The Lake District- Weekend Travel Itinerary

tHE Lake District- weekend TRAVEL ITINERARY

This Easter me and my husband decided we needed a little break away from the hustle and bustle, work and just general life. We decided on The Lake District. Having been here a few times before we knew this was exactly the kind of chilled out break we needed; fresh air, the countryside and beautiful views. It was the perfect countryside escape for us and the weather wasn't all that bad either!

Here is an itinerary of what we got up to-

friday

11am- We set off from home; it took us around 3 hours to reach our accommodation for the weekend due to traffic and the Bank holiday rush.

2.15pm- we arrived at our little cottage for the weekend. We booked the Ees Wake Studio via Sykes Cottages. The self-catering studio cottage is situated in Near Sawrey and it was tiny but perfect for the two of us. As soon as you stepped out of the front door you were met with beautiful views of Esthwaite Water and the hills in the distance.

3.15pm- we decided to explore the near town of Hawkshead. We had a wander around and spotted the Beatrix Potter Gallery. Having grown up with all of the Beatrix Potter books I just had to go in and take a look. The gallery, like other galleries, has exhibitions and this years exhibition is 'The Right Sort of Woman', to mark the 100th anniversary of the advent of female suffrage in the U.K. It celebrates the influential role Beatrix Potter had on the local community.
After the gallery we continued to explore the rest of Hawkshead.

4.30pm- We headed back to the cottage and decided to explore where we were staying; Near Sawrey. We walked from the cottage to the nearby lake Esthwaite Water and walked part the way around it before deciding to head back as we were pretty hungry. Along the way we saw swans and brand new baby lambs!

6pm- Out for dinner at Sawrey House Hotel, a beautiful country house with stunning views of Esthwaite Water and the sunset. They serve traditional English dishes as well as Traditional Cumbrian dishes too. The food was lovely- I would highly recommend the Sticky Toffee pudding for dessert!

7.30pm- We decided to call it a day (so rock & roll) so we went back to the cottage and watched a film in bed :).

saturday

7.15am am- We woke up and had breakfast in the cottage. No rushing and no worrying about having to be somewhere- perfect.

8.30am- The weather was wet and windy so we drove to Ambleside and headed straight for a coffee at Esquires Coffee. If you like your coffee strong then I would recommend this place. If not then I would opt for a tea or ask for a single shot. We didn't eat here but the food that other people were having looked delicious!
After caffeinating we headed for a walk to Ambleside Waterfall. We hiked up to the top to take in the beautiful views and took a minute to soak up the peaceful sounds of the water, before heading back down to the town centre.

11.15am- We were getting a little peckish so we decided to head for a brunch/early lunch to Zeffirellis, a vegetarian cafe and restaurant serving delicious vegan and vegetarian food. We were a little early for the lunch menu so we settled with the breakfast menu. I had a light meal of their homemade granola pot. I would highly recommend eating here wether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner, the food was delicious!

12.30pm- We continued to wander around Ambleside and do a spot of shopping.

1.30pm- We got back in the car and headed up the road to Grasmere for one particular reason; Grasmere Gingerbread. The gingerbread in Grasmere is world famous, traditional and delicious. If you've tried it you will know exactly what I mean. Grasmere Gingerbread is made and sold in a little cottage next to the church and isn't made or sold anywhere else in the world. This is one thing you certainly don't want to miss- we picked up two bags of 12 pieces and one bag of 6!

2.30pm- We strolled around the village of Grasmere and decided it was time for a coffee and lunch. We spotted a place called Mathilde's which drew us in straight away with it's Scandinavian décor and light, open eating area. We headed in and ordered our coffees and food. What a truly amazing find this place was! It is situated in the Heaton Cooper Gallery and offers a menu with Scandinavian influence. I recommend the fish cakes and carrot cake!

3.30pm- We headed back down the road and stopped off at Rydal Water Car Park for a walk around the area. We crossed the road and followed a footpath along the River Rothay and through a forest which took us up a hill to a beautiful view of Grasmere Lake. It was one of those follow the path and see where it takes us kind of walks.

