The Lake District is always one of our go to spots for a short trip away. We usually got camping for a few days or sometimes head down for the day. We’ve recently returned from a weeks stay in Ambleside with the kids and dog and managed to squeeze in some visits to some of our favourite places.
Here are some suggestions if you’re visiting the Ambleside area.
Rothay Park – LA22 9LH.
Rothay Park is a brilliant park for younger children. It has a lovely play area, a full sized football pitch and lots of open space.
The play equipment is well looked after and is probably best suited to children up to 10 years. There are lots of different things including a zip wire, a couple of slides and a wooden assault course.
My two boys were huge fans of the trampolines that are built into the ground.
The park has a beautiful backdrop with views to the fells. It’s also a great starting point for a number of scenic walks.
My youngests beautiful coat is from Lighthouse Clothing. It’s called the Ethan jacket and was perfect for the repeat rain showers during our stay in the Lakes.
There are plenty of picnic benches and seats dotted around the which are perfect for eating a picnic at. The park is only a short walk from the centre of Ambleside so we often saw people eating pizzas
The park is also very dog friendly and lots of people walk their pets. Despite this, the park is very clean and we didn’t seen an abandoned dog poos.
There are toilets in the park but it is worth noting there is a 60p charge to use them ( you can tap your bank card). They weren’t the cleanest during our visit but did seem to be well used and are handy in an emergency.
There’s a park run held in the park on a weekend and we also saw a van selling Crumble and custard and drinks parked up outside the park.
If you walk to the bottom of the park, there’s a little bridge that crosses the river Rothay. Cross the bridge and you can turn right and walk to Grasmere or turn left to Bowness. It’s a lovely walk both ways but if you go right, towards Grasmere you’ll see some cute black pigs in one of the fields. It’s a lovely flat walk which is ideal for bike riding or those who prefer an easier walk.
Stock Ghyll Force – LA220QT
Stock Ghyll Force is 70 foot waterfall within a short distance of Ambleside town centre. The waterfall runs down through pretty woodland with a relatively uphill walk to the top. You can walk up tarmacked road to the top where you can enter the woodland to see the top of the falls.
However, if you fancy something a little more challenging, about half way up for the signs for ‘The Falls’ and you can walk through the trees, alongside the river. It’s quite uneven so probably best avoided by younger children or anyone unsteady on your feet but it’s a more scenic route to the falls.
The road route is pushchair friendly but would wouldn’t be able to get a pushchair to the actual top of the falls so I would recommend a carrier for young children if possible.
Parking is available in Ambleside town centre but there are a limited amount of parking spaces on the road you walk up. You would need to be there very early to take advantage of these spaces though as they fill up very quickly.
There is a dog friendly cafe/restaurant at the top of Stock Ghyll Lane called Force if you want to grab something to eat and drink before you start the descent back into Ambleside. It’s more of a restaurant than a cheap and cheerful cafe but the service was friendly and the views over Lake Windermere are beautiful. The kids had meals from their children’s menu and the portion sizes were good and prices reasonable.
The Rock Shop LA22 9DT
The Rock Shop is a small but fun place to visit in Ambleside. It’s open 10-5 every day and despite its name, isn’t just a shop.
Downstairs is jam packed with cool rocks, gem stones and a couple of fun activities including the fabulous tumbled gem pit in the window of the store. You can fill a small bag with any gems from the pit. It’s such a fab activity and kids love digging through the pretty gems to choose their favourites. There is also the Pippin Bead bar where you can create your own gem bracelet to take home.
Upstairs is home to a Dinosaur themed treasure hunt which is lots of fun. It’s a fairly short activity but my two have done it a few times and still enjoy it.
The Rock Shop is always a hit with my two boys, we visit whenever we’re in The Lakes.
The Bridge House – LA22 9AN
You can’t have a trip to Ambleside without a trip to The Bridge House. Situated in the middle of Ambleside on Rydal Road the 17th century little house sits over the top of Stock Beck. It’s been a multitude of things over the years including a a weaving shop, a cobbler’s and a home for a family of 8. Bridge House is looked after by The National Trust, it is very rarely open to look inside now but you can pose for a photo outside.
Rydal Caves (car park)
Rydal Caves is a unique spot set on Loughrigg Fell. It’s a very popular place to visit and is always very busy in warmer weather.
You can walk across the stepping stones into the cave if you wish or if you’re a little less daring, there are rocks to clamber over if you want to make sure your feet stay dry.
There’s some lovely photo opportunities both in the caves and en route and the view across Rydal Water from the top is beautiful.
