Central Lake District
Hawkshead
Hawkshead is a tiny but very popular village on the Western side of Windermere and is a typical historic lakeland setting. Surrounded by rolling green fells this cluster of white painted or stone higgledy-piggledy houses is a wonderful place to explore
Ambleside
Right at the heart of the Lake District, this large village is a vibrant centre for tourism. Ambleside is a great base for exploring the Lake District, it is the most central of the larger villages and most of the major roads radiate from it.
Glenridding
A quiet alternative to Ambleside, Glenridding is a great base for exploring Ullswater and Patterdale. Quite a small village with a couple of pubs, a food shop and cafes. Also an outdoor shop. The village is at the foot of Hellvelyn and a natural choice for doing the famous Striding Edge route, a steep sided arete leading to the summit. A steamer can be taken along Ullswater from Glenridding to Pooley Bridge. This is a particularly impressive boat trip and is a fine alternative to a cruise on Windermere.
Bowness
Bowness is one of the most popular and busy tourist towns in Cumbria. It offers a full range of services and is set on the shores of Lake Windermere. It is the obvious destination for day trippers and has jettees from which you may take boat trips up the lake. It is a great place to go and feed the ducks, but be careful of the plentiful.
Full Lake District Late Availability List. Last Minute Deals & Special Offers, late availability and more.
