Literary Walking in the Lake District

Experience Overview

aw-dropping scenery, world-famous lakes and incredible literary connections - this 6-night holiday in the South Lakes has it all. The inspiration for writers like Wordsworth, Ransome and Potter, not to mention a plethora of other artists and poets, the Lake District is a place of incredible natural beauty; idyllic and exhilarating in equal measure. And, in 2017, it was awarded World Heritage status, with the committee praising the area's beauty, farming and the inspiration it had provided to artists and writers. The Lake District Self Guided walking tours take you to some of the Lake District's most charming villages, where olde-worlde inns and speciality shops nestle against a backdrop of majestic fells, staggering mountains and shimmering waters. Your routes follow quiet country lanes and lakeside paths, dotted with babbling brooks, thundering waterfalls and shady forest. National Trust properties abound including Beatrix Potter's former farm, Hilltop, while gems like the award-winning Hawkshead Brewery offer the best kind of refreshment.
Profile
— 6 nights in 4-star accommodation — 2 days hotel to hotel walking, optional walks on days 2, 4 and 6; averaging 4 hours per day — Altitude maximum 273m, average 80m — Wordsworth's Grasmere, Beatrix Potter's Hawkshead, and Coniston: the inspiration for Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons
At a Glance
— 6 nights in 4-star accommodation — 2 days hotel to hotel walking, optional walks on days 2, 4 and 6; averaging 4 hours per day — Altitude maximum 273m, average 80m — Wordsworth's Grasmere, Beatrix Potter's Hawkshead, and Coniston: the inspiration for Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons
Trip For You
The walks on this holiday take you to some of the Lake District's most charming villages, where olde-worlde inns and speciality shops nestle against a backdrop of majestic fells, staggering mountains and shimmering waters. Your routes follow quiet country lanes and lakeside paths, dotted with babbling brooks, thundering waterfalls and shady forest. National Trust properties abound including Beatrix Potter's former farm, Hilltop, while gems like the award-winning Hawkshead Brewery offer the best kind of refreshment. This is a self-guided tour, as such there will be no group or tour leader and you are free to complete the walks at your own pace. We have suggested that 8yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you.
Group Description
As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. A local representative is on hand to assist you and will meet you at the beginning of the week to go through the route notes and point out particular places of interest. Your luggage is transferred and route notes and maps are provided. The route notes contain an emergency telephone number. In an emergency, the local representative is normally able to dispatch a taxi. They may wish to charge for this service. Please note: the walking and luggage transfers included in this tour are subject to a minimum of 2 people (in total) booked on the departure. A supplement of £65 (payable in advance) to cover these transfers and sole occupancy of a room will apply if only 1 person travelling on a departure date.
Eating Drinking
Full English Breakfasts included throughout. Try out traditional English country pubs for lunch or enjoy a picnic in the countryside. Please note, if you order a picnic from the hotel, please do so the evening before.
Transportation
Your luggage will be transported between the hotels by taxi or minibus. The local representative is often able to dispatch a taxi should you need it in an emergency, but may wish to charge you for this service.
Joining Instructions
For the Literary Walking in the Lake District holiday, you will arrive into Windermere by train. Our friendly local taxi service will be there to meet you upon your arrival and you will then be transferred (15 mins) to the first hotel and the start of your holiday. Please just ensure that you have informed either ourselves or the agent about your time of arrival. The briefing will be given at 6.00pm on the day of arrival.
Weather Information
Summers here tend to be slightly cooler and winters milder to what one might expect. The warmest months to visit are from June through to August, temperatures start to warm up around April and remain pleasant until October time. We advise you take waterproofs as showers can occur anytime of year.
Spending Money
— You will need money for lunches, snacks, drinks, dinners and entry to any sites you wish to visit. Lunches can be inexpensive if you buy them from local shops and make up a picnic, however if you stop at a pub you can easily spend £15 each. Dinner can also vary in price between £15 in a pub to £30+ in a restaurant.We would recommend budgeting £20‐50 a day for lunches and dinners and allow an additional £10 a day for any extras. At time of publication, the main sites of interest have entrance fees (pp) as follows: Rydal Mount £7.50, Dove Cottage £8.95, Coniston Steam Gondola from £11 (price for the Full Lake Cruise is £21), Brantwood £7.70, Beatrix Potter Gallery £7, Hilltop Farm £11.50. Anyone staying for extra nights in Bowness will need 50p each for The Windermere ferry. — Please note: A number of these sites are owned by the National Trust, members of the National Trust will get free or reduced entry so don't forget your members card if you have one.

Highlights