The walk from the car park to Rydal Caves is fairly easy, with a slight incline on the way there. The footpath is fairly flat and well maintained. It’s a pleasant walk up to the caves, although you can go further onto the fell if you wish. It’s about 2 mile there and back if you just head to the caves and back from the car park.
There is a very small, expensive pay and display car park at the start of the walk which fills up very early in the day. If you’re visiting in the Summer months I would recommend going later in the day. We visited after 6pm and the car park was starting to quieten down a little so we got parked quite easily.
Grasmere LA22 9PU
Grasmere is a beautiful village, located just under 5 miles from Ambleside. It’s a pleasant place to spend a day and has a range of shops and cafes.
It’s also home to Sarah Nelson’s Gingerbread shop which has been around since 1854. Located near St Oswald’s Churchyard and The Wordsworth Hotel, the tiny little shop nearly always has a queue outside. They sell a small range of products, including the original gingerbread. The gingerbread is made fresh each day and can be frozen in case you want to stock up during your visit.
Broadgate Meadow Park in Grasmere sits fringed by dramatic Lakeland landscapes and is a lovely place to relax while your children play. There are some picnic benches, a play park and plenty of grass for a ball game. It’s a great spot to take your dog for a walk too.
Boat cruise at Windermere
You’re able to hire boats on quite a few of the Lakes in the Lake District but we usually opt for Windermere Lake Cruises because we’ve always found them friendly and helpful.
Boat Hire can be booked online and costs will depend on the time for year and length of booking. We paid £82 for an hour in the Summer this year.
There are three different departure points you can choose from dogs are welcome on board.
As well as self drive boats, you can hire rowing boats or book a spot on a organised cruise on one of the larger boats in their fleet.
Coniston Copper Mines ( LA21 8EH Ruskin Avenue car park)
There is plenty of pay and display parking available in the centre of Coniston or if you’re lucky you may find a rare spot towards the bottom of the Coppermine route as there is limited amount of free roadside parking available.
The walk took us around 3 hours there and back which included a 5 year old a dog. The walk on the way there is a little steep so took longer than the walk back.
Once you’re parked, make your way towards the The Black Bull Pub and the Co-op shop, once you find them, follow the roads to the left side of the Coop and keep going. You’ll initially pass some houses on the left but then there is just road and countryside until you eventually see YHA Coniston Coppermines and BMSC Cottage. The river runs along the left side and there are some fairly steep drops so keep hold of little hands and dog leads.
Keep to the right once you’ve passed the buildings, and then you just follow the trail up and you will come across various pools and eventually the waterfall. It’s very boggy during wet weather so decent footwear is a must.
It’s much quieter in the colder months, than the summer. You can expect to see lots of swimmers in warmer weather.
Cathedral Caves – LA22 9NT (best place to park) – about a 15 minute drive from Ambleside.
Cathedral Caves is about a 15 minute drive from Ambleside. It is part of Little Langdale quarries and was previously a place used to extract slate. In 1929, Beatrix Potter purchased the rights to Cathedral Quarry, and then transferred ownership to the National Trust who still maintain it today.
Like Rydal Cave, Cathedral Caves doesn’t have a lot of parking nearby and the surrounding roads are very narrow and can be difficult to navigate, particularly if you have a larger vehicle. The best spot we’ve found is outside Lowfield House on the road. There’s room for a row of cars, just remember to tuck in close and push in your wingmirrors.
Once you’re parked up, follow the lane ( with Lowfield House on your left), pass the pub on the right hand side, continue on until there’s a junction, take the road on the left side and continue walking. After a short walk along this road, a right turn will take you over the fields towards Slaters Bridge and the caves.
Once, you cross over the river Brathay using Slaters Bridge, cross the field, turn left along the country lane and continue walking up the hill towards the caves. It’s a fairly easy, mostly flat walk in the dry, warmer weather but a bit more tricky when it’s wet. A decent pair of walking boots will help.
We love Cathedral Caves and we’ve always found it less busy than Rydal. The kids love exploring and even the door enjoys a good sniff.
Parking in Ambleside ( and most other Lake District towns)
Parking in the Lake District in the busier, Summer months can be a bit of a pain. Parking is limited and most spaces are usually expensive if you’re wanting to park up for a while. You can expect to pay around £2.20 for an hour in a council owner car park, up to £10 for the day. There are some free spaces
There are a number of pay to use car parks dotted around Ambleside as well as limited free disc parking ( you can park for 1 hour between the hours of 10am and 6pm). During out last visit we also discovered Ambleside School offers parking on their grounds on a weekend and during school holidays for a recommended donation.
I hope some of these suggestions give you some ideas for your next trip to Ambleside.
