LAKE DISTRICT, NORTHERN ENGLAND 2018
Our Dad spend a lot of his childhood in the Lake District, climbing with his older brothers. I’d heard stories over the years, and had promised myself to visit there someday.
My sisters and I finally made the trip in the summer of 2018, during a heatwave (by English standards - it was 75F or 25C), and we only had ONE morning of light rain, apparently very unusual to not get more rain.
We rented a beautiful cottage in the town of Grasmere, and ventured to Ambleside nearby as well.
Grasmere and Ambleside are picturesque villages in the Lake District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cumbria, England. Grasmere is famed for its scenery and literary ties to poet William Wordsworth, who lived there. Visitors can explore St. Oswald's Church, where Wordsworth is buried, and Dove Cottage, his former home-turned-museum. The village is also known for Grasmere Gingerbread, a local specialty.
Ambleside, north of Grasmere, serves as a tourist hub with a lively market, shops, cafés, and restaurants. It features Bridge House, a 17th-century building over the River Rothay, a popular photo spot. Ambleside offers numerous walking trails, including those to Windermere, England’s largest lake.
Both villages provide outdoor activities like hiking, boating, and cycling amid rolling hills, woodlands, and lakes, attracting nature enthusiasts year-round.
