Latest / UK Travel Planning / Visiting the Lake District? What to Know Before You Go

Transcript

Visiting the Lake District? What to Know Before You Go · UK Travel Planning

0:00
SPEAKER_01: Are you thinking about visiting the lake district?
0:02
SPEAKER_01: There are a few things worth knowing before you go, and in this episode, Briney Wilson from Mountain Goat Tours, who are based in Windermere, share how much time the lakes really need, how to get around with or without a car, and where to base yourself for the trip you want.
0:28
SPEAKER_01: Hi everybody and welcome to this week's edition of the UK Travel Planning Podcast.
0:32
SPEAKER_01: Now, before we start, if you're in the early stages of planning a UK trip and not quite sure where to begin, our free UK trip planning roadmap walks you through it step by step, and you can find the link in the show notes for this episode.
0:44
SPEAKER_01: Now, the Lake District is somewhere Doug and I get asked about all the time, and it is part of the UK that rewards a bit of thinking before you arrive.
0:51
SPEAKER_01: It's not a town or a city you can point to on a map, it's a whole area made of towns, tiny villages and valleys that do not always connect the way you'd expect.
0:59
SPEAKER_01: So knowing how to get around and how much time to give, it makes a real difference to the trip you have.
1:05
SPEAKER_01: That is exactly what this episode is for.
1:07
SPEAKER_01: There's central things worth knowing before you go.
1:10
SPEAKER_01: Briony Wilson works for Mountain Goat, a touring company based in Windermere, and she's lived in the lakes for more than 20 years.
1:16
SPEAKER_01: So let's get into the conversation with Briany.
1:20
SPEAKER_01: Hi Briony and welcome back to the UK Travel Planner Podcast.
1:24
SPEAKER_01: Wonderful to have you back.
1:25
SPEAKER_01: Hi, nice to be here.
1:27
SPEAKER_01: And uh again, well uh uh give us a brief introduction about who you are and who you work for and what you do.
1:33
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I'm Briany Wilson.
1:35
SPEAKER_00: I work for the sales and marketing department of Mountain Goats, and we are a touring company based in the Lake District, but we have um depots in Yorkshire and in the northwest, um, so we can do scheduled tours all across the northwest of England, but we can take you wherever you go.
1:53
SPEAKER_00: We do a number of private hires, so we can do anything all over the country.
1:57
SPEAKER_01: Fantastic.
1:58
SPEAKER_01: Now I have been asked, so you will not believe, Ryan, how many times I've been asked to do a podcast about the Lake District.
2:04
SPEAKER_01: And I'll just we'll start, I'll start by saying it is the Lake District, not the Lakes District, because that's quite often what people say.
2:11
SPEAKER_01: Um, so I thought who else would be great to come on and talk about the Lake District or somebody who lives in the Lake District.
2:18
SPEAKER_01: So um, and Briney, actually, in a few weeks' time, you're also going to be talking about Chester, which is another place you've lived in.
2:23
SPEAKER_01: So that's gonna be a great episode as well.
2:25
SPEAKER_01: Um, but I thought let's start with the basics.
2:28
SPEAKER_01: So, kind of this series of the podcast is kind of before you go, all the things you need to know from somebody who lives there, somebody who knows the area, um, things that you need to know before you go and visit this part of the UK, a beautiful part of the UK.
2:40
SPEAKER_01: So we're gonna start with the real basics here, Briani.
2:43
SPEAKER_01: And I know you you've had the question, so you know what's coming.
2:46
SPEAKER_01: Um, but the first thing I want to kind of ask is if for anybody who doesn't know where the lake district is and what it's near, would you like to just give us some geographical kind of um information?
2:56
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so the lake district is in the northwest of England, and just to confuse you, all the locals call it the lakes.
3:03
SPEAKER_00: We never call it the Lake District unless we're advertising it.
3:07
SPEAKER_00: So that's probably why everyone's getting confused.
3:09
SPEAKER_00: Um so yeah, we're in the northwest of England.
3:11
SPEAKER_00: My base for the company is Windmere, and that sits like halfway between Manchester and Scottish border.
3:17
SPEAKER_00: So that makes us about 90 minutes by car or by train from Manchester.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's about three hours by train from London, ideally Houston, and about five hours from London by car.
3:31
SPEAKER_00: And then if you are travelling further north, we're about two and a half hours, maybe three hours from Edinburgh and Glasgow by both sort of train and car.
3:41
SPEAKER_00: So the Lake District is more of an area rather than like a town or a city.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: Um, so our closest cities really are like Carlisle, Lancaster, Preston.
3:51
SPEAKER_00: Um, but if you're looking for a city and you come in because it's got a cultural, historic, a good shopping background, you're more likely to go a little bit further afield and go to Manchester, to Liverpool, Chester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, those sort of big five, the big cities in the north.
4:09
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then because again it's an area, we sort of split it down differently in England.
4:16
SPEAKER_00: So you have a lot of towns in the lake district.
4:18
SPEAKER_00: Um, so big ones can include like Ambleside, Keswick, Kendall, Windmere, Boness, they're sort of your good bases for places to stay.
4:26
SPEAKER_00: But then the lake district is really made up of lots and lots of little villages.
4:30
SPEAKER_00: Some places really aren't even a village, they're more like an accumulation of a few houses, and places like that are more like Brasmere, Coniston, Hawke's head.
4:38
SPEAKER_00: So there's a real sort of mashup that makes this area.
4:42
SPEAKER_01: And it is an absolutely beautiful area of the world, it really is, it really is somewhere um worth going and visiting.
4:48
SPEAKER_01: Um, is there anything that you wish people knew before they go to the lake district?
4:53
SPEAKER_01: Is there kind of because I I I think some of the questions we get asked about, you know, driving around, how easy it is, how easy is it to get around, you know, can I get from one part of the lake district to another?
5:03
SPEAKER_01: Those sort of questions come up all the time.
