Family Days Out

Things To Do For All The Family

For really useful information on the weather and what’s on in the Lakes why not visit Your Guide 2 The Lake District.website.

Brockhole - This is the National Park Centre located between Ambleside and Windermere with a great playground for the children and lots of events on during the school holidays. There is walks around the gardens and lake shore and a cafe. Entrance is free but parking in the carpark is quite expensive.

World of Beatrix Potter- Bowness (a bit dull/scary/expensive for younger children) This is a popular attraction for those who love her books with scenes from the stories and a video about her life in the Lakes.

Windermere Cruises – Ambleside/Bowness/Lakeside – this is a great way to see the mountains from the cruise and you can select short hops or longer routes along the length of the Lake.

Grizedale Forest - offers  walks, sculpture trails, a great playground, bike hire and cycle routes and Go – Ape – tree top assault course for older children

Lakes Aquarium - based in Lakeside – watch ducks dive under water and expolre worlds of watery fun – combine with train and boat tickets for a good days entertainment.

Rufty Tuftys Softplay - this is a large 3 level indoor play centre on the way into Ambleside (with ride on tractors) – for ages 0-11yrs – cafe serving good value meals for children and adults – open every day 10am – 5.00pm  and free wifi if you need to check on emails etc – a good wet day option.

Haverthwaite Railway - A delightful steam train journey linking Lakeside and Haverthwaite taking 18minutes – under 5s are free – special events such as Thomas the Tank and Christmas Specials.

South Lakes Wildlife Park - Dalton in Furness – a very family friendly Zoo which children will really enjoy as it is set up for children to get close to the animals.

Fellfoot Park – a stunning lakeshore family orientated country park. Just the place to enjoy Windermere, with boat hire, picnic areas, refreshments, snacks and an exciting new adventure playground for all ages.

The Rheged Centre - indoor and outdoor play areas, pottery painting workshop  lots of activities in school holidays and an amazing 3D Cinema.

Lakeland Climbing – Kendal  Experience the great feeling of outdoor clombing with professional tuition- from 8 years to adult

Duckys Park Farm - farm animals and indoor play area – ideal for young children to explore and pet and feed farm animals.

Lakeland Maize Maze - Now open from Easter to the end of the summer holidays – indoor activities for  wet days – close to the M6 junction 36.

Messing about by a Lake – West Shore Lake Winderemere near Ferry (turn left before ferry) Coniston -east shore, and south of Lake.

Hill Top – Near Sawrey – Hill Top was a haven for Beatrix and was a holiday retreat before she married and escaped London for good. The house is full of her special treasures and is recognisable as the home of some of her best loved characters and tales. The lovely garden is a haphazard mix of flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables. Make your way up the garden path to the front door and see for yourself why Beatrix loved this place.

Beatrix Potter Gallery – Hawkshead – A selection of rarely seen, original illustrations are on display at the Beatrix Potter Gallery, in Hawkshead village center. It’s a must see for all Beatrix Potter fans, young and old, and the perfect addition to your trip to Hill Top.
Join us this year as we go ‘On Holiday with Beatrix Potter’. Immerse yourself in diaries, sketches and photographs from her travels and holidays around Britain at the end of the 19th century, the inspiration behind many of her stories.

Wray Castle makes for a new and exciting National Trust visit; it’s a place for all the family to enjoy, so don’t worry about running around and making as much noise as you like! Join a guided tour; try building your own castle or dressing up as kings and queens. The castle jetty allows you to arrive in style by boarding one of the regular cruises from Ambleside, or why not hop on the shuttle bus from Hawkshead or Ferry Nab and call in at Hill Top and the Beatrix Potter Gallery on the way. Discounts apply when arriving at the Castle by boat

WET AND WILD RIDES

Leisure

Leisure Activities In The Lake District

Here are just a few suggestions – for any more information just give us a call.

A useful website for information on local activities and events click on this link Your Guide 2 the Lake District

Cycling

There are many bridle ways criss – crossing the countryside around Hawkshead which are clearly waymarked. Grizedale Forest is an excellent place for all the family and levels of technical ability with graded routes. There is a new North Face mountain bike route which has received National publicity. Bikes can be hired from the visitor centre.

