From Norwich to the Lake District

Our first trip of 2013 took us to the Lake District. A crazy idea you might think, as January is the rainiest month, with a temperature generally below 5°C. However, our short roadtrip happened under a lucky star. 

We didn't want to drive all the way straight to the lakes, so we first visited Hunstanton, on the North Norfolk coast. Its cliffs were as impressive as they had been described to me although the walk along the beach was very cold and windy. As it got dark, we made our way up to Horsforth, just outside Leeds, where we stayed with Chris’ lovely friends.

 The next stop was Harrogate, a hidden gem from the North (hidden to me at least!). Its posh little streets were filled with small boutiques and finely dressed ladies. While we didn’t have time for the Turkish baths, we stayed for an afternoon tea at the famous tearoom called Betty’s. The decor was very quaint, even the waitresses were dressed like in the early 1900s!  Two more hours on the road until we reached Kendal hostel, where we were welcomed by a lovely hostel owner and her two black Labradors. Kendal is just outside the Lake District, although it’s just as cute as the towns and villages in the national park.

On day three, we were on our way to Grasmere. However, as we were driving along Lake Windermere, something astonishing happened: the sun came out! Thus, we stopped as soon as we could and enjoyed our brunch with a breathtaking view (see below!).

As we got to Grasmere, we visited William Wordsworth’s grave and one of his most famous poems was quoted at the entrance to the garden dedicated to him.

"I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils"

After a bit of wandering around, we found what we came for: the coffin route. It leads from Grasmere to Rydal and is not very steep but relatively hilly. It bears that rather morbid name because Rydal didn’t have a church, so the Dead were brought to Grasmere to be buried. Walking along the path was easy, but we imagined that it would not be the same on a stormy night carrying a heavy coffin up and down the path. As we walked back from Rydal, night suddenly fell and as we reached Grasmere it was pitch-black. The downside of January holidays in this part of the world are the short days, especially when you’re walking in the countryside. We passed by Ambleside, where we saw the famous house on the bridge and the beautiful unpretentious Christmas decorations.

On our last day, we headed towards Bowness-upon-Windermere, where after a rather exciting stop at the Peter Rabbit Shop, we caught a ferry to cross the lake. Unlike the cruises on Lake Windermere, the ferry is very cheap (£1 return per person) as it is run by the council. Once on the other side, we walked through lots of mud, up and down the hilly landscape enjoying beautiful panoramas. Our objective was to reach Hill Top, a house where Beatrix Potter had lived at some point. The house was closed as it was winter, but the villages on our way were absolutely picturesque. As we took a break on a bench overlooking the valley towards Hawkshead, an old man walked by. He asked us whether we knew Beatrix Potter’s stories. However, for both of us they are a vague childhood memory. He continued to tell us, that Miss Potter sat at that exact same spot and drew the signpost that was at our side. Both the bench and the signpost had been replaced since, but it was a great feeling.

In the dusky light, we walked back to Bowness, prepared for our last ride. Seven hours from Lake Windermere to Norwich!

Although, we were extremely lucky with the weather, with really mild temperatures, I would really recommend to venture a visit to the Lake District in winter. It was really quiet, mostly locals were around, so that we had the national park to ourselves! If you wanted to visit the National Trust houses and the Beatrix Potter attraction, winter isn’t the best time to go, as most were closing over January/ winter. However, if you want some quiet time in nature and a great deal of fresh air, the Lake District in January is the place to be!