4.30pm- We jumped back in the car and headed back to the cottage to freshen up for dinner.

5.30pm- Dinner at the Queen's Head, Hawkshead. Don't be fooled by the old-style pub look; this place serves up some incredible food! Everything from traditional pub dishes to other not-so traditional dishes. The staff are all super friendly and make the experience of dining here even better. Booking is essential!

7pm- Back to the cottage and another chilled out evening watching a movie. This break was as much about relaxing as it was exploring :).

sunday

7.30am- Again, a relaxed breakfast in the cottage overlooking the beautiful scenery.

8.30am- A morning walk from our front door to Moss Eccles Tarn and Claife Heights. We headed up the footpath across the road from our cottage which took us up to the top of a hill, overlooking Esthwaite Water; you could see for miles! We continued along the footpath and across moorland to reach Moss Eccles Tarn, a beautiful and peaceful 'lake' which was made even more peaceful as there wasn't another person in sight. We stopped to take it all in and then continued upwards, through forests and very muddy footpaths to Claife Heights. This was supposed to be a beautiful viewing point over Lake Windermere but, it was so overgrown with trees you couldn't see a thing! Even so, it was nice to sit in the sunshine for 10 minutes and enjoy a delicious piece of Grasmere Gingerbread as well as just enjoy the nature.

12.00pm- We arrived back to Near Sawrey and decided to visit Hill Top, Beatrix Potters house. As it was Easter Sunday we had to wait 30 minutes to get in so we decided to head to the local pub, Tower Bank Arms, for a quick drink and sit down.

12.30pm- Our turn to visit Hill Top. We headed in and explored the small, quaint house. Discovering all the places within the property that were in all of her books was pretty incredible so if you are a Beatrix Potter fan then I would highly recommend you visit Hill Top.

12.50pm- Time to find somewhere for lunch! We decided to head around Lake Windermere to the town of Windermere for lunch. We stopped at The Pig where I had the most beautiful Goats Cheese Salad! We then had a little wander around and stopped at Homeground Coffee for pudding :). The place was very busy but we managed to get the last two seats in front of the fire- perfect as it was quite cold outside. For all chocolate lovers out there the Chocolate Brownies with white chocolate chunks is extremely chocolatey!! Alternatively the Blueberry and Lime Flapjack was delicious too. They also serve breakfast, brunch and lunch too.

3.30pm- Back to the cottage to pack and head home (which only actually took us 2 hours this time).

Lake District tips:

1. Wear appropriate clothing! I'm talking waterproofs, walking shoes/boots and wellies. Wrap up warm with plenty of layers too. We were pretty lucky with the weather but it was still very cold and wet on one day so wrapping up is essential! Trainers and a thin coat aren't going to cut it I'm afraid, especially in winter!

2. Everything in the lakes is spread out so having a car is essential really. It enables you to explore more of the lakes and access all areas of it which can't be accessed by foot or public transport.

3. Bring a camera. The views here are simply breathtaking; bring a camera so you can grab some truly incredible shots! Also, don't forget to live in the moment too- grab a quick snap or two but most importantly, enjoy it!

4. Plan ahead and get there before anyone else. The Lakes is such a vast place that planning ahead is a great idea to make the most of your time there. Also, there are many 'touristy places' so if you want to visit them then getting there early is essential to escape the crowds! I tend to avoid the touristy places if I can but if you're new to the area then some places just have to be done :)

I hope you enjoyed my Lake District Weekend Itinerary! Whether it's a couple of days or a full week The Lake District never disappoints! It's the perfect place to get back to nature, switch off and enjoy quality time with loved ones.

Amie xx

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THE GIRL BEHIND FITNESS FORSTER

My name is Amie and I am the face behind Fitness Forster.
I am a freelance recipe developer, content creator and qualified personal trainer. I developed this website to share my passion for healthy recipes, fitness and travel.

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