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Published: November 20th 2005
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Land of Beatrix Potter and home to William Wordsworth is not usually somewhere that would appeal to us as a holiday destination, but England's Lake District is also known for its magnificent scenery and delicious food ... that sounds more like it! We arrived in Windermere at midday on the Saturday of a bank holiday weekend and set about trying to find somewhere to park our tent. A visit to the tourist office revealed that nearly every one of the at least twenty camping grounds in the area was either booked out or did not allow tents (what sort of campground is that?). Our only hope was a massive campground that apparently did not take bookings but 'never ran out of room as they just open up a new paddock when one gets full'. Sounded a bit rough to us, combined with the fact that the site apparently did not have shower facilities. Of course rough camping is not something that is new to us but we were not planning on this being such a trip - we began to think that the weekend could be wilder than we planned! But we found all to be well. After a scenic bus
ride through quaint villages, past the pretty and infamous Windermere lake and rolling green quintessentially English countryside we arrived at a very pleasant campground with modern toilet and shower facilities. Yippee! After setting up our tent we walked along a pretty creek, flowing freely with the clearest mountain water you have ever seen, to the local general store to stock up with supplies. Our trip to the Lake District would not be complete if we did not put a packet of the famous Kendall mintcake in our shopping basket. This unusual treat apparently was the fuel that helped Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay to the top of Mount Everest.
It was a glorious sunny Saturday afternoon and just down the road we spotted a picturesque little country pub with a low stone fence surrounding an outdoor courtyard which overlooked some sheep filled pastures. We just couldn't resist stopping off for a drink to enjoy the sunshine and admire the stunning view watching the walkers and their dogs trundle past. What an idyllic way to end the afternoon!
Unfortunately when we awoke the next morning the blue sky and bright sunshine was no-where to be seen. Instead it was
grey and blustery and it rained and rained and rained! Midday came and we were bored and hungry so we donned our new Goretex jackets and headed out to brave the elements. We arrived in Ambleside, one of the major towns in the district full of cute restaruants, bustling pubs and hundreds of shops selling outdoor gear. It was still raining so we found shelter - combined with some fantastic food in a warm, cozy and inviting little restaurant. With its attached shop full of organic and gourmet goodies it reminded me very much of the Organic Cafe in Stirling in the Adelaide Hills not far from home. By mid afternoon the rain had subsided so we caught a bus to Grasmere - home to William Wandsworth and a bakery making reputedly the best gingerbread in the world. I can vouch for the amazing gingerbread, crunchy on the outside, soft in the midlle and full of chunks of real crystallized ginger! Not the way I thought of the gingerbread at all. The grey day with low cloud made the cobblestone grey slated town even more atmospheric with warm inviting light glowing from the tourist-tempting stores. We couldn't help but be
drawn in to sample the local icecream!
By this time we were feeling guilty about being in a well known hikers mecca and not yet having taken to the tracks, so we found a trail that up hill and down dale would return us to the caravan park. A poorly marked track saw us detouring through puddles and mud and that combined with the persistant drizzle made us very glad to arrive to the warmth and comfort of the local pub in the village of Chapel Style where we had been the previous afternoon. Being a long weekend it was packed with people but we managed to nab a table and enjoyed a country meal and a few drinks before heading back to our soggy tent. The real worth and charm of the English pub becomes particularly apparent in places such as this!
As luck would have it it was a very rough night and we only managed a few hours sleep thanks to the howling winds so strong that at times the tent was laid flat upon us. I doubted at times that it would last the night, but we survived and woke the next day to
bright blue sky and sunshine. A perfect day for a hike up Britain's highest peak.
Unfortunately we were on the wrong side of the ranges for the usual ascent of Scafell Pike, Britian's highest mountain. However there was a longer route we could take, which even we would admit was a little ambitious given the limited bus service in the area. Our hike started at the Old Dungean Ghyll Hotel - the oldest in the area and a mecca for hikers and rock climbers complete with a fantastic outdoor 'trekkers bar' with outdoor seating and spectacular views. With our tight deadline in mind (locals told us the climb took eight hours - we had six and a half) we walked very steadily (uphill!) for hour after hour, stopping enroute for a very English Marks and Spencers Flapjack (sooo good!). We reached the top of the first rise and continued on past a lovely lake, along a grassy plateau and through the ruins of an old stone hut. We were making good time and thought we'd be able to make it to the top and back with no problems, of course the route is always longer than you think though!
We reached what we thought was close to the top and looked across the paddock to see our true summit. We continued over endless piles of rocks and boulders, the temperature rapidly falling the higher we got. I had been told the walk to the top was so easy that a child could do it so I was surprised to find myself facing a very steep incline, along a trail with mounds of loose rocks on what looked like a narrow ridgeback where one wrong foot and you'd be sliding off down the mountainside. I put my fear aside and carefully up the path we went, passing along the way families taking their pet pooch for a stroll. Now there's something you don't see in the wilderness areas of Australia: not to mention the fact the I would be too frightened my pup would get a bit excited and end up food for the local fauna after a nasty spill. We made it to the top without incident and the view was spectacular, with lakes and rolling hills as fas as the eye could see. This was set off beautifully by the blue sky, lush green grass, slate grey stones and fluffy white clouds. We thought it fitting to replace our energy with some Kendall mintcake - it is certaintly an acquired taste: like hard crystallised sugar scented and flavoured with peppermint oil and I'm not sure if I can say it is nice or not.
With some time now on our side we made it back down to the lake and enjoyed a lunch stop and long loll in the beautifull sunshine enjoying the views of the sun glittering on the water and the company of a very cute terrier who couldn't resist the smell of our corned beef in a can (not up to our usual standard of food but we were in the bush!). It was a long hard walk and our knees and legs were aching as we descended the steep rocky path to the bus stop but we had to continue pushing on and in the end we made it to the bus stop with just a few minutes to spare.
The next morning we packed up our tent and enjoyed a cruise on Lake Windermere from Ambleside to Windermere. It was picturesque and peaceful, the banks lined with forests and the odd castle or two, but we decided it was a little to chilly to brave a paddle in a row boat. After a lovely bowl of homemade soup at a local cafe we boarded the train back to London. The closer we reached to the city the less clothes the people walking along the canal-side paths seemed to be wearing. Wouldn't you know it the minute we leave the capital the weather heats up and we miss one of the only sunny weekends of the summer! Welcome to summer in the Lake District!
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great views
Thank for that great to enjoy your walk in detail.