Relax around the clock in the South Lakes
The South Lakeland Tourism Action Group is enticing visitors with a round-the-clock teaser that demonstrates the wide variety of activities and pleasures on offer in an area stretching from the market town of Kendal, to the peaceful, sunset-filled coastal resorts around Morecambe Bay.
A sample itinerary of what to do at different times of day is making it easy for visitors to put their own ideas together, once they have appreciated some of the must-do activities.
05:30 – 07:30 The Dawn Chorus
May is the ideal month in which to listen to the dawn chorus, but this year there is a very special way of doing this. Rydal Mount – William Wordsworth’s home for 37 years – is offering its first dawn chorus experience. This will take place at 05.30 Sunday, May 2 and involves listening to the calls of birds in the gardens, which could include woodpeckers, robins and nuthatches. Participants will also hear some of Wordsworth’s nature poems, such as To the Cuckoo and To the Skylark, read out loud in the stunning gardens, which he landscaped himself. The serving of a breakfast bap, filled with locally produced bacon, and some scrumptious hot chocolate, will complete the fabulous experience, priced at £6 per person, with the option of visiting the house for an additional £1.50. Pre-booking is essential and places limited. Visit rydalmount.co.uk for general information.
11:00 Elevenses
There are many atmospheric eateries in the South Lakes, but in ancient Kendal many are yards better when it comes to historical origins. Kendal’s Yards are narrow lanes leading into yards off the main street. At one time there were around 150, many named after the owner of the house that stood at the end. Others buzzed with trades such as weaving and dying, which arose from the town’s wool trade. In Yard 11, you will find the Joshua Tree Licensed Café and Bistro, housed in one of Kendal’s oldest buildings, dating from the 1620s and complete with oak beams, wooden floors and real log fire. Everything here is home cooked and locally sourced and, on fine days, you can enjoy your treats in the cobbled courtyard.
13.00 Historic Castle
Sizergh Castle, south of Kendal, has a medieval tower dating from the mid 1300s and was a potent symbol of the power of the Strickland family in medieval times. The castle has exceptional Elizabethan oak panelling in the Inlaid Chamber – a magnificent state bedchamber. There is also impressive oak furniture, stunning portraits and beautiful furnishings.
The gardens include an orchard, an herbaceous border, a unique rock garden, a wild garden, terrace, lake, lawn, Dutch garden and Great Barn. Visit nationaltrust.org.uk/sizergh for more details. Sizergh is open every day except Friday and Saturday, from March 14 – October 31 between the hours of 11.00 and 17.00 for the garden and 12.00 and 17.00 for the house.
14.00 Rockpool Discovery
At two o’clock, every day, visitors to Lakes Aquarium, on Windermere’s southern shore near Newby Bridge, can enjoy Rockpool Discovery Sessions. These focus on the creatures living in rockpools around Morecambe Bay, providing new insights for adults and children alike. These talks, as well as interactive otter talks and feeding and Morecambe Bay talks (three times a day), are included in the admission price, which is £8.95 for adults, £5.95 for children and from £26.95 for a family. Up to 20 per cent can be saved by buying tickets online at lakesaquarium.co.uk where all details about this global-themed, freshwater attraction can be found. Lakes Aquarium can be visited by car, by boat, via the Windermere Lakes Cruises service to Lakeside (windermere-lakecruises.co.uk) and via the trains run by the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway (lakesiderailway.co.uk).
15.00 Afternoon Tea
There are many wonderful places to enjoy a brew with a view in the South Lakes, one of the most tempting being the tea room at Blackwell – the Arts and Crafts house – near Bowness. Here, you can enjoy a pot of tea and homemade scone, served with fruit jam and fresh whipped cream, for just £3.85 per person. The breathtaking view on offer stretches down over Blackwell’s beautifully manicured lawns, to the sparkling waters of Windermere below. A joy at any time, this is particularly blissful when afternoon tea is served on the garden terrace. Blackwell’s beauty is as deep internally as externally, so make sure you tour the house to appreciate some of the finest examples of craftsmanship that the Arts and Crafts movement can boast. The house is open daily from 10.30 – 17.00 and entrance costs £6.50 for adults, £3.80 for children and £17.25 for a family. Visitors can enjoy afternoon tea free of admission charge. Visit blackwell.org.uk for more details.
