Second full day in the Lake District was beautifully sunny, so we took a drive up to Ambleside which sits at the very north end of Windermere. Parked down by the lakeside and had a little look around the couple of shops down there, much to the dogs' delight when they were allowed in to join us. Even more so when one of the shops turned out to be a pet shop which sold ice cream for dogs. Picked up a tub and then grabbed ourselves a cuppa and a lovely blueberry scone while the dogs tucked into their ice cream. Lovely view from the Waterhead Cafe.
After that we took a stroll along the waterfront, enjoying the sunshine. There's the remains of a Roman fort down there, which are worth a look - there's not a huge amount left above ground, but there's a few little info boards dotted around. Plus the view of the mountains is pretty good from there.
Then on up the hill to Ambleside proper. It's a quaint little town, with plenty of little independent shops and cafes. I also noticed that there were quite a few with "Dogs Welcome" notes in the window, so great for dog owners too!
And from Ambleside back down to the waterfront. Beautiful day for a walk. In all, it's about 2-3 miles to go from the pier at the lakeside along the waterfront to the Roman fort, up the hill to Ambleside and then back down the main road to the car park.
From Ambleside, we headed back down the road which runs alongside the lake and stopped for a quick drink at the National Park Visitor Centre at Brockholes. More nice views across the lake, but it's a pain to get out of the car park and I imagine it's worse during the summer when the roads are busier.
Then back to the lodge before we took a walk to Cartmel to grab tea at one of the three pubs in the village square. As far as I could see, all three are dog friendly and The Kings Arms at least allows dogs into the pub (not certain about the other two). We had a lovely meal outside enjoying the spring sunshine, pretty reasonably priced and most delicious. I recommend the Cumbrian Rarebit Sandwich, but make sure to try the chips too.
And then a quick stop at the Village Shop to pick up some of the famous Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding. Om nom nom.
Just because you're in the pub, doesn't mean it belongs to you...
Our final day in the lakes started a bit dim and dismal, but since we needed to be out of the lodge by 10:30am we headed off north towards Windermere again, this time up the western side to the little village of Hawkshead. It's only a little place, but it's packed with craft shops and local produce. Checked out the Hawkshead Relish Company, which makes the most amazing preserves. Their Mojito marmalade is delicious.
There's also the recently opened Handmade in Hawkshead, which features the beautiful glasswork of James Stewardson. Definitely worth a look.
The Kings Arms in Hawkshead is also dog friendly, so we popped in there for a quick drink and a snack before moving on. Henry the dachshund decided the pub must belong to him and barked at anyone who came in.
And then home. Via the Windermere Ferry, which if you don't fancy taking a boat trip is another way to see a bit of the lake from a different perspective. It's also a really pretty drive between Hawkshead and the ferry crossing at Far Sawrey. Goes past Beatrix Potter's house, if you're interested in that sort of thing.
All in all, a great weekend. The Lake District really is a beautiful area.
Things to Do:
Windermere Ferry - £4.40 (single), runs between Ferry Nab (Bowness) and Ferry House (Far Sawrey)
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