Lake District in March in 3 days
- Aishwarya Parui
- Apr 23, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 24, 2022
When everyone tells you March is too cold to go up North, you go up North.
My husband and I were in between jobs when we decidedly chose Lake District as a perfect refreshing break before our new roles began. We had to plan wisely with the limited time and resource we had, considering money would also be a factor when thinking extravangza, like 4 coffees a day.
Plenty to do and see in Lake District
“This was going to be our first time in Lake District and we had only given ourselves 3 days ”
We were told the hardest decision would be to pick a base. That was the easy choice for us. Cash-strapped, we prepped our car for a low-budget road trip to Bowness-on-Windermere and set up camp.
Accommodation
We had very little planning time and a tight budget. Fortunately, March being outside the busy rich tourist season, we found a homely attic room in a pretty little B&B at the heart of Bowness-on-Windermere for a decent price.
Oakfold House : Beresford Road, Bowness-on-Windermere, LA23 2JG, United Kingdom
We booked Oakfold House with Booking.com. As we had a Genius Level 2 Loyalty (whatever that means), booking.com included a breakfast with our accommodation. Daily breakfast budget : saved! We absolutely loved our stay. The hostess, Claire, was extraordinary. Very boutique style in their little touches and finishes - they left and refilled luxury wafer biscuits/cookies in our room everyday. They offered a selection of breakfast options to pick from, the evening before, and we would get our breakfast option customised the way we liked, freshly and finely cooked by the house chef! Coffee and tea during breakfast was served in a pot/cafetiere so we always had more than 2 cups/person. Although it was situated at the heart of Windermere High Street, it was tucked away from the noisy main street. You could walk down and reach the Windermere Lake in 10mins and be at the Ferry Port to catch your island cruise.
Getting there
We made a judicious decision to split our otherwise 6 hrs journey from Southampton over 2 days, considering only one of us was going to drive : husband dearest.
We began our drive from Southampton on a Tuesday evening up to Ashbourne. We had booked a room at a Travelodge for as little as GBP 30/night. It was a decent accommodation and location for 1 night at that price.
All charged and refreshed, we completed the remaining 2 hrs drive to Windermere the next morning and it was perfect.
The purpose of splitting the drive was so we had enough fuel in our bodies to still enjoy the place & make the most of the day when we got there. The price for this convenience? GBP 30.
Travelodge, Ashbourne : Carnation Way, Ashbourne, DE6 1AY, Sat Nav postcode: DE6 2BN
Our 3-Days Itinerary in Lake District
Day 1
We kept our first day light, free and easy.
After checking into the B&B, we went for a quick bite at Urban Food House and then headed straight for the Windermere Lake.
We got the Lake Blue Island Cruise which is a 45mins cruise by the islands, mountains, historical sites with a full commentary. The cruise was their latest and largest ferry boat with a bar. So, that was lush.
After the cruise, we explored the little town on foot, wandering past The World of Beatrix Potter, little shops of art & crafts, miniature furniture stores, mantel pieces, quirky antique & charity stores, pretty cafes and restaurants before heading to Crafty Baa for the most fascinating experience.
I will highly recommend a drink and a cheese platter at Crafty Baa and admire the most outlandish and magical decor. I have shared photos from our visit to Crafty Baa in the gallery below.
Crafty Baa : 21 Victoria St Windermere LA23 1AB
Day 2
When in Lake District, you must make your way to Dove Cottage where Coleridge paid several visits to his friend, a father-figure, Wordsworth and wrote some of his best works (including 'Christabel') that Wordsworth rejected.
We intentionally got lost along the way to take some walking paths behind Dove Cottage. After a good 40mins of challenging walk or hike up a mountain, we captured the most beautiful view. We approached a stream that joined the Grasmere Lake & Rydal water.
Following our wandering walks leading to the highest points, we returned to earth for the heavenly taste of the BEST GINGERBREAD IN ENGLAND. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you take some time to visit one of the oldest and best kept time's secret for their finest RUM BUTTER and GINGERBREAD.
Nestled in the heart of the Grasmere village, next to Wordsworth's burial garden, you will not miss Sarah's Gingerbread Shop. The queues are always long, but in March we only had to wait in line for 10minutes.
It is a tiny shop where the women selling these fine goodies are wonderfully stuck in the Victorian time in their attire and shop-front. If nothing else draws you to Lake District, let this be the sole reason you go.
After our walk in the Gingerbread village, we completed our little hike in the tippy tops of Grasmere Village with the Grasmere Tea Garden.
After we returned to our camp base from Ambleside, we headed to Baha for a nice dinner to wind down for the night. I recommend you go to Baha for some unconventional tapas. This is only a 2-minutes walk from The World of Beatrix Potter.
Baha : 18 Ash St, Bowness-on-Windermere, Windermere LA23 3EB
Day 3
Just when we thought the walk could not get more challenging than the day before, Day 3 happened.
Our final day was ridiculously beautiful and busy. We started with the Loughrigg Fell walking trail leading up to the Loughrigg Terrace.
I will only recommend the walk up to Loughrigg Terrace if you have the right pair of shoes/boots and if you are a confident walker. It is quite a climb with no clear paths in certain parts of the walking trail. The walk up and back can easily take 2 hours, depending on your pace. Carry plenty of water and a good camera to capture the breath-taking views from the top. We parked at White Moss Car Park to begin our walking trail.
White Moss Car Park : Ambleside LA22 9SE
As if that 2 hours climb up and walk down was not enough, we headed for the Stockghyll Force. This is not a very long or challenging walk but it can be slippery so again, if you do not have the right pair of boots, and you still want to attempt it, well then, it was nice knowing you were one of my readers once.
For Stockghyll Force, we parked at Lake Road Car Park. It's an easy 15 minutes walk to the waterfall from this car park and is at the heart of the Ambleside town where you can stop for a meal, put your feet up and may decide to completely abandon the next walk.
Lake Road Car Park, Ambleside LA22 0DB
Stock Ghyll Force: 6 Stockghyll Ln, Ambleside LA22 0QT
In the little town of Ambleside in Cumbria
Verdict : GO!
Whether you are on a tight budget or struggling in a miserable spring/autumn, if you want to admire the natural beauty of Lake District that people keep talking about, there is no reason you cannot visit in March or in November.
Quick tip - Understand the meaning of some of the Cumbrian words they use. Words like 'fell', 'tarn', etc. It will help you decide if you want to climb a fell today or sit by the tarn.
Finally, I leave you with a video montage from our trip that Ari & I created. If this does not convince you to start packing, well, then call me.
চোখ ধাঁধানো !!
Wow 🥰
Lucid,vivid,tempting…