5:05
SPEAKER_01: But is there anything that you feel that people kind of don't know before they arrive that would be useful for them to know?
5:11
SPEAKER_00: Yes, I think probably the biggest thing is scale of the lake district.
5:15
SPEAKER_00: Like people look at a map and go, oh, it's really close together.
5:18
SPEAKER_00: And I guess if you're coming from Australia, coming from us from America, it is, but it can still take quite a bit of time to get there.
5:26
SPEAKER_00: Um, we have a lot, especially like between the valleys.
5:30
SPEAKER_00: So not one place doesn't necessarily connect to another.
5:32
SPEAKER_00: There's lots of farms and things in the way, so there's lots of roundabout ways of getting to places, especially on those narrow roads, and not everywhere is accessible by public transport.
5:42
SPEAKER_00: So I guess that's what makes it part of its character.
5:45
SPEAKER_00: Like the lakes are a huge draw, and so are the fells and smaller villages and things like that.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: But I think the lake district, the character itself is what you're coming to see.
5:54
SPEAKER_00: It's not one particular, you're not going to see Windermere, you're not coming to see Oldswater Lake.
6:01
SPEAKER_00: Like these are the uh you're coming for the experience, and I think a big thing when coming to visit the lakes is about slow it down, don't try and cram everything into one visit.
6:11
SPEAKER_00: Like the likelihood is it's going to be cold, it's going to be wet.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: How whatever month you pick, we can't guarantee it over here, unfortunately.
6:20
SPEAKER_00: That's part of its charm.
6:21
SPEAKER_00: Like, lean into it, pack the cozy outfits, make it the weekend and the holiday where you're gonna wear that fleece, that waterproof, the big boots, like pack sensibly, but just know that it's part of what it's about, it's part of the holiday.
6:36
SPEAKER_00: Like, experience it, enjoy it.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: The late district is what it is because of the rain, like it's why it looks so green, so fresh.
6:43
SPEAKER_00: We've had a little bit of rain this week, and now it all looks green and lovely again.
6:48
SPEAKER_00: Like, this is what it's about.
6:49
SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say the other thing to do is actually go when myself and Doug go because when we go there, it's always beautiful weather.
6:55
SPEAKER_01: We're just always very, very, very lucky.
6:58
SPEAKER_01: This year it was it was stunning.
6:59
SPEAKER_01: We had the most beautiful couple of days there.
7:02
SPEAKER_01: Um, but again, just say you never know what you're gonna get.
7:04
SPEAKER_01: It's a typical kind of anywhere in the UK, you just never know what you're gonna get.
7:08
SPEAKER_01: So you really need to kind of be prepared.
7:10
SPEAKER_01: Um, now a lot of our listeners will kind of start off in London and they might be thinking, okay, um, how can I get can I get there directly?
7:18
SPEAKER_01: How long would it take me to get from London?
7:20
SPEAKER_01: I kind of I'm thinking I might go from maybe London, go to the Lake District for a bit of kind of countryside and then go up to Edinburgh, that sort of thing.
7:29
SPEAKER_01: So is it possible by train or would you recommend driving?
7:32
SPEAKER_01: And if somebody did kind of go that car option, um, you know, or decide not to go the car option, I should say, can you get around the lake district without a car?
7:41
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, definitely.
7:42
SPEAKER_00: So, what I'd always recommend is the train.
7:44
SPEAKER_00: So from London Euston to Oxen Home.
7:47
SPEAKER_00: So Oxenholm is our sort of closest, biggest station.
7:50
SPEAKER_00: It's technically just outside of Kendall, um, which is one of the sort of bigger towns in the Lake District, but Oxenholm Lake District is the sort of train station you're looking for.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: And from Oxenholm uh to Houston, that's roughly three hours.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: It is on the main line, so that one train from Houston does stop in Oxenholm about halfway, but it also carries on all the way up to Glasgow and Edinburgh, where it forks off dependent on the train.
8:14
SPEAKER_00: And from Oxenholm, you've also got direct links to Manchester, to Birmingham, to Liverpool, to Windermere, um, and you could also, if you wanted to, hire from fly from Heathrow across to Manchester Airport and then hire a car.
8:27
SPEAKER_00: Um, what I'd mainly say though is if you are coming to the Lake District by car, which is definitely feasible, you can get around by car, but you need to be very mindful of your timings.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: Um, if you're trying to get a little bit off the beaten track, we do have two main bus services.
8:44
SPEAKER_00: We've got the 555 and the 599.
8:47
SPEAKER_00: They cover most of the central lakes.
8:50
SPEAKER_00: Um, but you've just got to be cautious of those timings, and if you're not used to reading sort of an English bus schedule, it's not the easiest thing to navigate your mind around.
9:00
SPEAKER_00: Um, you've just got to be cautious of those timings.
9:03
SPEAKER_00: Some places are quite rural, and you can't guarantee that a bus is going to hit there every hour, it might be once or twice a day.
9:11
SPEAKER_00: Um, there's other ways to travel around the lakes.
9:14
SPEAKER_00: You can use one of the cruises, you can go on one of the um sort of ferries across it, and there is a car ferry that crosses across over Windermere, so you can use that as a way to sort of go around the lake at least once if you're driving, but it's a lovely drive, but it will take you some time.
9:29
SPEAKER_00: If there's a few things that you want to do when you're staying on one side of the lake and not the other, use the car ferry, and that's a great way to nip across and save you quite a lot of time.
9:38
SPEAKER_00: In some ways, though, not having a car is actually a really benefit, it takes away a lot of the stress in the lake district.
9:46
SPEAKER_00: This is not an area that was built for cars.
9:48
SPEAKER_00: Obviously, it's been adapted over time, but parking really can be a challenge.
9:53
SPEAKER_00: When you're outside of some of the bigger tourist towns, expect that you've got to be have limited parking.
9:58
SPEAKER_00: You might be parallel parking in smaller bays on the side of the road, you might not be used to size of vehicles that we have over here in comparison to what you have home.
