Favorite villages in The Lake District and The Cotswolds for staying 3 days each

I've been going to the Lake District for 25 years and always base myself in Keswick. The town is very walkable with everything you need is no more than 10 minutes from the door of just about any B&B you choose as long as it's in town. We have stayed at Herdwick Guest House and really enjoy it - it's right in town, good street parking, and the owners are lovely people who will make sure that you have a good plan for the day before you step out the door in the morning!
Grasmere and Ambleside are nice but IMHO they are much more crowded and uber-touristy. Keswick has tourists but it isn't as overrun as the other two.
There are so many great places in the Lakes...I enjoy The Bridge Hotel in Buttermere if you want very good food and the walk around the lake is probably the prettiest in the area. It's a nice place to take a drive out to and spend the day.
The Tower Bank Arms in Sawrey is a classic British pub with a roaring fire and really good food. Since it's next to Hilltop (Beatrix Potter's Farm) it can be difficult to park but it's worth it if you can manage.
Grange in Borrowdale has a lovely little lunch place, Grange Bridge Cottage, with picnic tables right on the river if the weather is good. The used to serve a strawberry tea but not sure if they do this anymore.
The best thing to do in the Lakes is just drive around...every road leads to a beautiful little village and every one of them has a pub - I have yet to go to one that isn't perfect! The more remote ones are best at the end of the day and the evening because they are gathering places for local farmers. I find the atmosphere at these authentic and fascinating...a way of life that is found in very few places anymore.

We stayed last month at Corncroft Guest House in Witney. The B&B and the town are adorable. We enjoyed exploring the town on foot. It was also a great base for visiting Blenheim and Oxford by car.

We just returned from 17 days in England. We were in the Cotswold's for 3 nights. We stayed in Stow on the Wold. I think we would try Broadway the next time, not as touristy as Stow, more like a "real town". The best thing we did on the whole trip was to go with Becky on a Secret Cottage tour. She picked us up on Morten in March train station. She took us to her own home, a 400 year old thatched cottage. We had tea and nibbles, then off to tour villages the average visitor to the Cotswold's will never see. We were lucky that day, we were the only two booked with her, so we had her to ourselves. She is a delightful tour guide, full of local knowledge. We went back to her home again where her friend Phil had a beautiful luncheon prepared for us. Back to visit a few more villages, then back to her place for English tea. She spent six hours with us, well worth the time and money. You could take the train from London as a day trip if you preferred. We had a rental car but would have never found or experienced the beautiful places she showed us on our own..
I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Enjoy
Doris
Shoreline, WA

Thank you Doris & Anita! Just the detailed info I am looking for! Doris, what is the contact for Becky........sounds like an enjoyable way to see the area.

I have a B&B recommendation. We stayed at Corncroft Guest House in Witney for two nights last month. Corncroft was built in the 1700s and restored by its current owner, Richard. It is just a few minutes walk to the town center. You can walk to restaurants, shops, and interesting sights such as St. Mary's Church built in the 1200s. Corncroft and Witney are both adorable. Witney is also great base for visiting Blenheim and Oxford.

Becky can be found at www.secretcottage.co.uk. I think you will love the tour,

Enjoy

Doris

We liked Keswick also, stayed at Badger's Wood Guest House uphill from the center and liked it a lot. A tour boat circles Derwentwater on a schedule so you can walk along the shore and pick it up later. There's also a local bus that makes a circuit you can use to start and end upland hikes. Castlerigg Stone Circle, just outside the town, is beautiful and evocative. The Honnister (?) Slate Mine is interesting, in a scenic pass.

Don't know the Cotswolds.

I would pick from Broadway, Bourton-on-the-Water or Painswick all three of these have great restaurants and pubs. We were in all three this past September.