Lake District/Cumbria
 

Which is the prettiest part of this area to visit? I'm looking for hills, lakes and a nice village to stay in with lots of quaint shops and Inns. Has anyone got any ideas?<BR><BR>Thanks Buzzy

I'm sure there are many others, but I enjoyed my stay in Ambleside. It is across the lake from the Beatrix Potter farm, if I remember correctly.

Buzzy, We stayed a few days in Keswick last May and thought it was a great location to enjoy the area. Good shopping, great small guesthouses and restaurants and pubs galore, but still feels like a small town. There was even a small fire in the Pencil Museum for added excitement while we were there shopping. Hope you have a great time. Deborah

Ambleside and Grasmere are great spots. Bowness and Widermere are larger and a little more touristy, but there are loads of quaint shops and restaurants. All things considered, I'd rank Ambleside above the rest . . . I like the Wateredge Hotel there.

I would recommend this place - http://www.brackenrigginn.co.uk/ - where me and my dad stay frequently when we go walking in the Lakes.Its away from all the tourist sites and is very near to Ullswater - and is a typical English inn. Serves a great pint and delicious food. You will need a car though. Good luck. This is one of the prettiest places to visit in the UK.

One of the nicest places I have stayed anywhere was at Sharrow Bay in the Lake District. You should check it out. http://www.sharrow-bay.com/

Buzzy: Another vote for Ambleside. Just laid back, central and big enough to have basic amenities. We stay at the Vicarage B&amp;B; centrally located, charming, very freindly hosts and a good breakfast. Try the trout at The Ambleside Bistro. Excellent!. Have a great trip.

Every corner of the Lake District is drop dead gorgeous.<BR><BR>We stayed in Keswick - great town with wonderful coach service. <BR><BR>A trip to Hill Top (Beatrix Potter's home and former studio) in Near Sawrey is a must. <BR><BR>If you stay in Keswick, they have an evening cruise on Derwentwater in one of the launches that is not to be missed; Derwentwater is known as the 'Queen of the Lakes'. The guide will give you some wonderful snippets of history while you watch the sun go down over Cats Bells. Awesome!<BR><BR>Of all the walks that we took, my favorite was up to the dry Ashness Bridge ... the view is really beautiful (all tho it was quite the hike!) We walked along the shores of Derwentwater on the way to the bridge and I have some beautiful photos of Friar's Craig; a headland that the author John Ruskin described as one of Europe's most scenic spots.<BR><BR>Castlerigg Stone Circle is also within walking distance of Keswick and we took a long meandering walk from Castlerigg through some of the hills back to Keswick.<BR><BR>It is a beautiful beautiful part of England.

We stayed in Grasmere= at Michael's Nook-- fabulous manor home!!! great restaurant on premises open to the public but meals come with price of room-- very near Ambleside which we thoroughly loved!!

We stayed at Michael's Nook, too. Wonderful place. Buzzy, you asked for lots of quaint shops and inns. That doesn't really describe the Lakes. That description fits the Cotswolds better. The Lakes has nice shops and places to stay, but it's more an area with a lot of green and wild settings (dotted with hikers, though, depending on weather and time of year). We've been to England 10 times and it is our favorite place. I just don't think of it as &quot;quaint.&quot;