10:07
SPEAKER_00: So just really take into consideration whether you would be comfortable driving over here.
10:12
SPEAKER_00: Narrow lanes is a big one, and also understanding like the steepness of some of especially the passes.
10:18
SPEAKER_00: There is areas that close at certain times of the year where those passes become unpassable, ironically, um just because of weather, and we do take that really seriously over here.
10:31
SPEAKER_00: One of the biggest things I will say as somebody that works in tourism is it is really important that you park responsibly when you are here.
10:38
SPEAKER_00: As I've said, not everything is a part is a cleared-out parking bay, but be really courteous to others.
10:44
SPEAKER_00: Like people live here, there is local residents, emergency vehicles still need to get past.
10:49
SPEAKER_00: If you've parked unsensibly and so is somebody else, and someone gets stuck further up one of the hills, emergency vehicles will be needed and they need to get to them.
10:58
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's one of those places that it's not possible to block these narrow roads, but often it does happen.
11:05
SPEAKER_00: We see it a lot on our tours, and it is something that people really notice.
11:09
SPEAKER_00: So I'd say if you want to take a car, you could definitely can if you feel comfortable.
11:14
SPEAKER_00: But if you don't, it's something we have regularly on our tours.
11:16
SPEAKER_00: So Mountain Go runs for one of those reasons.
11:19
SPEAKER_00: We run scheduled tours in 16 seat and minibuses.
11:22
SPEAKER_00: We pick you up from hotels if you book direct, but we can also grab you from certain meeting points across the lakes, and we can show you what you're gonna see that you wouldn't see on your own, that you're gonna get from a guidebook.
11:35
SPEAKER_00: A lot of our drivers have been um with us for years, they have so much knowledge about the area, they're gonna show you the lakes, obviously in a tourist fashion, but as the locals see it, you're gonna get to see those hidden viewpoints that other people don't know about.
11:49
SPEAKER_00: You're gonna get to places that you aren't going to that you probably wouldn't be confident driving to.
11:54
SPEAKER_00: So I'd say there's definitely sort of benefits with um both sides of it, but it really depends where your sort of comfort level is.
12:04
SPEAKER_01: I have to say, so for Doug and I, it's very straightforward.
12:07
SPEAKER_01: It's not taking a car into the Lake District, it's getting the train in, getting the train to Oxen home, into Windermere.
12:15
SPEAKER_01: We usually stay around that area, and then um we either go out on the the local buses, as you say, they're around as well, and and go out with you guys on the tour because when you go out with you guys on that tour, you get to learn about the area, you get to sit back, both of you, like Doug and I got to set sit back, enjoy the scenery, you know, ask the questions, um, meet other people who are on the tour as well, ask about local places to eat with us.
12:40
SPEAKER_01: So there are many lots of different tips that you could get to learn.
12:43
SPEAKER_01: See just you know, and a lot of the people on the tour were kind of like a bit gobsmacked a bit by some of the roads that we were driving on, and some are trying to manoeuvre past some cars was really difficult.
12:54
SPEAKER_01: Um, and as you say, there were some car drivers who had parked really irresponsibly and dangerously because you can't you cannot get parking very easily in the lake district.
13:05
SPEAKER_01: I would really underline that it's not an easy place to go and get parking.
13:09
SPEAKER_01: So that stresses you out, and you might go to somewhere and you can't actually.
13:13
SPEAKER_01: I'm thinking about Hilltop, uh, you know, Beatrice Potter, it trying to to park where Beatrice Potter's house is is denial impossible.
13:21
SPEAKER_01: Uh it's really, really difficult to park there.
13:23
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, just let let Mountain Goat take the strain and sit back and enjoy the the lake district.
13:29
SPEAKER_01: That's the best way to do it, in my opinion.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: If you come in by car, as I said, there is in some of the bigger towns, if you're staying in Ambleside, if you're staying in Windermere, there's car parks there that are more like your parked-out bays.
13:40
SPEAKER_00: Um, stay in one of those, and then as you say, use the buses, use the other transport to get around.
13:44
SPEAKER_00: It probably is your biggest way.
13:46
SPEAKER_00: And one of the things that we do with the tours is that we offer full-day tours and half day tours.
13:50
SPEAKER_00: And whilst my biggest advice is don't cram too much into a day, because our guiders are guides are leading you, they know how to get from one place to another, they know this sort of efficient way of doing that.
14:02
SPEAKER_00: They are the way that if you've only short on time, you want to experience a full day.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: It will be a full day, but you won't feel rushed.
14:09
SPEAKER_00: The same with our half days, whereas I have to say, if you were doing this tour on your own, I feel like you'd feel like you were getting in and out of a vehicle a lot.
14:17
SPEAKER_00: Um, and if that's not something you want, as you say, take the stress out of the situation.
14:21
SPEAKER_00: You're supposed to be here on holiday, enjoy it.
14:24
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely, 100%.
14:26
SPEAKER_01: So, what are your kind of top selling tours in the lake district?
14:29
SPEAKER_01: What which are the kind of ones that you'd say to people like if you've come to the lake district for the first time, these are the ones that you'd recommend?
14:35
SPEAKER_00: Uh definitely the 10 lakes.
14:37
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's kind of I hate to call it that, but it's your bucket list.
14:41
SPEAKER_00: Um, we are more than the lakes in the lake district, but it's sort of you tick ten of them off in a day, you get to see those lakes in all the different fashions, and there are so many, each sort of lake has a different persona, if that makes sense.
14:56
SPEAKER_00: Um, so you really do get to see those and you experience them in different ways in that way.
15:02
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think the towns, but you get to see the castles like Castle Rigstone Circle, amazing thing to see, but just driving around this beautiful area and understanding you almost gain your bearings because of the way that the drivers take you.
15:17
SPEAKER_00: So Ten Lakes is always my favourite.
15:20
SPEAKER_00: I actually like the Six Lakes in the same way because you just it's just a half-day tour, but you get to see as much most of the stuff.