Horse Riding

This is a great way to see the Lakes – There are several stables nearby – In Coniston there is Spoon Hall Trekking Centre (015394 41391) .There is also a stables at  Satterthwaite in Grizedale (01229 860208)

Watersports

Rowing boats can be hired from Ambleside (Waterhead) Windermere or Coniston. For other water sports The Low Wood Watersports Centre near Ambleside offers Waterskiing, Wakesurfing, Sailing, Kayaking/Canoeing and Boat Hire for bookings (015394) 39441. There are also Windermere lake cruises which are an excellent way to see the lake or if you fancy a trip on a Steam Gondola they cruise up and down Coniston Water. Ambleside Tourist information office is an excellent source for ideas for days out whether it is sunny or not!

If you want your holiday to be action packed why not let Activities in Lakeland organise activities for you – They will organise a whole range of days for you and your family while you are in the Lakes ……. from archery, canoeing, rockclimbing or even Falconry experiences. Please give them a call on 015395 35999 or follow the link to their website for more details.

Leisure Activities In The Lake District

Walking

Walking in the Lakes

Hawkshead is a great base for walking both low level gentle walks or the high Lakeland Fells.

Low level walks

To help guests we FILLED THESE PAGES WITH INFO  There are plenty of walks to help you enjoy the scenery of this special area so loved by Beatrix Potter. Claife Heights and Tarn Hows both offer exceptional views and Grizedale Forest offers the added attraction of hidden sculptures which delight and encourage children to explore. There are also great walks along the shore of Lake Windermere where on a sunny day there are plenty of opportunities for a paddle ! There are many routes where you combine pub lunches and afternoon teas … just ask if you want some ideas – we are more than happy to make recommendations.

Lakeland Fells

For all of those inspired by recent Wainwright and climbing television programmes, Hawkshead is a great base to experience the fells for yourself. Located in the Southern Lakes, Hawkshead offers easy access to the stunning mountains such as the Fairfield Range above Ambleside and the Coniston and Langdale Fells.

There are guided walks run throughout the year by The National Park they also produce little leaflets for walks in each area.

Have a look around

Webcams

Photos

Videos

Things to do

• Get on the water
• Take in the views as you walk
• Enjoy an attraction
• Go miles without stiles

Upcoming events

Jesters Circus Workshops

The Magic of Storytelling

Birdwatch at Brockhole

Discover the Lake District

HAVE A DAY TRIP TO BLACKPOOL

We are a thirty minuet car ride from Blackpool for your days outing this view of the SUNSET ON THE BEACH  may be why the call the prom the golden mile ? HUGE FUNFAIR , MILES OF PROM AND BEACH FUN FOR ALL AGES

Welcome - Holehird Gardens

www.holehirdgardens.org.uk

The Home of The Lakeland Horticultural Society
  Patterdale Rd, Windermere, LA23 1NP. Tel 015394 46008
On A592, 3/4 mile north of roundabout with A591.


Holehird is a demonstration garden managed by the Lakeland Horticultural Society. It is within the grounds of the Holehird Estate, administered by Cumbria County Council. The house is leased as a nursing home. The house and the paths surrounding it are not open to the public, but the gardens that lie in front, though not part of the LHS gardens are open to visitors.

The garden of nearly five acres is set on a hillside, with some of the best views in Lakeland. It has a great diversity of plants that grow well in the soil of this area; there are alpine and heather beds and a collection of rhododendrons and azaleas. The walled garden is mostly herbaceous. There are the National collections of astilbes, polystichum ferns and hydrangeas. A Gardener’s garden.


The house you see today was designed by J.S. Crowther, architect of Manchester Cathedral, in 1865. The walled garden was built in 1870, and enlarged in 1898 by the renowned landscape architect Thomas Mawson to house vines, peach trees and a valuable collection of orchids. The house was owned by the Groves family from 1897 to 1945, when the estate was given to the people of Windermere. They also gave the bed of Windermere lake in 1939.A booklet is available from the information office, describing the history of the house and garden, and giving a detailed description of a tour round the gardens.

Beatrix Potter stayed here with her parents in the summers of 1889 and 1895. She hunted fossils and fungi in the woods which she used to paint watercolour pictures from.

Pergola at Holehird Gardens, Troutbeck

The Walled Garden, Holehird Gardens, Troutbeck

Alpines and heathers at Holehird Gardens

The Cascade at Holehird Gardens

The Gunnera Pool, Holehird Gardens, Troutbeck

The House, not open to the public

Looking out to Windermere, Holehird Gardens, Troutbeck


Menu :
•Central Cumbria Menu
•Gardens & Houses
•Thomas Mawson

Related Links :www.holehirdgardens.org.uk.

Mawson worked for lord leverhulme who had a house in our location at Rivington Lancs See More

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