Lake District Walks in April & May
 

I have 5 days to spend in England and am considering seeing the Lake District. Does anyone know if it is safe for a woman to walk alone? Any recommends? Thanks!

In any of Britain's hilly areas there are some basic safety rules you really ought to follow. They're all based on the fact that our weather's unpredictable at any time of the year even an hour or two in advance, that getting caught in a cloud up in the hills can disorient you very easily, and that exposure - especially with a twisted ankle - can be really dangerous if you're not dressed (and shod) properly.

The rules apply to women in exactly the same way as to men. Walking alone doesn't make much difference as most trails are reasonably well travelled. Map, compass, proper clothing, some food and drink, telling someone where you're going and having a realistic idea of what you're capable of just about cover it, but they're laid out in greater detail in every walk book and in every information centre.

If your safety question is about attacks, simply dismiss all such concerns.

Don't let any of that put you off: you'll probably also be there during the very finest weather anywhere in the world, though there'll most likely be a few drops of rain.

Wouldn't begin to recommend one walk.
This is the one area where I wouldn't recommend a visitor to start off by buying the relevant voume in the Jarrold-OS Pathfinder series (fine though they are). Get hold of as many Wainwright books as you can and then start to decide. If you're unfamiliar with the works of Alfred Wainwright, this is your great chance to discover them.

The Lakes are beautiful at that time of year.
If I were you, I'd go into the tourist office in somewhere like Keswick. You'll find lots of leaflets about local walks.
There are still guided walks available if you don't want to walk alone, but I shouldn't worry about personal safety.
Flanner's advice about clothing etc. is very sensible.

This may give you some ideas:

http://www.lakedistrictwalks.com/

Whilst I agree, Wainwrights books are beautiful, don't use them without the relevant Ordnance Survey walking map at 2 and a half inches to the mile.

Maria

Thank you for mentioning this website. The photographs are great. I've been planning on visiting the Lake District and this site is very helpful.

Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful suggestions. I was indeed referring to personal safety although I will definitely follow the general rules of safety. I am happy to hear that the weather should be pleasant during late April and early May. I had thought it would be very cold and cloudy. Can anyone tell me what the crowds are like that time of year? Thanks again!

May 2 is a Bank Holiday so that weekend will be busy - especially if the weather is nice but even if it isn't. Friday Apr 29 through Monday May 2 you will need to have advance booking - and today is not too soon.

Thanks Janis. I realize that I made a mistake in my original post. I have 5 nights in the Lake District and two nights open for up and back to London. I have already reserved a B&B for the Lake District during the week, but left the April 30th and May 1st weekend open as I had planned to meander back to London during that time. After reading your post, I have tried very hard to find a B&B that will take a single traveller over that weekend with no luck. Nobody wants to book a single room for a Saturday night. Originally, I had considered a short stop at Calke Abbey on the way back to London. I may need to rethink my journey and try to stay 2 nights in that area if I can find someone that will take me. Perhaps I should post a new request for more information on what to do with 2 nights in the Derbyshire area. Thanks again.