15:29
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then personally I'm a little bit of a literary geek, so I really enjoyed the Beatrix Potter tour.
15:35
SPEAKER_00: Um, I'd never been to Hilltop House until I started working for Mountain Goat, um, but was always a big fan of the books, um, was always very proud to be from the area that she was from.
15:47
SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah, I think just because of that, I love the story behind it.
15:51
SPEAKER_00: And it for a half day tour, it doesn't feel like a half day tour because it leaves a little bit later in the day, so you can have a great breakfast at your hotel in the morning and then a fall afternoon.
16:00
SPEAKER_00: I think, yeah, that would be my choice.
16:03
SPEAKER_01: Oh, and that that's a lovely segue into kind of the question about how many days would you suggest if people are trying to like plan our itinerary?
16:11
SPEAKER_01: Uh, what would you say kind of at minimum you'd recommend in the Lake District?
16:15
SPEAKER_01: Because I know, like you say, if you if you have a day trip, you can do the 10 leaks, which I'd highly recommend.
16:20
SPEAKER_01: Uh, Doug and I did that in June and absolutely loved it.
16:23
SPEAKER_01: It was it was lovely.
16:23
SPEAKER_01: And we actually went to parts of Lake District that we hadn't been to before, so that was lovely.
16:28
SPEAKER_01: But I think um, what would you say minimum if you were gonna kind of like if suggest to somebody?
16:34
SPEAKER_00: So I'd say two nights is probably your minimum.
16:37
SPEAKER_00: I would recommend that gives you enough time to sort of see the main highlights, enjoy a lake cruise, visit a couple of villages, and hopefully get up to one of the fells as well.
16:46
SPEAKER_00: Um, if you can stretch it out to three or four nights, then I think you'd get a much better feel of the area.
16:51
SPEAKER_00: It gives you time to explore constantly without sort of checking your watch.
16:55
SPEAKER_00: And if you can experience how the different lakes, sort of the northern lakes, the central lakes, and the western lakes all feel.
17:01
SPEAKER_00: Um, the lake district is sometimes treated as a day trip, especially from like Manchester, Liverpool, that sort of bucket list item.
17:09
SPEAKER_00: Um, and you can experience it that and have a really good day, but most people that we hear that do that come back again.
17:17
SPEAKER_00: Like if you're coming from afar and you're spending time in the lakes, give it the time that it needs.
17:22
SPEAKER_00: And really, I would say that three, four days, probably you can always you can always extend it and do more if you enjoy the area.
17:29
SPEAKER_00: But if you come for one day, the chances are you'll come back.
17:33
SPEAKER_00: There's so many extra things that you can do if you're here for a couple of days.
17:37
SPEAKER_00: Enjoy a casual evening by the water, see it when the crowds have dissipated, have a proper afternoon sitting in a pub, eating the proper English food and like enjoying it for what it is, and just have that flexibility that if the rain happens or it's a miserable day outside, that you can move your plans around because you've got a little bit of time.
17:59
SPEAKER_00: Like it's always things that you've got to plan a little bit for weather in the lakes.
18:04
SPEAKER_00: But if you've got a little bit of manoeuvrability and you've got a bit of space, then if it's really wet, you can spend the afternoon in the pub, you can do one of the more indoor attractions, and you can sort of tempt how you can go up the fell when it's a little bit easier.
18:17
SPEAKER_01: Now I know you say obviously you're based in Windomir, so this might be a bit of a loaded question, and I was I was kind of thinking, should I ask this?
18:24
SPEAKER_01: But what would you say if somebody's deciding on the base where they're going to actually choose to stay in the lake district?
18:31
SPEAKER_01: What what would you suggest?
18:32
SPEAKER_01: Now I will say if you're taking the train in, which is generally what we do, that myself and Doug are but we just like to stay near the train station, it's just easy, and then you can take transport.
18:41
SPEAKER_01: You guys can pick up from there, so it makes uh makes things a lot easier.
18:44
SPEAKER_01: But but I mean, I I just think all the other I can just think of all the other towns in the in the lake district going, well, that's not fair.
18:51
SPEAKER_01: That's not fair, what about us?
18:53
SPEAKER_00: So it sort of depends on the type of trip you want.
18:56
SPEAKER_00: For a first visit, like you've said, I would go, and especially if you're travelling without a car, aid for Windmere or Boness.
19:02
SPEAKER_00: They're really practical, they're close to the train, they've got great bus links, you've got the lake cruise nearby, you've got so many options to hand.
19:11
SPEAKER_00: Ambleside is just that little bit further on, another brilliant option.
19:15
SPEAKER_00: It feels really central, it's got that town vibe, there's lots going on, and it's easy to get sort of access over to Grasmere, the Langdales.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: There's plenty of sort of little walks that you can do starting in that area, so it's a good base if that's what you're there for.
19:32
SPEAKER_00: Then, if you're more interested in the Northern Lakes, definitely aim for Keswick.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: It is that little bit further, but you're probably 40 minutes to an hour from Windmere, so it is a distance of the Northern Lakes, is what you're sort of focused on.
19:44
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you've got Dermant Water up there, you've got Borodale, you've got access towards Buttermere.
19:48
SPEAKER_00: There's plenty of walking and crossing around you.
19:51
SPEAKER_00: So, but you still have like the shops, the restaurants, the theatre, it's still a proper town, it's a proper base, it just depends what you're after.
19:59
SPEAKER_00: So it's worth noting though, as well, that a lot of um B's, BBs, guest houses, hotels, these are all built in heritage buildings.
20:09
SPEAKER_00: So if accessibility is an issue for yourself, then some of these areas can be a little bit more restrictive.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: It's worth speaking to your accommodation provider beforehand and just discussing if there's accessible rooms available and those sort of things.
20:23
SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, there is lots of hills, there is lots of things, there is lots of steps, and there is a lot of uneven ground in the area.
