Hubby and I will be traveling to England in August. Though we plan to stay about 3 weeks, i would choose either Lake District or the Cotswolds to do some walking. We plan to travel to the location by train, then explore by foot.
If you have experience with both areas, and could only return for a few days, which would you choose?
Thank you!
Arkansas Vagabonds
Paula and Ken
No contest - the Lake District every time. The Cotswolds is a perfectly pleasant rural area but no more interesting than many other areas in England and Wales. The Lakes (as they are more commonly known here) are on a different level for me.
The Lakes are also much easier to get round for walking without a car. There is a decent bus service that you can use to get to places and hundreds of walks at all levels. Probably in general more challenging than the Cotswolds but I guess if you are planning 3 weeks you are presumably not beginners.
If you can, try to fly into Manchester rather than London. From MAN you can get a direct train to either Oxenholme (for Windermere) or Penrith (for Keswick). From London you would need to get into London to Euston for a train to the same places.
If it's walking you want, of those two it would be the Lakes every time
Although personally I would pick the Yorkshire Dales ahead of either
Sounds wonderful, thank you! P&K
But staying for 3 weeks in August, before booking airfare you need to find somewhere to stay in the Lake District for 3 weeks- given that it is the last day of June now, that could be a challenge, as August is peak season in the Lake District.
Are you thinking of a B and B or a self catering place?
I'm from the Lake District so am aware of how busy it gets.
You may need to get a little bit creative and stay in Kendal (at the south end of the Lakes but only half an hour from Windermere by very frequent bus) or Cockermouth on the west side of the Lake District- but only half an hour from Keswick on a half hourly bus.
Before you book somewhere check it is on a bus route!
This is the Lake District summer timetable- https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/Cumbria/Lakes%20Connection/Summer%202023/CNL%20Summer%2023%20Lakes%20Guide%20WEB%20V2.pdf
You may possibly have to relocate each week.
While bus fares are on a £2 cap at the moment the best value bus ticket for each of the 3 weeks is a North West Gold 7 Day Megarider for £34 each- which works out at £5/day- so you only have to do 3 bus trips each day to make it pay. Each time you change a bus is one £2 fare.
All buses in the area that you will use are run by Stagecoach.
As there are only two of you that is the cheapest option- if there were three or more you would want a Group Megarider, like I suggested to a family of 4 earlier today.
To forestall someone trying to argue what area that ticket covers it is the entire Lake District, and to Newcastle, Dumfries, Liverpool, Chester, Skipton and Bolton (near Manchester) although some of those are very long day journeys which a tourist would not do.
For train times from Manchester Airport to Windermere and the Cumbrian Coast you want timetable 6 on this web page- https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/timetables
For Manchester Airport to Penrith direct see here- https://timetables.tpexpress.co.uk/#/timetables/2304/Anglo-Scottish
Depending on where you end up staying decides which rail head you use from Manchester.
This is the Official Visit Keswick website- note you can only search for a maximum stay of 14 days.
For the wider Lake District see this web site- https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/
APOLOGIES
In my original message, I wasn't clear.
We are in Britain for 3 weeks, spending only a few days in the outdoors.
Thanks for all the great info! Sounds like it’s the Lakes.
P&K
As you will notice there are through trains from Manchester Airport to Windermere about every 3 hours.
The big problem with the Cotswolds is getting around with a car. There are very polarised opinions on this forum about that, and a current thread on the subject. From those who insist it is impossible to people like me who say you can, but you do need patience and it is much harder than in the Lake District.
The same is true for the Yorkshire Dales where services are only really good at weekends. During the week again you need lots of patience and planning.
As well as the direct trains from Manchester Airport to Windermere there are quite a few more with one very simple chan ge at Oxenholme. Perversely the trains with a change are about 30 minutes quicker than the direct ones.
We did both in 2017 and enjoyed both.
The Lake District is more remote and has more varied terrain. It is what we call in the USA as "the boonies."
The Cotswolds are in a more highly populated area with more historical places to visit like Stratford Upon Avon, Warwick, Cirencester, Oxford is close.
We stayed at a great BnB in Keswick for the Lake District and for the Cotswolds, we stayed in Chipping Campden at the Volunteer Inn.
If you don't have a car, you would need to plan extensively to use public transport and plan your hikes well.
As well as the direct trains from Manchester Airport to Windermere there are quite a few more with one very simple change at Oxenholme. Perversely the trains with a change are about 30 minutes quicker than the direct ones.
That is in theory. The 0603, 0704 and 0804 transpennine trains all miss connections at Oxenholme by a matter of 1 or 2 minutes. There is then an 0829 through train (first of the day). The 0904 has a 50 minute connection at Oxenholme.
The 1004 transpennine misses a connection by 6 minutes, and there is no 1104.
There is then an 1129 through train. If it is right on time the 1204 should have a 3 minute connection back into the 1129 at Oxenholme (which has waited outside Oxenholme station for over 15 minutes for the branch to clear), but only if it is right on time. The 1129 will not wait for the 1204 if that train is more than 4 minutes late.
The 1304 and 1404 and 1604 have 5, 5 and 7 minute Oxenholme connections respectively- if they are on time, fine, if not you have a near hour wait. There is no 1504 transpennine.
There are through trains at 1429 and 1729 (last of the day).
The 1704 transpennine misses a connection by three minutes. Both the 1804 and 2004 transpennine have 45 minute connection times at Oxenholme.
Oxenholme connections are designed to work from London trains, not from Transpennine trains, specifically because there are the through Northern trains.
If it was me (and my wife).
I'd catch the train to Delegarth (from Ravenglass) and base myself around the Eskdale area for the available time.
isn32c - I take your point but you have missed out a few 29 minutes past the hour trains which provide a very good connection, mainly because of an extra change at Preston which links to a train from London. For example the 9.29 takes a minute less than the through 8.29 train.
I think that is a brilliant idea of Tintaldra. Way off the beaten path but loads of wonderful walking, every bit as good as anywhere in the Lake District.
Most visitors just go up there for the day on the train. As well as good country pubs there is also a youth hostel and a camping ground up there.- it has it's own private station.
There are hourly trains from Manchester Airport, changing at either Lancaster or Barrow-in-Furness. As there are northern to northern connections they are designed to work and even wait for each other within reason.
You can even book a through ticket from Manchester Airport (or any northern station) to include the narrow gauge steam train up the valley- at a discounted price.
If you feel like a break from walking you can go to Muncaster Castle.
There is also a working corn mill up there.
Perfectly walkable is Hardknott Roman Fort.
Several places to stay-
King George VI
Brook House Inn
Woolpack Inn
Boot Inn
all proper, local, country pubs.
These days the train is a tourist attraction mainly, but it still performs a transport role for the valley, and has a rich industrial history as a working line. You will see from their website that the railway still has not moved on fully from Covid rules- and what they say is still happening.
And Sims Travel, based at Boot, still a family run coach business, also runs a very good local taxi business. So if you arrived at Ravenglass after the last steam train Sims will pick you up, if arranged by phone.
We had our "Spaceship" van and drove over Hardknott Pass down to the Woolpack Inn. Had a couple of pints at the Woolpack and slept in their carpark. There are a few more conventional
accommodation options available at the Woolpack.
Early next morning I ran/hiked up and over Hardknott while my wife slept in. There is a Roman fort up there. Great views.
After brekky we drove the van to the station and set off on a wonderful circular hike past the village of Boot. Waterfalls, fells, rivers, historic buildings, too die for scenery.
For most that would be 2 pretty full days of good hiking.
Thank you all so much for the info. And to Tintaldra for great specifics! P&K
