Family Friendly Lakes Break:

                      How to do the Lakes in Family Friendly Style

If I had to choose a location for a family break in the UK, the Lakes would probably be it. Located just a couple of hours away from Manchester and Cheshire, it’s a whole new world of fresh air, sheep, gorgeous food and hotels and, of course, the beautiful lakes themselves. Everyone’s Lakes holiday is different; you can have action-packed adventures, boating and climbing, or you can sashay round sophisticated boutiques, eat in Michelin-starred restaurants and stay in five star spa hotels. When you have the kids (and possibly the dogs) to consider, it’s good to find a happy medium that keeps everyone happy. Here are my recommendations for great places to stay, eat and visit on a trip to the Lakes; do feel free to comment and add your own!

Where to Stay

There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to accommodation in the Lake District. From top hotels to farm B&B’s, from log cabins to glamping, there’s a whole host of options. When Lemon Pie Daddy and I go away by ourselves, we like to stay in a nice boutique hotel like The Cranleigh; however, when we have Amelia and Jack (Jack being the dog) we find that a cottage is a much better option. You have the freedom to do what you want, when you want; you can make your own breakfast in the morning, and in the evening, you can put your little ones to bed while you (Netflix and) chill. It’s also a good idea to have your own enclosed garden for the kids/dog to play in. We stayed at The Garden House in Coniston, a small but perfectly formed cottage with two bedrooms and a gorgeous garden for sitting out in (weather permitting, of course). You can find The Garden House and similar cottages on www.lakeland-cottage-company.co.uk.

                                

Where to Eat

The Lake District is home to a whole host of tempting eateries and it would be impossible to visit them all in one trip (although you could have fun trying!). You will find that most restaurants and cafes are concentrated in the bustling hubs of Bowness and Ambleside, although there are plenty of hidden gems that are worth seeking out. One of these is Chester’s by the River, a café and shop which is situated, as the name suggests, on a picturesque riverbank on the road from Coniston to Ambleside. A few things you should know before you visit:

1.     The menu is completely vegetarian. This wasn’t a problem for either of us, but if you turn up expecting a full English, you may be disappointed.

2.     You can’t have a sandwich in the café. Sandwiches are only available from the takeaway sandwich bar. I have no idea why they have this rule but it doesn’t seem to affect their popularity. Which brings me on to my next point:

3.     It gets very, very busy at lunchtime, so be prepared to wait for a table. We waited about ten minutes, but we were lucky; the people behind us were waiting for half an hour.

4.     If you can get past all this, you will be rewarded with a lovely, light-filled café, serving seriously delicious food, good coffee and amazing cakes. There’s also a shop selling lots of gorgeous (but expensive) paraphernalia, from books and toys to cards and gifts to Matt and Nat “vegan” handbags (surprisingly good pleather; had me fooled). An excellent option on a sunny day would be to visit the sandwich and cake bar and curate the perfect picnic.

My favourite family-friendly restaurant in the Lakes is Fat Olives in Bowness. The menu is extensive and caters for every preference, the staff are welcoming, everything is fresh and beautifully presented and the place just has a lovely ambience. There’s a children’s menu which offers quality, fresh food for your little ones; no chicken nuggets or baked beans here.

And if you’re after an authentic, old-fashioned Italian restaurant where children are welcomed and fussed over, then head to Villa Positano and do what we did; order the (adult-sized) melon starter for your toddler. It’ll go down a treat and you’ll be able to enjoy your own starters and mains without using up a whole box of breadsticks and a bag of Babybels. We enjoyed steak (Jon) and sea bass (moi) while Millie tucked into pizza followed by ice-cream. Everyone was happy- and not a children’s menu in sight. 

                                      

What to Do

There’s so much to do as a family in the Lakes, although on this particular trip we were sadly limited by the inclement weather. On previous trips we have enjoyed days out at places such as South Lakes Animal Park, which is awesome, and we would have loved to go to Brockhole Nature Reserve- maybe next time!

The World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness-on-Windermere is just made for a rainy day (although you should still go if it’s sunny) You and your littles will have endless fun spotting all your favourite Beatrix Potter characters as you walk round the exhibitions. And needless to say there’s an old-fashioned tea room and expensive, but unavoidable, gift shop for your enjoyment.

Clambering onto a boat of some kind is a must when in the Lakes- you can experience anything you like from a kayak to a huge steamer. We did a tour of Lake Consiton on the beautiful Royal Gondola (see below). But even without going on a boat, walking around Lake Windermere, eating ice cream and making friends with the swans and ducks is a pleasure.

Finally, the teeny-tiny village of Grasmere is often overlooked by visitors to the Lake District, but I’d highly recommend it for an afternoon of joyful, aimless pottering. There are cute shops, pretty gardens to walk round, nice cafes to stop at and the famous historic Grasmere gingerbread shop.

If you have been up to the Lakes recently and done something I haven’t mentioned, please do let me know- I’d love some new ideas for next time!