20:30
SPEAKER_00: So they're all things that are worth noting before you come and sort of having in the back of your mind that it can be the lakes is accessible, it's just how accessible it is for your individual needs.
20:43
SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
20:44
SPEAKER_01: Now I have to ask this as well for those people who want to get out on the water, and I must admit I do love getting out on the water.
20:51
SPEAKER_01: I should ask you the difference between um obviously we've got a lake and mere because we've got kind of windermere.
20:57
SPEAKER_01: And and so it I know, and I've I've had been told in the past when I say lake Windermere, I've kind of said Lake Winder Lake because mere means lake, is that right?
21:07
SPEAKER_00: Yes, so the difference between a lake and a mere lies primarily in their usage.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: A lake is a large natural body of water surrounded by land, often deep and fed by rivers, while a mere is a specific type of shallow lake characterised by its broad, flat expanse.
21:25
SPEAKER_01: Ah, perfect.
21:26
SPEAKER_01: Well, you've got plenty of both in the lake district.
21:29
SPEAKER_01: So if I wanted to if I wanted to get out on one of those, um out on the water, what sort of ways can I do that?
21:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so Windermere is probably your easiest place to get out on the water.
21:41
SPEAKER_00: It's the largest mere, um, it has regular cruises, and you can use the both for both sightseeing or using them as a method of transport.
21:49
SPEAKER_00: So you can get across to places like Boness, Ampleside, Lakeside.
21:53
SPEAKER_00: From Lakeside, you can jump on one of the um heritage trains um and go over to Haverthwaite, which is a lovely experience.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: As well.
22:01
SPEAKER_00: It's a really good option for a first-time visitor or anybody that just wants a relaxed, easy way of seeing scenery.
22:07
SPEAKER_00: On the boats, they do little voiceovers with some like key places and things to point out so you know what you're looking at, which is always helpful.
22:15
SPEAKER_00: Awesome Water feels a little bit wilder, a bit more dramatic.
22:19
SPEAKER_00: They also have the steamers, which are a lovely way to see the lake, and especially if it's good for walkers, because you can combine a boat journey with a lovely walk around the Auls Waterway.
22:30
SPEAKER_00: Dermant Water is great if you're staying around Keswick.
22:33
SPEAKER_00: The launches make it really easy for you to hop on and hop off around the lake.
22:37
SPEAKER_00: So you can combine one of the cruises again with the walk and see the surrounding fells.
22:41
SPEAKER_00: Here you can also hire like rowing boats and get yourself out there a little bit more.
22:46
SPEAKER_00: That's also available down at Boness where you can hire like little kayaks and all sorts of things.
22:52
SPEAKER_00: And then Buttermere is completely different.
22:54
SPEAKER_00: It's a much smaller, quieter lake, and it's more about being there and being beside the water rather than on it.
23:01
SPEAKER_00: It's beautiful to walk around, it's got amazing dramatic scenery, and some of the most beautiful photographs that you'll take is at Buttermere.
23:07
SPEAKER_00: But then you've also got places like Coniston, which I've got to say is one of my favorites.
23:12
SPEAKER_00: Um this is one of the places that has got so much history, so it's less about again being on the water at Coniston but be knowing about it.
23:20
SPEAKER_00: So this is where Donald Campbell attempted his water world speed record.
23:25
SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, he did pass away in doing that attempt, but in the last year that we've had the K7, which was his boat, sometimes also known as the Bluebird, back on the water and around the lakes because it's one of those real interesting pieces of history.
23:39
SPEAKER_00: There is various different museums and connections to the bluebird where you can find out a lot about it and how much work has gone in to restoring this amazing machine over the last sort of 78 years.
23:52
SPEAKER_01: Must have made I do love Coniston.
23:54
SPEAKER_01: It was very special the very first time I went there because obviously growing up and kind of knowing about you know that what happened and this this kind of story and finding the bluebird.
24:02
SPEAKER_01: Um it was it was a lovely, lovely place to go and visit.
24:05
SPEAKER_01: Now I can hear I can hear my listeners kind of going, Oh Tracy, I've I've got my itinerary sorted and I but I now really, really want to go to the lake district, but we're gonna only be able to do it for a day.
24:14
SPEAKER_01: So what should we do?
24:15
SPEAKER_01: And I I guess we're gonna go back to that 10 lakes.
24:17
SPEAKER_01: I think that's what we're gonna say is the that's what I would say.
24:20
SPEAKER_01: That's what you need to book, do that because I think that gives you that kind of as you say, the bucket list of the lake district, doesn't it?
24:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so my main advice would be don't cram too much into a day.
24:32
SPEAKER_00: So as I've said, our tour guides are brilliant at taking you out, fitting things in in a really efficient way, getting you to see the sort of booklets of highlights, Castle Riggs, Stone Circle, Keswick, Borrodale, taking you upon Esther Pass, you get to see Buttermere, some of the places that are a bit awkward for you to get to on your on your own.
24:51
SPEAKER_00: The Ten Lakes really ticks those things off so you can say you've been there.
24:55
SPEAKER_00: If you wanted to do it yourself, if you were there for a couple of days, you wanted to do a Beatrix Potter tour, for example, and you wanted a day in the lake on your own.
25:05
SPEAKER_00: What I'd say is start your day casually, go s go on a lake cruise, especially if it's misty.
25:12
SPEAKER_00: Some of it says you won't see as much, but personally I just think there's nothing better than being it's than stuff sort of emerging out of the mist.
25:19
SPEAKER_00: Um, have a quiet day, get an ice cream, pop around the shops.
25:23
SPEAKER_00: Boness is a lovely place to just wander around, and then I will personally head over to Bleetan.
25:29
SPEAKER_00: It's one of my favourites.
25:30
SPEAKER_00: You do need a car to get over there, but it's probably one of the best viewpoints in the lakes.
25:35
SPEAKER_00: And again, bringing it back to Beatrix Potter, we have this area because of her, so let's embrace it.
