OK! TRAVEL
LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE WITH FUN-FILLED ACTIVITIES AND ACTION-PACKED ADVENTURES FOR OCTOBER HALF TERM? THE LAKE DISTRICT TICKS ALL THE BOXES
WHY GO
There’s a very good reason why William Wordsworth’s famous poem, Daffodils, is etched into English literature history. It was inspired by the Lake District and his writings – “I wandered lonely as a cloud, that floats on high o’er vales and hills, when all at once I saw a crowd, a host of golden daffodils” – helped to put The Lakes, which are designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty, on the tourist map in the 19th century. The stunning landscapes have not escaped the attention of pop star Taylor Swift either, as there’s a song titled The Lakes that pays homage to Wordsworth and Lake Windermere on her new album Folklore. The rugged mountains and vast lakes also provide an outdoor playground for families of all ages. So if you wish to have a classic Swallows And Amazons (the 2016 film starring Rafe Spall and Kelly Macdonald was filmed in Coniston and Derwentwater) outdoorsy adventure, then the lakes are perfect. Our advice? Parents have a G&T or a Keswick Gold beer ready at the end of the day and a comfortable sofa to flop on. You’ll need it!
WHERE TO STAY
There’s nothing quite like being in the middle of nowhere, where ducklings come and meet you for breakfast and you can enjoy a glass of champagne in a hot tub without interruption. You can do this if you stay at one of the Luxury Lodges at Whitbarrow located in the heart of Lake District National Park, with Lake Ullswater around 10 miles away. Whitbarrow is home to a collection of self-catering lodges, cottages – many converted from the original stone farm buildings – and new apartments. OK! checked into Troutbeck, a contemporarystyled cottage with three bedrooms, including bunk beds and an outdoor hot tub. In the grounds, you’ll find an outdoor play area, crazy golf and a pitch and putt course. Troutbeck has a well-equipped kitchen, but if you don’t want to cook you can order a takeaway (we loved the pizzas from the on-site Eden Café Bar). If the weather is miserable, then there’s an indoor heated pool and a games room with table tennis and a pool table. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, we had to book in a slot for the pool but at the end of our session everything was thoroughly cleaned before the next family arrived.
WHAT TO DO
The Lake District is well-known for its breathtaking mountains criss-crossed with walking trails. Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England,is a challenging hike. We couldn’t persuade our teenagers to scale these lofty heights, but we did get them to walk the seven-mile scenic clifftop path – part of the Cumbria Coastal Way – that connects St Bees Head and Whitehaven, a large, historic harbour town.
On the way, you pass by the RSPB Nature Reserve, with its huge seabird colony, and the St Bees Lighthouse that sits on the most westerly point of northern England.
The teenagers did, however, love some of the adrenalinepumping activities we signed up for, including hiring electric bikes, a quad biking expedition and a sunset kayak tour on Derwentwater, which ended with us all jumping 30ft off a bridge into the water!
We hit more heights scrambling through the trees at Go Ape in Grizedale Forest and firing down the zip wire at the end. But nothing beat Ghyll (ravine) Scrambling for which you’re kitted up in a wetsuit, boots, helmet and life jacket. You clamber around natural rock chutes, sliding into deep pools of icy water and jumping from waterfalls. Utterly terrifying but exhilarating all at the same time! Luckily our capable guide Lee, from Keswick Adventures, managed to get us all back to shore safe and sound, albeit with some very big bruises!
WHERE TO EAT
There are some great places to eat and drink in Keswick. The famous cow pie at The George
Hotel, the oldest pub in town, was definitely worth the trip. Other notable places to eat include The Sizzling Stone, where chunks of meat are cooked on a hot lava stone in front of you, The Wild Strawberry for savoury and sweet crêpes (make sure you try the one with chocolate, marshmallows and digestives), and Bistro at The Distillery, where you can also sign up for a whisky tour. A good place to buy local delicacies – like Cumberland sausage, Kendal mint cake and Grasmere gingerbread – is at Keswick’s biweekly market. It’s a good job you do a lot of exercise because you have plenty to burn off in a week there!