17.00 Wordsworth
In the last year of the 1700s, poet William Wordsworth took up residence at Dove Cottage, in Grasmere and it was here where he composed some of his most famous poetry, including the Daffodils poem. Tours of the cottage allow the visitor to appreciate the lifestyle of Wordsworth and his family, with many artefacts still on show. The neighbouring Wordsworth Museum stages special exhibitions throughout the year and always has displays of Wordsworth family possessions that offer great insights into the existence that William enjoyed within Cumbria. Dove Cottage is open every day. Entrance to both cottage and Wordsworth Museum and Art Gallery costs £7.50 for an adult, £4.50 for a child (under 6s free) and £17.20 for two adults and two children, or one adult and three children. Visit wordsworth.org.uk for more details.
18.00 Evening Prayer
Around 60,000 visitors a year make their way to The Priory Church of St Mary and St Michael, in the village of Cartmel, to enjoy some quiet contemplation, or partake in a service at this medieval priory, founded in the 12th century by Augustine monks. The beautiful church has been described as “the most beautiful church in the north-west” (Simon Jenkins – England’s Thousand Best Churches’.) Evening Prayer services are held at 18.00 Tuesday to Saturday, with an Evensong service at 6.30 pm every Sunday from the end of March to the end of October (and at 15.30pm the rest of the year). Guided tours of the priory are also available on Wednesdays at 11.00 and 14.00 and cost £2.50 for adults and £1 for children. Visit cartmelpriory.org.uk for more details.
19.30 Dinner
There are many famous places at which to dine in the South Lakes, as well as many undiscovered gems. If you want to go for a ‘name’ when it comes to a venue, try L’Enclume in Cartmel – a Michelin star restaurant voted one of the five best destination restaurants with rooms in Europe – or the Michelin star restaurant at the Holbeck Ghyll Hotel, overlooking Windermere (holbeckghyll.com).
20.00 Star Gazing
The Lake District offers clearer skies than much of the country, which assists those wishing to indulge in a spot of star gazing. At boutique hotel, Linthwaite House, a luxury loft suite brings starlit skies right into the bedroom. The loft suite comes complete with a telescope, as well as other features such as WiFi and i-pod dock, and also has a retractable glass roof panel. If you can tear yourself away from the stars, you can enjoy the interior design work of Roberta Fulford and a huge, Italian designer bath and double walk in shower. This rooms costs between £465 and £520 per night, including breakfast, and between £520 and £580 for dinner, bed and breakfast. Visit linthwaite.com.
Brantfield Cottage, in Bowness, is a three-bedroomed cottage, sleeping six, with a double bedroom complete with star gazing window. This cottage costs between £345 and £645 to rent. Visit lakelovers.co.uk for more details.
Free star gazing can also be found in areas such as the Lyth Valley, where the Milky Way can be seen on clear, dark nights and where the occasional shooting star adds to the drama.
24.00 Midnight At the Arnside Oasis
Although it’s hard to turn in for the night, with so much to do in the South Lakes, one of the most fun places to curl up has to be boutique guesthouse No 43, in the coastal town of Arnside, on the Kent estuary. This sympathetically restored and beautifully furnished Victorian townhouse provides guests with many luxuries and total comfort, but for those hungry for even more decadence, there is the possibility of a Midnight Feast.
Guests can pre-order a platter of local cheese, meats, or smoked fish and have a tray awaiting them in their room when they return from their evening out. A bed and breakfast stay at No 43 costs from £55-£90 per person per night and a minimum stay at the weekend is two nights and, over a Bank Holiday, three nights. A complimentary Bucks Fizz is served to guests in residence on Sunday mornings. Visit no43.org.uk for more details.