25:42
SPEAKER_00: You'll get incredible photos here, and whatever the weather, it looks beautiful.
25:47
SPEAKER_00: You can combine it with a little walk.
25:52
SPEAKER_00: You can take a picnic up here or pop down into Little Langdale and get yourself a really good pub lunch.
25:57
SPEAKER_00: And personally, that'd be how I'd spend a day in the lakes.
26:00
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that sounds absolutely perfect.
26:02
SPEAKER_01: Are there parts of the lake district that you think people miss when they when they visit?
26:07
SPEAKER_01: Is there kind of somewhere you'd like to say, you know, this is a lovely place to maybe include?
26:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think the western lakes, the Langdale, some of the smaller valleys, they feel quite different.
26:17
SPEAKER_00: You get a lot of the sort of quieter roads, they're a lot more sort of dramatic in scenery, and I think they often get missed.
26:24
SPEAKER_00: People sort of focus much more on the lakes themselves and forget about the history, fells, um, the little villages, like as say the lake district, it's more about the character of the place and ticking those things off.
26:37
SPEAKER_00: But I can understand that everybody wants to come on holiday and get those photo opportunities to take home with them.
26:43
SPEAKER_00: I would personally say if you're interested in going a little bit further afield and doing something a little bit differently, the Mountain Goat Mountain Passes tour is brilliant for this.
26:54
SPEAKER_00: This is not roads even as a local that I would like to drive up, um, but it takes you across to Moncaster Castle and you get to see the beauty that is Waspwater.
27:04
SPEAKER_00: These are I'd never been to Moncaster Castle until I started working at the Mountain Goat, and I lived here for 20 odd years.
27:12
SPEAKER_00: So I would highly recommend that tour.
27:14
SPEAKER_00: You get to see some really different things, and it's a real sort of casual day out.
27:19
SPEAKER_00: So I would highly recommend that one.
27:21
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I'll put my name down for that one next summer, Briany.
27:24
SPEAKER_01: That sounds that sounds absolutely perfect.
27:26
SPEAKER_01: Now you've mentioned a little bit of obviously about the literary connections in the lake district, which are just fantastic.
27:32
SPEAKER_01: So if somebody's got that literary inter interest, how could they build that into their trip?
27:38
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so as you say, the amazing sort of background of literary artists that we have in this area, they've used the scenery, the backdrop of the lakes as inspiration for the stories.
27:48
SPEAKER_00: So if you're interested in Worthsworth, head over to Grasmere.
27:52
SPEAKER_00: You can go into Dove Cottage.
27:54
SPEAKER_00: This is an experience in itself.
27:55
SPEAKER_00: You can step back into a house that he actually lived in, which has been restored to how to the style of when he lived there.
28:03
SPEAKER_00: They do a Christmas experience, so you can experience Christmas how they would have done if you're around at that time of year.
28:10
SPEAKER_00: And I just think it's one of those experiences.
28:13
SPEAKER_00: It's amazing for any kids that are at school, if you're traveling with younger ones.
28:16
SPEAKER_00: This is something that's sort of taught on the UK school um syllabus.
28:22
SPEAKER_00: This is something that I sort of I never knew that this was in my area when I grew up, and I really took it for granted until I went on, went to university, spoke about the school trips that I went on, and people were like, oh, we didn't have any of that where I was from.
28:36
SPEAKER_00: So suddenly you feel very sort of very appreciative of where you're from.
28:40
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, if Wordsworth, if you love it, there's Dove Cottage, which is an amazing experience.
28:44
SPEAKER_00: They have the entire sort of Wordsworth museum attached to it, so you can find out all about um lots of artifacts and loads of readings and all sorts in there.
28:52
SPEAKER_00: It's a real sort of Aladdin's cave of literature um heading up to the Wordsworth site, but then you can also walk closer, spend time in Grassmere, head over to Rydal, and you can see where his poetry was inspired.
29:06
SPEAKER_00: Like you can be a part of the experience if you are a big one of his writings and you can take the books with you, you can you can literally look down and see things.
29:16
SPEAKER_00: And his right his life wasn't an easy one, and you can see different things where he experienced with his family.
29:22
SPEAKER_00: There's the beautiful Dora's Field if you're with us in spring.
29:25
SPEAKER_00: You can see the amazing daffodils.
29:27
SPEAKER_00: If Wordsworth is your guy, definitely head over to that area of town, see him.
29:33
SPEAKER_00: Beatrix Potter fans like myself, Hilltop is definitely something that you've got to do.
29:39
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's a beautiful, beautiful house.
29:41
SPEAKER_00: The gardens are probably even more impressive than the house itself.
29:45
SPEAKER_00: It feels very personal and you get to spot things that you can see where the books came from.
29:51
SPEAKER_00: I personally have to say, despite being a big fan of Beatrix Potter, I learned things about her that I never knew until I went on the tour with the Mountain Goat.
30:01
SPEAKER_00: They explain all sorts of things.
30:03
SPEAKER_00: You drive through the lake district and you don't just get to see her house, you can find out about different farms that she owns, the different areas that inspired her, and how she really is sort of I think she's a champion of the lake district more than most.
30:17
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think for that reason, I think the the tour highlights it more than anything else could.
30:22
SPEAKER_00: And then you've also got people like Arthur Ransom.
30:25
SPEAKER_00: So if you are heading over to Coniston and you're interested in as well as sort of uh Donald Campbell and the bluebird, Coniston um is famous for the inspirations for swallows and Amazons.
30:36
SPEAKER_00: So again, it's another beautiful area to sort of explore with your literary mind at heart.
30:42
SPEAKER_01: Oh, it is, it absolutely is.
30:43
SPEAKER_01: I I love my visit to Hilltop, actually.
30:45
SPEAKER_01: I think it would it's really magical actually to go up there and and see where Beatrix Potter lived.
