Last weekend my mom and I took a trip to the Lake District for my birthday. It was my first time visiting and I adored it. We booked for two nights but I wish we’d stayed longer – I could have easily strolled the countryside for hours on end! We took Frank (my beloved frenchie) and the three of us had the most wonderful few days, soaking up the sights and eating delicious food. I thought I’d share some of the pictures I took.
We stayed in the village of Hawkshead and spent the majority of the weekend in and around Ambleside. Pretty much everywhere we went was dog friendly – Frank got lots of love and attention!
Walking
It goes without saying that there are some glorious walks around the Lakes – I had a lot of fun browsing AllTrails before our trip! Frank only has little legs so we didn’t plan anything too strenuous, but we still managed to do lots of exploring. I’ve popped the details of the two trails we did below – they’re great if you fancy something a little softer or have a small dog/children with you, but are still challenging enough to warrant a large pub lunch or stiff drink afterwards!
Stockghyll Force and Ambleside
This is a gorgeous 6k walk that takes you through the town of Ambleside, past the iconic Bridge House and up to Stockghyll Force waterfall. There’s plenty of lovely cafes/pubs en-route if you need to refuel along the way!
Hill Top Farm
This was easily my favourite part of the trip! I’ve been wanting to visit Hill Top for years and it was every bit as magical as I thought it would be. It was fascinating learning more about Beatrix Potter and the work she put into preserving the Lake District’s countryside. She lived the most incredible life.
We followed our visit with a quiet 5k walk around Near Sawrey and Moss Eccles Tarn.
Where We Ate
THE APPLE PIE CAFE – Rydal Road, Ambleside LA22 9AN
Whilst searching for places to eat in Ambleside, The Apple Pie came up numerous times. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular – as well as having the cutest exterior, the food is delicious and reasonably priced. We came for breakfast one morning and both had the avocado sourdough toast, which was excellent. The coffee was also the best I had all weekend! They don’t take reservations so be mindful when visiting during peak times – it gets very busy!
CHESTERS BY THE RIVER – Ambleside LA22 9NJ
A little more on the expensive side but a gorgeous option for brunch or a cake break! The view of the river is worth a visit alone; perfect for sunnier days where you can sit outside and enjoy the scenery.
The menu is vegetarian and has amazing variety. We came for breakfast and had the homemade granola, which was so tasty and filling. I also bought a cinnamon roll to take away – trust me, you won’t be able to resist the bakery!
Make sure to visit the shop next door after you’ve eaten – it sells the most beautiful gifts and trinkets.
THE LITTLE ICE-CREAM SHOP – Laburnum House, The Square, Hawkshead, Ambleside LA22 0NZ
No visit to the lakes is complete without a trip to The Little Ice-Cream shop! This was right next to our Air B&B and it’s the first place we headed after checking in. Despite the name, there’s nothing little about the ice-creams here – you definitely get your moneys worth! I ordered a cone with two scoops and it was bigger than my head. I’m normally pretty good at tackling monstrous portions but this defeated me – I ended up sharing with Frank (which he was more than happy about).
FORCE CAFE & TERRACE – Kelsick Grammar, Stockghyll Ln, Ambleside LA22 0QY
The perfect pit stop! We stumbled across Force cafe whilst walking to the Stockghyll waterfall. I had a chai latte and fruit scone and mom had a pistachio and berry tart. It was just the sugar we needed to get us to the end of our hike! The views from the terrace are beautiful, too.
TOWER BANK ARMS – Near Sawrey, Ambleside LA22 0LF
This is the only place we booked before our trip – we had Sunday dinner here after our visit to Hill Top Farm. Both the food and service was wonderful. The heavens opened not long after our arrival so we stayed a while, playing cards and sharing a bottle of wine. Such a wholesome and cosy end to my birthday!
BADGER BAR – Rydal, Ambleside LA22 9LR
We came here following a recommendation and it did not disappoint! Badger Bar is a friendly, cosy hotel serving traditional pub food. I had steak and ale pie and my mom had fish and chips, which is just what we needed after a long day of walking. Of course, it was all washed down with a couple of glasses of wine (we were on holiday, after all).
There’s a family of badgers that live within the grounds of the pub (hence the name) and the staff feed them every night at dusk – how amazing!
I well and truly left my heart in the Lakes! It was the perfect place to spend my birthday. I’m already looking forward to going back.
Have you been to the Lake District? x
Leave a Reply