Day 1 – Arrival Day

Afternoon

Arrive at Skelwith Fold and get settled in your accommodation! Feel free to make use of our excellent range of facilities.

If you haven’t visited the park before then why not take a look around? We have some beautiful spots around Skelwith for you to discover, including our picturesque Slew Tarn and various Woodland Walks! These are ideal for dog walking and letting your children burn off some steam! Our recently upgraded play area is also great fun for little ones!

If you’d like to get your bearings and find things to do in Ambleside and beyond, simply visit our Reception and our helpful team will be more than happy to help.

Evening – Explore Ambleside

Places to eat in Ambleside

Ambleside boasts a brilliant range of cozy pubs and restaurants to enjoy.

• The Old Stamp House Restaurant | Michelin-starred restaurant inspired by locally sourced ingredients.
• The Drunken Duck | Located just outside the town centre close to our park this brilliant pub offer superb food and a great range of local beers all complemented with excellent views.
• Tacos Del Sol | Highly regarded Authentic Mexican street food restaurant. Includes vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options.
• Spend an evening at Zeffirellis | Independent cinema food and drink options and live music. Perfect for an evening in Ambleside!

Day 2

Morning

Take a 20-minute drive from Skelwith to Grasmere, a beautiful neighbouring village to Ambleside. The area is closely associated with the poet William Wordsworth, who once lived in the village and drew much of his poetic inspiration from Grasmere’s stunning natural beauty.

Visit Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage, where Wordsworth lived with his family. Here, you can learn about the poet and his history, take part in their many events and visit their on-site café.

After learning about Wordsworth, why not visit Grasmere Lake – dubbed as “the loveliest spot that man (Wordsworth) hath ever found”. The Lake boasts some of the best views in the Lake District. You can hire canoes or boats here, enjoy refreshments and explore the area. The circuit of Grasmere walk is a popular route among tourists and locals. It’s 3.7 miles around and features mostly easy terrain, with a couple of rough sections – ideal for most walkers.

Lunch

After a lovely walk around Grasmere, reward yourself with a delicious lunch in the village. Here are three spots we love!

The Jumble Room As they say themselves, “it’s not just a restaurant – it’s a way our life”. The Jumble Room serve up some fantastic food – all of which is from local farmers and Artisans where possible. Head cook Chrissy’s menu is highly regarded and will leave you wanting more!

The Wateredge Inn serve up ‘wholesome, delicious pub fare all day, every day’. If you visit before a walk or bike ride, they’ll even package you food up as a picnic if you like!

The Rattle Ghyll Café provide hearty, home cooked food to takeaway – much like that the Wateredge Inn – perfect for those looking to head back out and explore more of Ambleside!

 

Afternoon/Evening

After a lovely lunch, take a 15-minute drive to Windermere Lake Cruises from Waterhead, Ambleside and enjoy a relaxing trip across the largest lake in the Lake District. You can hire electric motorboats and rowing boats, or kick your feet back on board a cruise. If you decide to conquer England’s largest lake by boat, you can venture to the likes of Bowness on Windermere, Wray Castle and many other beauty spots – hop off and explore the area then head back to Ambleside at the end of the day!

Dinner

Why not discover an eatery in one of the locations you choose to explore? Or, head back to Ambleside and enjoy a meal with a view! Here are a couple of places to eat dinner in Waterhead, Ambleside:

Tweedies Bar and Lodge is another relaxed pub which, like all great Cumbrian pubs, serves delicious comfort food and brilliant beers. Their Sunday Lunch is especially popular, which is available through the week!

The Swan serve freshly cooked to order Cumbria classics. Their Grasmere pub is popular with those who are hungry after a walking or sightseeing session in the area.

 

After a day exploring Grasmere and Windermere, head back to Skelwith Fold for a restful sleep before more adventures tomorrow!

 

Day 3

Morning

Begin the final day of your short break in Ambleside itinerary with a trip to the charming Coniston, a quaint village just a 15-minute drive from Skelwith. Here, you could spend your morning appreciating the historic culture of the village, discovering treasures and treats in the many brilliant independent shops.

After your visit to the village, go and take in the views of Coniston Water. You could choose to explore one of the many great walks around Coniston Water to discover the perfect viewpoint, but on our itinerary we’ll be enjoying the breathtaking views at ground level!

Lunch

After doing a spot of shopping in Coniston and marvelling at the picturesque Coniston Water, we recommend taking a short 25-minute drive to Elterwater to enjoy some lunch before an afternoon walk!

Stop off at The Britannia Inn, which is nestled in the Langdale Valley and boasts superb scenic views. This traditional pub serves seasonal, rustic food, with a focus on locally sourced ingredients. There is a car park opposite the pub.

 

Afternoon

After a light lunch, head off on the Elterwater and Skelwith Bridge walk, which is part of the popular Cumbria Way route and takes around 2-4 hours.

Start the route by passing through the gate in the car park opposite the Britannia Inn. The route mostly flat, making it largely suitable for all ages and abilities. Follow the River Brathay along to the shore of Elterwater, which makes a great resting spot. After this, a footbridge will lead you to Skelwith Falls. There is a turning point here to make the route shorter if this is more suitable for you.

Find out more information about the walking route

 

Evening

After a long day exploring Coniston and Langdale Valley, start heading back towards Skelwith Fold and enjoy a well deserved meal at The Talbot Bar and Grill, which is around 5 miles from the park.

The Talbot serves ‘traditional Lakeland comfort food for hungry fell walkers’. Treat yourself to a delicious meal and a drink to celebrate your short break in Ambleside.

Holidays at Skelwith Fold

We hope we’ve inspired you to explore the wonderful area around Skelwith Fold. Whether you prefer breathing in the culture and history of quaint villages or climbing iconic peaks around the famed lakes, there is anyways something amazing around the corner on a holiday at Skelwith Fold.

Discover yours today.