Windermere Wanderings

Tarn Hows View

Friday 15th March 2019

An early start for us - 6AM for the journey to Mum’s. No - that’s the time we got up, not the time we set off.

A brief stop to drop off the locket with Mum and Dad’s photos in, and to collect some of Dad’s ashes for the important mission ahead.

Drove on up to Windermere in mixed weather to collect the keys to the cottage with about 20 minutes before the Cumbrian Cottages office closed for the day. Our cottage was tucked away down a quiet backstreet just off one of the main streets in the village. After some difficulty we managed to find a way to get the car close to our temporary home only to be advised by our nosey neighbour that we were in someone else’s spot. So I decided to park in the next street with the provided parking permit on display.

After unpacking we went for a quick wander in the village, food shopping and then back to base for tea and wine.

Saturday 16th March 2019

OK, so I don’t think anyone ever said go to the English Lake District for good weather and a suntan, but this was ridiculous. The wind and rain dictated that this was not a day for being very adventurous.

A slow start to the day after the previous days travelling was definitely called for. (Any more excuses? Plain old laziness maybe?) Coffee and crumpets digested, lounging around, washing up done we couldn’t put it off any more so we went out. Probably as much as 100 metres we managed until we threw ourselves into Sugar and Spice for a lunch of chilli jacket potato and Cumberland sausage baguette.

Got brave after lunch to get our bearings in the area and turned down a side street past some houses and through some trees to discover quite a lot of puddles turning into floods as we passed. Arrived in Bowness-on-Windermere after a journey of dodging getting splashed by passing cars - some who clearly didn’t like us very much. Mooched around the shops and tea-rooms of Bowness before heading back up the main road to home for tea.

Orrest Head View

Sunday 17th March 2019

Windermere Sainsbury’s for some provisions to take with us on a very important walk.

Just off the main A-road passing through Windermere is a pathway that leads up to Orrest Head which provided Alfred Wainwright with the inspiration to spend many years drawing and describing the beautiful fells of the Lakes in his pictorial guides. These guides and other associated books went on to sell millions and inspire many others to come and enjoy the beauty of the area.

This is a place that also had an effect on my Father who enjoyed the magnificent views over Lake Windermere and all other directions. And so it was that today we headed up to the top carrying his ashes to deposit for his forever view. It is a modest little climb with generally very good pathways, and only took about 20 minutes from the main road. The conditions were fine as we climbed up, but just before the top we met an elderly couple on their way down who said it was blowing a gale on top and we would need a hat. Once we reached the top it was true that it was quite windy and a bit chilly - but it was March so what do you expect?

It’s a popular spot given its accessibility so there seems to be a constant stream of people enjoying the views form the top even if the wind and cold forced many of them to only make a brief stop.

We loitered for a while hoping for the place all to ourselves. Fat chance of that happening on a Sunday! Eventually we found a nice secluded spot near a tree for Dad to continue to enjoy the views to the surrounding fells which still had snow on many of them.

We followed an alternative route back down and wound up in Bowness where we had coffee at a nice bar and restaurant called Urban Food House which we liked the look of so much we decided we would have to come back for something to eat on another day.

Back to base to get ready for a big night out in Windermere. We had hoped to go to a restaurant we liked the look of, but without a reservation we were turned away, and so ended up in a tapas bar for a set menu option accompanied by tropical sangria.

Monday 18th March 2019

Drove to Ambleside and headed up a tarmac lane from the village which soon turned into a muddy path and steep steps before arriving at Stock Ghyll Falls. Its not quite Niagara, but given the recent weather the falls were in full flow and well worth the short walk from Ambleside.

Back down to the village for lunch at the Rattle Ghyll - a quirky little place by the side of a stream (Mediterranean dipping plate/mature cheddar panini with damson chutney).

More shopping, coffee and cake followed to end a leisurely day.

Tuesday 19th March 2019

Drove to Tarn Hows which had been another favourite spot of my Dad’s and one he had painted on at least one occasion. I remember visiting in my childhood and enjoying the beauty of the area in quite good weather, but today’s weather wasn’t to be nearly as good as I recalled (rose tinted glasses maybe!)

We parked at the National Trust car park and began the circular walk around the lake but got distracted by another path signposted towards Tom Gill Falls which as with other falls were in full spate. We took the usual terrible selfies and then dropped down to the car park at Glen Mary Bridge before working our way back up via a farm track as the drizzle began.

There are picnic tables scattered around the car park area so we decided to eat near the car in case it started to rain heavily. Suitably refreshed we walked around the tarn in varying amounts of drizzle and decided that it was still a stunning atmospheric place in any weather.

Back in Windermere we chose the Crafty Baa for pre-meal drinks and they have a lot to choose from. Almost a hundred listed on the craft beer menu, a handful of real ales in a newly opened tap room, plus whatever was behind the bar.

Our dining room for the evening was Francines (Goats cheese with sun-dried tomatoes, pesto/chicken liver parfait, followed by belly pork and Eton mess. An excellent way to round off the day and one which is likely to be on our list of venues next time we are in the area.

Wednesday 20th March 2019

A slow lazy start to the day even by our standards as we headed down to Bowness on foot for such at the Urban Food House - Sweet potato rosti with feta cheese and avocado/crispy egg yolks, avocado on sourdough with salad - Outstanding!

A leisurely stroll along the banks of Lake Windermere until we reached the ferry which crosses the lake to Hawkshead. It was currently closed for maintenance so there was nothing else to do but head back to Bowness for more food - cheesecake and coffee this time.

Thursday 21st March 2019

Drove to Grasmere and searched for some provisions for the day. Found the smallest sandwich bar I’ve ever seen situated in the centre of the village and purchased tuna salad roll and sausage rolls. Only cash transactions for these delicious snacks, and fortunately we had some cash for once.

We set off on the coffin road, so called as it was the route used to take the dead of Rydal to the church in Grasmere for burial, for a really nice walk around Grasmere and Rydal Water. The weather was being much nicer to us today and our lunch stop on a bench overlooking the lake was beautiful.

Later on we stopped at a bench next to a weir at the end of Grasmere and sat enjoying the view for a while, before a final stop at a fairy cafe for lattes.

In the evening we headed for Crafty Baa to discover that there was no service at all in the tap room and I had to settle for a bottle of sticky toffee pudding ale (£5) then went round the corner for IPA at Brown Sugar.

Grasmere