Helen Price and her Norfolk Terriers discover the Lake District isn’t just for big dogs and long hikes, with a more laid-back walking break
Wilson Cottage
When I think of a break in the lakes I often think of big hikes, back packs, boots and all the gear to boot. But with our two little dogs, Orla and Ada, the Norfolk Terriers and seven-month-old baby, Henry, we adapted to what the lakes has to offer for a gentler weekend away. For me there is something magical about the Lake District when the roads start to become wrapped in beautiful scenery of fells and glistening lakes as you enter the area, and I feel an instant happiness to return to this wonderful place. We booked to stay in a village just outside of Cockermouth called Little Clifton, which is situated at the top of the Lake District. As we were travelling from Hemel Hempstead, we broke up the journey by stopping at a few different places along the way. Starting with a farm shop and cafe in Kendal called Plumgarths, which is just off the A591 on Windemere road. Having set out early to beat the morning traffic, we arrived around at 10am and had a wonderful breakfast of brie, bacon and cranberry toasties. The farm shop and on-site bakeries also offer lovely treats to stock up on for the car journey.
Inside the Cottage
From Kendal we decided to take a drive on to Lake Windermere and used the Windermere Mallard Car Ferry to cross the lake and start to explore. You can get out and walk around during the short crossing over the lake. We stayed in the car with Orla and Ada and dropped the window for them to look instead. We arrived at Far Sawrey where there were lots of parking areas in which you could pull up and walk along the shores and footpaths. This was our first chance to give the girls a good leg stretch. Orla is a water baby and enjoyed having a paddle and watching the ducks on the lake from a distance. The area is perfect for a picnic as well. Windermere has the option of some nice, shorter walks which were ideal for us. It is also a great option for those who are not agile enough for the long mountain hikes but still want to enjoy the stunning lake views and countryside heritage. The two walks that are ideal for those wanting a shorter route at Windermere are The Fell Foot Park Shore Walk (which the National Trust have stated as an accessible walk) and The Fell Foot Circular Heritage Walk, which is a 1.6-mile circular walk. You can obtain routes and maps for this online; mobile apps and paper maps are readily available in the local shops here. We loved the shore walk as the girls enjoyed the chance to potter and paddle along the way and we were able to sit and relax watching the calm waters of the lake.
The Dogs at Windermere
As we worked our way up to our village for the weekend we thought it was only fitting that we stopped with the Norfolk Terriers at their fellow terriers’ stomping ground of Patterdale. Over the course of the weekend we realised just how many Patterdale Terriers there are in the area, both living there and on holiday too. It was such a glorious drive up and I felt like I was just repeatedly saying to Ben how beautiful it is and how lucky we are to have such well-preserved places of natural beauty still in our country. The Lakeside Tea Room is just five minutes from the village of Patterdale and overlooks Ullswater lake, the perfect stop for a mid afternoon cream tea with fresh cakes and even options of doggy ice cream for your dog. Dog friendly boat hire is also available.
Rannerdale
Come late afternoon we headed to our accommodation and unpacked and got settled in. Wilson Cottage was in a friendly village where the neighbours would say ‘Hello’. There was not a garden with the property but opposite was a paddock for exercising the dogs with a poop bin on the gate. We gave the girls their dinner and realised it was a 10-minute drive away to Workington shore front as a nice spot for an evening walk. We stopped by a local supermarket to pick up some picnic bits and enjoyed a British tea of ‘picky bits’. We sat on the bench at the top of the hill and took in the view. This is a wonderful sight, as you can see Scotland’s shores from here. Workington is an old industrial town, famous for making railway tracks in its industrial heyday and we found it to be a super friendly place where locals would stop for a chat and were asking about the girls’ breed. This isn’t a big tourist hotspot as it’s a working town but it was a nice way to end the day just a short 10-minute drive from the cottage. The next day, as we were visiting the area in Bluebell season, we made sure to visit Rannerdale Knotts, which rises from the valley of Buttermere and is surrounded by some beautiful Fells such as Crummock water and Grasmoor. The bluebells smelled amazing – if only you could bottle it. The sight of so many made the area even more striking. There are several routes you can walk along in this area, and we chose the easiest route which was a simple plod through the bluebell track and a sit down by the spring, before heading back the way we came. This took around an hourand a half. Following our walk we went to the famous tourist spot of Keswick where we had a bite to eat in Byrons Bakers and bought some keepsakes from the gift shops in the town.
Dogs enjoying the Ullswater Steamers
Our third day was spent on the well-known Ullswater Steamers where we travelled across the lake, boarding at Glenridding Pier to arrive at Pooley bridge just in time fora delicious lunch at Granny Dowbekins. We sat overlooking the river and then headed back again. This is a well-documented dog friendly trip for the lakes and has a good timetable over the summer months for crossings. As with our entire trip to the lakes we were so fortunate with the weather and it made for a good crossing. For our evening walk we decided to head to the beach at Allenby as our girls love a paddle in the sea. It has plenty of space to park up and parking is free here and is an easy walk over some dunes to the beach. Watching the girls run around playing with their ball on the beach was simply the perfect end to the day.
Buttermere
The fourth and final day was spent at Buttermere Lake which has a simple circular walk around the entire lake and takes around 2–2.5 hours depending on your pace and factoring in a midway stop at Gatesgarth Farm. There is an ice cream hut here, which is open during high season. At some times ofthe year Highland cows can be seen grazing around this area of the lakes. We parked in Buttermere Village at Skye Farm which was an easy option and it also had a bus stop next to the car park. During the summer period the village put on additional parking in the fields and the footpath to the lake side is adjacent to the car parks and bus stop. This is a busy route on a weekend and more so when you get a nice sunny day. But once you get walking everyone starts to spread out. We enjoyed the walk and it wasn’t too strenuous with only one small section where you had to take care as it was narrow with a lot of tree roots. Everyone was courteous and letting each other take their time to clear this area safely. I am not one for huge mile-upon- mile hikes up mountains, but I do like to enjoy a good walk and take in new sites and views where I can. Much of the information when researching walks was for longer more strenuous options so I hope our more relaxing approach to the lakes provides help to those looking to enjoy their time here at a more leisurely pace. We were incredibly fortunate with the weather and as we took in the Buttermere Walk with the sunshine bouncing off the sparkling lake it made it extra special.
The Lake District really is a jewel in the crown of our beautiful country and we are so lucky to have it well preserved. We owea big thank you to Beatrix Potter, the incredible woman that brought us the children’s tales, Peter Rabbit and Friends. In her will she gifted over 4000 acres of Lake District land to the National Trust and requested it would be preserved for the enjoyment of all. Beatrix was keen to look after the countryside and her beloved Herdwick sheep which at one time were almost dying out as a breed. She made a vow that one day every fell in the lake district would have Herdwick sheep on them and I have to say from the walks we did over the weekend, we believe she got her wish. We had a beautiful weekend taking in the lakes at a more leisurely pace and we hope you too can enjoy all aspects of this glorious location to suit a more relaxed stay.
Allenby Beach
FACT FILE Wilson Cottage ADDRESS Old Field Road Workington CONTACT Via website PRICE Three night weekend in May £430, 2 dogs, 2 bedrooms WEBSITE wandering Hosts
