windermere

[mercalia]

what is it like at Windermere/Ambleside in March? I have never been up that way and fancy a look using the YHA special offer at the Ambleside YHA 5 miles away. Worth a visit or too touristy?

[Paulatic]

Bowness in Windermere is what I imagine London to be like. It full of highly priced pretentious food outlets and best cycled through quickly. You can hear the Yaahs as you cycle through.
Ambleside is a marvellous retail outlet for outdoor clothing A devil to park in but no problem on a bike. Cafes and bakeries are more realistic and the bike shop, the last time I was there, is good. Every where you go you’ll encounter bag rats but some of them aren’t so bad.
Cockermouth, now sadly closed, was THE place to go I used to love that place.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Rev ... gland.html

[Cyril Haearn]

Snow is possible, likely on the high fells
Should not be too busy before Easter but plenty of places should be open
The Loch-District is quite tidy, a bit like a park sometimes by Grasmere .. but I love it
In busy times the western + northern Fells are a bit quieter, they are less accesible cos the area is like the spokes of a wheel, not many ways through the middle

BTW, anyone know how many lakes there are up there?

[Cyril Haearn]

High Cross Castle, Windermere YH, is very good

[Paulatic]

You can’t catch me out with that question
There is only one lake....Bassenthwaite

[mnichols]

I've cycled through it a few times in summer and it's too tourist for me in the main towns, but ok when you're out and about. Went off season with the wife (not cycling) and it was ok. Just registered for the Fred Whitton, so fingers crossed I'll be back again this year

[reohn2]

One thing to remember about cycling in the Lakes if you're not going downhill you're going up and the ups can be hard,but it's beautiful.
Weatherwise,in March if it's not raining wait five minutes,if it is raining wait five minutes,or it could be snowing,in which case wait five minutes

[Tangled Metal]

Not too bad in March.

Check out biketreks in Ings on the road from Kendal to Windermere. It's a roadie store. Check out Biketreks in Ambleside, it's a mountain bike shop. Check out "Push" in Ambleside it's the nearest thing to a boutique bike shop in the northwest. Just don't expect change from five grand for the bikes!

Walking kit shops in Ambleside certainly not as good as they used to be but they're OK I suppose. Bargains possible but not like there used to be.

One last thing about Ambleside, keep an eye out for the southern townies wearing the latest and most expensive gear and boots but have never been anywhere near the fells. We're talking about ppl who kit up to walk around the gear shops. Easily spotted by the best labels and they don't look knackered as they would be after a Lakeland fell walk.

Windermere and Bowness on Windermere are tourist traps IMHO. I only go there if I'm meeting my parents with my kid and intending to go on one of the boats. I think I went there 3 or 4 times over 15 years. Well except for the shop just off the main road to Ambleside that used to be a really good outdoor shop. A real loss when it shut because it used to sell close-out stock from golite and Marmot and a few other rarely found brands back then. I got a - 7°C comfort rated quilt for £100 that was xl sized and only 690g in weight. Should have been nearer £300.

Off topic sorry.

Cycling from Bowness to Ambleside is be tempted to take the ferry cross the lake then up the track following the western side of the lake (easy off road) to Wray Castle then round to Ambleside. A lot of off road cycle paths that way. Although straight up the main road you can ride most of the way in the pavement mixed use path that runs alongside the road. Not as nice IMHO.

Ambleside yha is often busy. It's a very large one. IIRC it's the second biggest after Rotherhithe in London. Good cafe /coffee shop /restaurant there. It's kind of like a hotel. Within walking distance from Ambleside centre but it's a good 15 minutes walk. You avoid parking costs though the yha doesn't have much car parking space when I last stopped there. Prefer the more rural yha in the lakes myself.

Enjoy the hills if you go!

[eileithyia]

It can be glorious or it can be bad weather or it can be both...pretty much like any time of the year. Rydal mount and the Daffodils are well worth a visit, if we are talking Bike Treks at Ings remember to cross the road into Staveley for Wilfs cafe and Wheelbase (there's also a cafe at Bike treks), don't forget to admire their new bridge.
Circuits of Windermere and Coniston are good trips out... the back road around Coniston is stunning...

If I were to be going to the Lakes it would be just out of season... though it does seem to busy all year round these days.

[Paulatic]

Most of the time in the Lakes, to me, it feels busy. I ususually off-road in the Lakes and know some routes you hardly see a soul. On the other hand I recall a Thursday in March when we went from Ambleside up to the High Street and down to Ullswater and back over Kirkstone. Must have met at least 40 bag rats on the High St alone.
So it’s all relative I suppose as someone would probably tell you that’s a quiet day on the High St. Where I live if you go to the hills and meet someone you wonder "is there an event on" ?

[ANTONISH]

Every where you go you’ll encounter bag rats but some of them aren’t so bad.

l

What is a "bag rat"

[Paulatic]

Every where you go you’ll encounter bag rats but some of them aren’t so bad.

l

What is a "bag rat"

A countryman’s term for hikers ( often seen with a little pack on their backs) usually used by farmers who have well used paths running through their land.

[Jon Lucas]

March is often the driest month of the year, so a good time to go to the Lake District. And whatever the weather, the first signs of spring should be coming then.

Ambleside hostel is certainly large, but is comfortable and in a lovely position right by the lake. The whole area around Ambleside and Windermere is attractive, and though Windermere and Bowness are more urban, and seem to be getting a bit of a downer here, I like these towns, and you can always escape on the ferry to much quieter roads.

[cycleruk]

Only used Ambleside once - very smelly as the Oriental youths hung their socks up.
To be fair it was summer so was packed out with Japanese young ones.
There are quite a lot of other YHA's in the Lakes such as ones at Grasmere and Hawkeshead, which I have used.
This year, the end of March is Easter so book fairly soon if you want to go.
25 mile trip around Windermere with a lunch stop at Haweshead. The west side is a lot quieter.
Get away from Windermere and the roads become quieter.

[mercalia]

thanks for all the ideas. I just want to go and have a look as never been up there, not concerned with bagmen etc. I am not a purist. Looking at the Ambleside YHA booking seems like plenty of empty spaces at that time of year so hopefully no smelly socks - atleast might not get what happened at Stratford upon Avon where a guy brought his bike up and kept it in the dorms