steamboat Museum, Blackwell

See more at http://www.ukattraction.com/cumbria+...indermere.html

Ambleside and Grasmere: Dove Cottage, Rydal Mount, Armitt Museum, Bridge House, Ambleside Roman Fort

See more at http://www.ukattraction.com/cumbria+...ambleside.html and http://www.ukattraction.com/cumbria+.../grasmere.html

Coniston and Hawkshead: Brantwood, Tarn Hows, Ruskin Museum, Hawkshead School Museum, Coniston Launch

See more at http://www.ukattraction.com/cumbria+.../coniston.html and http://www.ukattraction.com/cumbria+...hawkshead.html

Keswick: Castlerigg Stone Circle, Mirehouse

See more at http://www.ukattraction.com/cumbria+...t/keswick.html

KendalCottages, oh my, you are brilliant.... I so appreciate your time and effort.... wow!!! This forum is amazing. How to pick!!!

Morgana, thank you.... we will be relaxed and not racing around and will go with the flow traffic wise... :-)

Morgana.... (and of course anyone who knows.....) I have been looking at the Ullswater Steamers walks.... would you recommend any of the walks in particular?

A little late - but there are walks all around the lake (literally you can walk around the lake) - there are serious walks near here as well ie Helvellyn is close to here, it is a magnificient but strenuous walk. but the views are incredible.

However they can also be very rural so not for anyone wanting the bright lights.>>

lol, morgana, where are you suggesting that the OP go in the Lakes for bright lights? the nightclub on the top of Helvellyn? or the Langsdale Pikes disco?

perhaps the Lakes have changed since we were last there.

[only kidding!]

L/Chick - I seem to remember that you can do a very nice walk round Buttermere. lovely views and not too strenuous. the classic walk near Keswick is up a little hill called Cat's Bells - a bit more walking uphill, but still not too much like hard work.

<i>L/Chick - I seem to remember that you can do a very nice walk round Buttermere. lovely views and not too strenuous. the classic walk near Keswick is up a little hill called Cat's Bells - a bit more walking uphill, but still not too much like hard work.</i>

We did both of those!

http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05...t-weekend.html

Some walking sites:
http://www.lakedistrictwalks.com/ldwalks.html

http://www.walkingenglishman.com/lakes.htm

indy-dad - I must have been channelling you unconciously.

Thanks for the extra information, much appreciated!!

Try to see "Miss Potter" before you go, beautiful shots of the Lake District.

When/ if we go back, I would stay here:

www.yewtree-farm.com

Four years ago we stayed at Cragwood which was lovely with excellent meals but a bit too formal for us:

http://www.lakedistrictcountryhotels...cragwood-hotel

I would second Morgana's suggestions on sights, Blackwell House was amazing and unexpected. Very good light lunch in their café.

Hilltop Farm was incredible, left as if B. Potter had just walked out the door. In the village, the building which was her husband's law firm features rotating exhibits of her original watercolors.

As they say, pray for sunshine, but always be prepared for rain!







http://www.lakedistrictcountryhotels...cragwood-hotel

Another vote for Elm House at Pooleys Bridge on Ullswater as a base. We spent many hours researching and have decided to stay there for 3 nights in late August. I will try to post soon after our visit. This is our first visit. We will approach from the Yorkshire Dales .