A Weekend in the Lakes: The Cedar Manor Guide
YOU'RE coming here for a weekend in the Lakes. You don’t want to waste a moment of your time, but you also want to relax and not be rushing about all the time. So how can you do both?
We are the experts. A weekend in the Lakes is our Mastermind topic, and we’re here to help you plan the best time ever. Of course, you can just sit in the lounge all day with a good book or, when the weather improves, sit out in our beautiful garden.
But you’re coming to one of the loveliest corners of England, and we can show you how to get the best out of your visit. So here’s the Cedar Manor guide to a weekend in the Lakes.
Friday: Orrest Head
Orrest Head
This is your starter for ten, if you’ll excuse us mixing quiz shows. It’s perfect for Friday afternoon when you’ve unpacked and want to stretch your legs before dinner. It’s a small hill just across the road from our hotel. And it’s a stiff climb, so you will get out of breath and burn some calories. But it’s a short climb, on a great path, and the rewards are life-changing.
That’s what happened to the great guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright. He first came here as a young man, from his home in Blackburn, and as soon as he got off the train in Windermere he walked up Orrest Head. What happened there changed his life, and the lives of so many who have since walked in his footsteps and followed his wonderful guides.
"Quite suddenly, we emerged from the trees and were on a bare headland, and, as though a curtain had dramatically been torn aside, beheld a truly magnificent view. It was a moment of magic, a revelation so unexpected that I stood transfixed, unable to believe my eyes. I saw mountain ranges, one after another, the nearer starkly etched, those beyond fading into the blue distance. Rich woodlands, emerald pastures and the shimmering waters of the lake below added to a pageant of loveliness, a glorious panorama that held me enthralled. I had seen landscapes of rural beauty pictured in the local art gallery, but here was no painted canvas; this was real. This was truth. God was in his heaven that day and I a humble worshipper.” Ex-Fellwanderer.
Saturday: Ambleside, Wansfell & Dining
Buy yourself some boots
Saturday morning, and you realise that the old trainers you used for Orrest Head don’t have much support, and they’re still soaking wet. So take a bus ride to our neighbouring town, Ambleside, just four miles up the road. (The bus fare is only £2 which is a lot less than the parking fee you’d face otherwise, and it’s a gorgeous ride.) Ambleside has boots and all the outdoor kit you could ever imagine. It’s been hailed as the anorak capital of England. You’ll find every specialist shop imaginable, but our favourites are local businesses, The Climbers’ Shop and Stuart Cunningham. And while you’re here, pop into our favourite bookshop, Fred’s and get yourself a copy of Wainwright’s Far Eastern Fells. You’ll see why shortly.
Lunch break
If it’s too early for lunch, call it brunch, because you’re heading off to climb a real mountain and you need some carbo-loading. Your destination will be Wansfell, and very conveniently, just ten minutes into your walk is the fabulous cafe Force. On a dry day you’ll want to sit out on the terrace and stare at that spectacular view, but there’s plenty of space inside as well. The menu caters for everyone, from the avocado on toast brigade, to the hearty soup squad, with great coffee and cakes, and amazing pancakes, as well. The cafe is named after the local waterfall, Stock Ghyll Force, so if you didn’t do the little detour on the way up from Ambleside, there’s still time to go and gape. Otherwise, turn right at the bottom of the cafe approach and head uphill to a stile in the wall, and over you go.
Climb that mountain
Here’s your first mountain, and you’ll be glad of those boots. Though we hope you don’t need to test your new waterproofs. It’s a really steep and stiff climb almost all the way to the top. Wansfell has an extensive summit ridge with two tops. The highest point of the fell is called Baystones with a height of 488 m (1,601 ft), while Wansfell Pike, which lies a kilometre to the south west reaches an elevation of 482 m (1,581 ft). The views in every direction are awesome, and the sense of achievement is terrific.
You might have noted in the Force cafe that there’s a leaderboard for a running challenge to the top and back to the cafe. Current record time is somewhere around 20 minutes. But if it took you that long to reach the footbridge, remember you’re mortal and those fellrunners are superhuman. Follow Wainwright’s instructions in the relevant chapter of your new guidebook; you can come down a more gentle and less steep way, back through Skelghyll Woods to Ambleside, and your bus back to Cedar Manor.
Treat yourself
There’s a huge range of restaurants to choose from in Windermere and Bowness, but before you head out for the evening, treat yourself to a cocktail from our bar. Where to dine? Here's three of our favourites. Francine is a relaxed and friendly bistro-styled restaurant with an a-la-carte menu and daily additions boards available with a great wine list and a large selection of local speciality ales. Hooked is an unassuming small restaurant serving locally caught fish and seafood dishes with a global spin. And in Bowness, Porto is a popular and vibrant restaurant with an easy-going vibe, which offers an exciting modern dining experience. They are all close enough for you to have a stroll there and back, enjoy a glass or three, and come back for the best night's sleep.
Sunday: Sailing & Farewell
Sunday sailing
This is your relaxing morning, but you can still see lots of the Lake District…from the water. Wander down the road to Bowness Bay and sign up for a launch on the biggest lake in England, our very own Windermere. (You don’t need to call it “Lake Windermere” because mere actually means “lake”. There’s only one of the big “lakes” that has that word in its name correctly, and that’s Bassenthwaite Lake.) Windermere Lake Cruises have sailings every day of the year apart from Christmas Day and they offer cruises from 45 minutes to three hours.
If you have time, you can sail down to Lakeside and explore another of our tourist attractions, the Lakeland Motor Museum. It has a fascinating collection of more than 30,000 exhibits that trace the development of road transport throughout the twentieth century - cycles, motorbikes, motor cars and automobilia. Otherwise, just take a round trip leisurely cruise before heading back to Cedar Manor. If there’s time for late lunch before you set off home, call in at the Windermere Jetty. It has a fabulous museum as well, but if you only have time to eat, you can sit by the big window or outside on the terrace, literally on the lake shore. By the time you get back here to pack, we reckon you will agree..it's been a weekend in the Lakes to remember!