30:50
SPEAKER_01: And you can actually imagine, and actually, I think I held up a uh one of the books, and you can you can see the gate, you know, like in the pictures for the original book, and it it's just it was fantastic.
31:00
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely loved it, and so I highly recommend that if you're a Beatrix Potter fan, you really need to go there now.
31:05
SPEAKER_01: As well as kind of the literary connections and just the beauty, of course, of the Lake District.
31:10
SPEAKER_01: Um, a lot of people go for walking in the Lake District, and and there are obviously some kind of quite serious hikes that you can do in the Lake District, but for those who just want to kind of go for a bit more of a gentle stroll, me, for example, um where what what would you recommend?
31:26
SPEAKER_01: Um, if you can't people not everybody wants to kind of go fell walking.
31:30
SPEAKER_01: Um, so what what else is there to do walks-wise for those people who want a little bit more of a gentle stroll?
31:37
SPEAKER_00: So I think you did this the always the top one on my list.
31:40
SPEAKER_00: This is one I think you did when um you were on your last trip, is Ores Head.
31:44
SPEAKER_00: The easiest way to find it is it is the question that we get asked a million times every single day that we're open, is just over the road from the Windermere Tourist Information Centre.
31:54
SPEAKER_00: Um, to the left of the Windermere Hotel, which is currently under refurbishment, is the start of Orest Head.
32:00
SPEAKER_00: So you can head up this um beautiful hill.
32:04
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's quite a simple path.
32:06
SPEAKER_00: You don't even for those that are sort of navigationally challenged, you just follow the path all the way up, and you will get some of the most impressive views of Windermere and Central Fells.
32:16
SPEAKER_00: It's quite achievable, it's not a full fell walk, but you'll still get the um the feeling of that you've gone on a walk and that you've achieved something at the end of the day.
32:27
SPEAKER_00: There is also an accessible route to the top with no steps or styles, and so even though it can be still be quite steep in some sections, it's not completely flat or effortless.
32:37
SPEAKER_00: It is a brilliant walk, so for most people of different accessibility needs.
32:42
SPEAKER_00: I'd also recommend Town House, it's probably one of the easiest recommendations.
32:46
SPEAKER_00: The main circuit's about two miles, but it's on a good firm path, and it's suitable for push chairs, wheelchairs, and even though there are a few little hills in it, there's plenty of benches and things along the route, and there's an accessible toilet in the car park, so that's a great one for anybody with sort of accessibility needs.
33:05
SPEAKER_00: Aeroforce, absolutely beautiful.
33:08
SPEAKER_00: If you want to get right down to the waterfalls, that one does become a little bit rougher, the stone steps, etc.
33:14
SPEAKER_00: It is a little bit of an uneven ground, but again, not a long walk, amazing views, um, access to car parks and things, so it's an easy one to get to if you've got your own vehicle.
33:24
SPEAKER_00: And then Butmere, it's another favourite of mine because you get the amazing scenery without having to climb really high up.
33:31
SPEAKER_00: There's quite gentle sections along the lake shore, and you can just walk as far as you need to, and then you can turn back.
33:37
SPEAKER_00: There's not like a point you have to hit, there's not a place where it's like this is the photo op that I was waiting for.
33:43
SPEAKER_00: That one's just a little bit more of a comfortable day out that you can spend.
33:47
SPEAKER_00: Then you've got the cat bells.
33:49
SPEAKER_00: This is a brilliant first mountain for somebody that wants to push things a little bit further.
33:53
SPEAKER_00: You still need to be reasonably fit for this one and pretty confident, um, as it is a proper fell walk, as people like to call it.
34:01
SPEAKER_00: Um, there are quite steep sections, and there is sort of smaller sections where you do need to scramble and use your hands.
34:08
SPEAKER_00: So I reckon to that to somebody that's wanting to sort of go that next step further, that's got a little bit more of a walking background, it's a bit more than just a gentle walk, that one.
34:18
SPEAKER_00: But we do also have the Lake District is doing its best to try and be as accessible.
34:23
SPEAKER_00: So the national park do have um a scheme called Miles Without Styles, and these are routes that are graded depending on the surface, the gradient, etc.
34:33
SPEAKER_00: So you can find something um that sort of fits your needs, and it's not just relying on somebody in the pub going, Oh, you can just pop up this hill, it's dead easy.
34:42
SPEAKER_00: Um, that's one I'd definitely recommend.
34:45
SPEAKER_00: But even if going for a walk isn't for you, the lakes um and the fells are still really accessible.
34:51
SPEAKER_00: Going on a lake cruise, for example, you can still see all these fill fells, it's just you don't have to get as um immersed in the situation, you can just see them rather than having to walk up them.
35:04
SPEAKER_01: Oh no, that's brilliant.
35:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, there's lots of lots of opportunities to kind of to get around and see things in the lake district, that's for sure.
35:10
SPEAKER_01: Now, um I always end the podcast with uh I'm gonna do a bit of a quick fire at the end, but the last question I always kind of ask is the what would be the one tip that you would share for somebody who's planning a first visit that would kind of make it go a bit more smoothly for them?
35:25
SPEAKER_01: What would you say?
35:26
SPEAKER_00: Oh, there's probably one more than one tip here.
35:29
SPEAKER_00: Um be flexible, always have a bit of a basic outline plan.
35:34
SPEAKER_00: No, if you bring in a car, know where the main car parks are for each of the days that you're gonna go out.
35:39
SPEAKER_00: If you want to go to certain attractions, things like Hilltop, they book up.
35:43
SPEAKER_00: Use the Windermere local information centres or the ones in the other areas that you stay in.
35:48
SPEAKER_00: They'll be able to advise you if there's an attraction that is on your bucket list that you're like, I have to see it.
35:53
SPEAKER_00: Hilltop is the main one that I would say we'll definitely book up, but if there's others you're concerned about, definitely try and book those in and work around it.
36:00
SPEAKER_00: But be flexible where you can do.
36:03
SPEAKER_00: It will make your experience much more enjoyable.
