UK Trip Report April/May 26 - Part 3 Skipton and Lake District

Lake District- 5 nights

Hotel: Bridge House Hotel was yet a different sort of accommodation. Our ground floor room was small but comfortable and clean. Fortunately, the property offered plenty of inviting common areas, both indoors and outside, which helped offset the small room. The breakfasts were good and prepared by a chef working right in the breakfast room. We enjoyed our breakfasts in the glass-enclosed sun porch which was very pleasant both on the sunny mornings and the one rainy morning. The hotel was located close to the town center and a short walk to the bus stop that we used frequently. We might stay here again. It was one of the most expensive places we stayed, along with Oxford.

Food: Our first dinner at the Jumble Room was fun and delicious. We had a couple of lunches at the Temperance in Ambleside where the plain fare and the relaxed atmosphere made for enjoyable down time. Afternoon tea at the Daffodil Hotel which was mixed, some delicious, some not so much. We had one dinner at a Mediterranean vegetarian restaurant called Fellini's in Ambleside, which was absolutely delicious. We had to wait a long time for our dinner because when the chef found out I was allergic to turmeric, they had to make a whole new batch of broth with no turmeric before they could make our food. It was worth the wait. And they sent us bread and olives while we waited. Sunday Roast at the Yan was good but the service was slow and chaotic. In fact, we got an email from them after we got home apologizing to customers who had visited during that time period and explaining that they had been going through a significant staff transition.

Highlights: Because we were without a car in the Lake District, we took two Mountain Goat Tours: the Beatrix Potter tour and the Six Lakes tour. We enjoyed them both and got to see more of the Lake District than we would have otherwise. I didn’t want to go up the stairs in the Beatrix Potter home and a National Trust docent noticed and gave me an iPad with pictures of the upstairs to look at. The Six Lakes tours had only two other people besides us. It felt like a private tour. And also we saw our first cake fridge! Another highlight was the Windermere Children exhibit at Windermere Library, which I learned about through the forum. The story of the child survivors who came to the Lake District after World War II was both fascinating and deeply moving. As I am interested in museums and sites related to wartime resistance, rescue efforts, and refugee experiences in the WWII era, this exhibit was particularly meaningful. Our walk to Stock Ghyll Force was another lovely rain walk. We weren’t able to get all the way to the waterfall due to an unpassable part of the trail (deep mud) but it was still beautiful. We were focused on enjoying what we saw and not on what we didn’t see.

One of my favorite Lake District memories grew out of what was supposed to be a simple trip to Sunday roast at The Yan (long story!!) While planning the trip, I had contacted several taxi companies because the restaurant seemed just a bit too far to walk from Grasmere and back. Depending on the source, the nearest bus stop was either 400 meters away or nearly a mile away.

Continued

Once we arrived in the Lake District and became more comfortable using the buses, we decided to take our chances and ask the driver where to get off. The bus dropped us on the A591 south of the restaurant. The walk to The Yan wasn't bad, but it was certainly farther than 400 meters. After our meal, we studied the bus schedules and concluded that a stop farther north, toward Keswick, would be easier to reach for our return trip to Grasmere. We set off along a narrow grassy path beside the busy road with cars whizzing by us at 60mph . As we walked and walked, the shoulder became narrower and rougher, the traffic seemed faster and we began to feel decidedly unsafe. We revised our plan and crossed the road (carefully) to catch a bus to Keswick instead, spend some time there, and then take a later bus back to Grasmere. While we were waiting at the stop, a man came running down a hillside behind us, completely out of breath. Once he recovered enough to speak, he explained that he had been hiking across the fells and was trying to catch the bus to Keswick. When he spotted us waiting at the stop, he was convinced he would miss it. We assured him that the bus wasn't due for another fifteen minutes, and soon we were chatting. His name was Dan. When he asked where we were from and we said the United States, he replied, "Oh, you switched places with the Royals. I'd rather have you over here and them over there." Awww. The conversation continued at the bus stop and on the ride to Keswick. At one point I mentioned that our detour would cause us to miss part of the Liverpool–Manchester United match. Dan immediately took charge of the situation. As a devoted Liverpool supporter, he was determined to find us a pub where we three could watch the game together. We followed him through Keswick in search of a suitable spot, but every pub was packed. Eventually we decided to return to Grasmere and I watched the rest of the match on my iPad (U.S. vpn). The unexpected kindness of a stranger and the connection we had with him turned a transportation mishap into one of the most enjoyable afternoons of the trip. When we finally said goodbye to Dan, I felt as though I were leaving my new best friend.

Challenges: Okay, I have to admit that everyone was right: exploring the Lake District without a car can be challenging. Even so, I think we did a pretty good job of experiencing the area, appreciating what it had to offer and enjoying our time there.

If going north to come south the switch over point on the bus (if the northbound is on time) is at Wythburn Church.

The Church itself is a lovely example of a simple Lakeland Church with a 300 odd year old history, and still has no gas or electric.

It also happens to be at the start of one of the established routes up Helvellyn (with a big car park), so often gets visited by walkers and is not infrequently used as a shelter, even as a Bothy.

Before the building of Thirlmere (to supply Manchester with water) there was a little community to be served by the Church (called Armboth)- the remains of which emerge during drought years- https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/church/wythburn-church-wythburn

That is why the previous stop is called Armboth Road End, with a signpost still pointing to the drowned village.

It is rather similar to St John's in the Vale Church- another isolated Country Church, reached from Dale Bottom on the 555 route, and an easy extension to a walk to Castlerigg Stone Circle. SJITV is now in an isolated location, but was on the old main coaching route long before the current A66 was built.

Rick probably doesn't mention either Church because there is a height restriction at the Wythburn Car Park (so buses can't stop) and the road to SJITV is totally unsuitable for anything but cars.

Katie, once again, you've written a really lovely and fun trip report! I loved the story of Dan, and wholeheartedly agree that those encounters with strangers that turn into something else can be the best part of a trip, and I certainly remember mine long after the sightseeing memories have disappeared. And Skipton sounds wonderful—I missed it on my last trip but will keep it in mind for the future. Thanks!

Hi Mardee- Thanks! It's so true about remembering the encounters longer than the sightseeing.

(BTW, You may have missed my part 2 which was North Wales and Liverpool.)

Stuart - Interesting about Wythburn Church. I'm putting it on a future travel list.

I was researching places to stay in Grasmere and the AI suggestion was Bridge House hotel! Then I realized that was the place you had stayed and came back to reread your TR. Thank you for writing a wonderful series of fun reports!

MapLady- I'm so glad the reports are useful for you!