Did you know there’s only 1 lake in the Lake District?

This month is Self-care September, and October celebrates World Mental Health Day. As spending quality time with friends and family and nurturing the soul by spending more time in nature, perfectly align with the celebrations, I decided to take my parents on a mindful, relaxing trip to the Lake District. 

Having grown up in the north-west of England, Blackburn to be precise, one of our go-to places for a family day out was always a day trip to the tranquil waters and picturesque lakeside villages of the Lake District. 

The Lake District is England’s largest national park and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK. Housing not only the highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike, it also boasts the largest lake in the country, Lake Windermere. It is world renowned for its breath-taking scenery and for being a beautiful destination of peace and tranquillity. Its immense natural beauty has been immortalised in the words of famous poets such as William Wordsworth and authors, John Ruskin and Beatrix Potter.  

There are over 16 lakes or meres or waters to choose from, such as Keswick, Grasmere, Coniston, Ambleside, but my favourite is Bowness on Windermere. However, there's only one officially a lake by name and that's Bassenthwaite Lake - who knew?! Bowness on Windermere is a great central location with plenty of quaint shops, bars, and cafes. It has a pier with hourly boat departures and many hiking, cycling and walking routes nearby.  

On each of our annual family trips as a child, we would have a little tick list of things to do in The Lakes. Upon arrival we would go for a walk or hike around the lake and take in the crystal, clear water and surrounding lush, green countryside. There’s something extremely soothing and calming about this charming part of the country.  

This time around with my parents being older and not able to partake in long walks anymore, we decided to go into town, have some lunch in one of the many local pubs and cafes, then go on a boat trip. There’s lots of food options on offer from classic English food to Thai, Italian and Indian.   

There are several boats and ferries leaving the pier every hour. You can choose the type of excursion based on how long you want to be out on the lakes or which lakes and views you would like to see.  

The boat trips are extremely meditative, five minutes into a journey and even the noisiest and naughtiest of kids seem to calm down. It’s an extremely mindful experience, floating along, gliding through the reflective blue surfaces and natural landscapes. The length of your journey is entirely up to you, but I would recommend around a 45 minute to one hour trip, depending on how much time you have, to get a good feel for the scenery and get lost in the tranquillity. 

A return journey on a group boat or ferry cost around £14 per adult. It’s much quieter off season as you’d expect, so sometimes you end up with the boat to yourself. There’s disabled and easy access onto the boats for elderly, disabled visitors, or those with prams. You can also hire boats yourself if you know how to sail. 

After the boat trip we got dropped off back at the pier, where we paid a visit to the local ducks and geese. They eagerly awaited our arrival, expectant of foodie treats. As we fed the geese, my parents reminded me of when I was little girl, eating an icecream on the banks of the lake. When suddenly one of the geese charged towards me, snapped my icecream out of my hand, guzzled it up and made a swift waddling exit back to the water. It all happened so quickly I barely knew whether to laugh, scream or cry. I believe the 5-year-old me chose crying in the end. The moral of that story is to make sure you buy your icecream after visiting the ducks. 

So, on that note we made our way to Rileys, the best icecream shop in the area for some home-made gelato which I totally recommend. I’m a salted caramel or pistachio kind of girl, how about you? 

Alternatively, if you’re in the mood for afternoon tea, head to the charming Old English Macdonald Hotel, which has a delightful garden terrace and glass-fronted dining and tea rooms from which to observe the lakes. It offers a quintessentially English afternoon tea, complete with scones and finger sandwiches. Make sure you book in advance.   

For families with kids another must see is The World of Beatrix Potter experience, because Lake District is the place where the famous children’s author and illustrator spent much of her life, writing stories, and creating the magical world of Pater Rabbit and friends. Beatrix Potter world is filled with imaginative films, presentations, 3D virtual walk and other cute activities for kids and grown-up kids alike.   

For those of a sporty disposition, there are so many water sports and outdoors activities on offer. You can try out paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, sailing and wild swimming. Check out local water sports centres on the lake sides or online for more information. And of course, there are hundreds of spectacular walking and hiking routes, as well as cycling and horse-riding bridal paths.

Bowness is perfectly kitted out for families of all ages, it’s great for kids and grandparents alike. There can be as little or as much walking involved as you choose, but there are plenty of benches, seating and cafés to break up the journey, in case you need to take things at a slower pace. 

My mum and dad loved our day out in The Lakes as much as I did. It was such a nice role reversal for us, as they used to take me there when I was a little girl. Which goes to show there really is something there for everyone. 

If you’re planning to head to The Lakes, check out the official Lake District website.

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