36:05
SPEAKER_00: Definitely pack your boots, definitely pack your waterproof because I guarantee you that you'll need them at some point.
36:11
SPEAKER_00: If not, head up to Keswick.
36:12
SPEAKER_00: It's got more walking shops than I've ever seen in my life.
36:15
SPEAKER_00: I've got family members that every time we see them end up buying a new waterproof because they forgot one.
36:21
SPEAKER_00: So every year they've got a new waterproof to add to the collection for each trip.
36:25
SPEAKER_00: And don't rely on phone signal, unfortunately, as much as we'd like to say we're part of the modern era, those are hills, are beautiful, and they stand in the way of that phone signal.
36:35
SPEAKER_00: So it's it's not always as easy as you'd think.
36:39
SPEAKER_01: That's true, that's a that's a good point.
36:41
SPEAKER_01: Now I'm gonna do a quick fire at the finish.
36:43
SPEAKER_01: You're not you're not really supposed to think about any of these answers, by the way, while aren't you?
36:47
SPEAKER_01: Right?
36:48
SPEAKER_01: So here we go.
36:49
SPEAKER_01: The one place people picture when they think of the lake district.
36:52
SPEAKER_00: Uh I think people think of Boness Pia, but they in their head they're going, we're gonna go to Windmere, and they connect the idea of Windermere and Boness, and they've got them mixed up.
37:03
SPEAKER_01: Okay, well, she'll put a couple of pictures then in the show notes to show that.
37:06
SPEAKER_01: Now, one place to stay, where would you recommend?
37:09
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I'm biased.
37:10
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna say Kendall.
37:11
SPEAKER_00: It's my hometown.
37:13
SPEAKER_00: It's just off of Oxen Home, it's got really easy links to all of the to everywhere in the lakes, car parks, buses, trains, everything.
37:24
SPEAKER_00: Um, you're 20 minutes from Windermere, you'll probably get accommodation for half the price.
37:28
SPEAKER_00: Maybe not quite as pretty as Windermere because we are known as the old grey town.
37:33
SPEAKER_00: But for me, for the fact that everything's so accessible and on your doorstep, that'd be my choice.
37:40
SPEAKER_00: Okay, one thing to eat or drink.
37:43
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I'm gonna cartmole sticky toffee pudding.
37:48
SPEAKER_00: It's like everyone's got to give it a go.
37:51
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I would say a good proper pub lunch, but luckily cartmole's served at lots of pubs, so maybe that like gets you around it.
37:57
SPEAKER_00: Have a proper meal and then some save some room for sticky toffee pudding.
38:01
SPEAKER_01: Oh, and and Doug said when I when I was talking through the questions with him, he said gingerbread.
38:05
SPEAKER_01: So I thought you might have said gingerbread.
38:08
SPEAKER_01: I'll have to throw that one in as well.
38:10
SPEAKER_01: Um, one view worth the effort.
38:13
SPEAKER_01: Oh, blue town for me.
38:15
SPEAKER_01: It's just stunning.
38:17
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I'll have some photos of that to put in the show notes as well from you, please, Briany.
38:21
SPEAKER_01: That'd be great.
38:22
SPEAKER_01: One thing to bring home.
38:24
SPEAKER_00: Oh, again, bringing it back to my hometown, Kendall Mint Cake.
38:29
SPEAKER_00: This will power you through your fell walks.
38:31
SPEAKER_00: It's pure sugar.
38:33
SPEAKER_00: Um, it was taken up Everest by George Mallory.
38:36
SPEAKER_00: This has got a name, it's famous.
38:38
SPEAKER_00: We have a chocolate-covered one, you can get a white sugar one, a brown sugar one, and that will get you through the jet lag if you're traveling back to anywhere international.
38:46
SPEAKER_00: Plus, there's nothing in it to go off, so it lasts forever, so it's an easy one to pack.
38:51
SPEAKER_00: That's true.
38:51
SPEAKER_00: And one thing to book before you go.
38:54
SPEAKER_00: Hilltop.
38:55
SPEAKER_00: If you're gonna come and that's something you want to do, and so I don't get told off, book the Beatrix Potter tour with Mountain Goat, um, and then Hilltop's included.
39:04
SPEAKER_01: Perfect, absolutely perfect.
39:05
SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much, Briany, for coming on and sharing all about the Lake District with us.
39:09
SPEAKER_01: If you've got anybody, if you're listening and you've got any questions for Briany, get in touch by a speak pipe and I'll pass them on to Brianie and we can we can get that back to you.
39:17
SPEAKER_01: Um, but again, it's always great to chat with you, and we're gonna chat in a few minutes for an episode in in a few weeks all about Chester, so that's gonna be great.
39:24
SPEAKER_01: So if you're listening thinking, I want to hear more of Briany, then you can just tune into the Chester episode.
39:30
SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's always great to chat, it's always great to learn more about the Lake District because it is a beautiful part of the UK.
39:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no correct fee here.
39:38
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me.
39:39
SPEAKER_01: That brings us to the end of another episode.
39:41
SPEAKER_01: If Brian is convinced you'd let someone else do the driving so you can sit back, relax, and actually enjoy the lake district while you're there.
39:48
SPEAKER_01: We have a code for Mountain Goat Tours, it is UKTrab10.
39:51
SPEAKER_01: So that's UKTrab10, and it gives you 10% off mountain goat tours.
39:56
SPEAKER_01: You'll find it along with the booking link over in the show notes at uktravelplanning.com forward slash episode 221.
40:03
SPEAKER_01: Together with everything else, Brian mentioned today the town she suggested as a base, the gentler walks and the national parks miles without styles routes if accessibility is something you're planning around.
40:12
SPEAKER_01: And if you are in the early stages of putting a UK trip together, our free UK trip planning roadmap takes you through the whole process step by step.
40:20
SPEAKER_01: The link for that is also on that same page.
40:23
SPEAKER_01: Until next week, as always, happy UK travel planning.