Spring in the Lake District

SPRING in the Lake District can be the loveliest season. But this year it made a slow start. Visitors who came to see the glorious displays of daffodils were stranded indoors by heavy rain and strong winds. Then came the snow! But now at last we think that spring in the Lake District is here at last. And we want to take you to some of our favourite places where you can see, and hear, the very best that our lovely region can offer. Remember that even when the sun is out, it can still be cool so pack plenty of warm layers if you’re heading up into the hills. But here we will be staying at a lower level to show you all that’s lovely about spring in the Lake District.

Daffodils

The real daffodils may be past their best but at Wordsworth’s former home in Grasmere there’s a chance to view some that are real works of art. They are the last of the hand-crafted ceramic flowers that formed Ten Thousand Daffodils, an installation originally “planted” at Lowther Castle two years ago. The installation celebrated the culture of the Ullswater valley that inspired Wordsworth’s famous poem, Daffodils (I wandered lonely as a cloud) and raised £300,000 for six different charities. The remaining thousand are being sold from the gardens of Dove Cottage, in attempt to raise an extra £25,000, of which 80% will go to environmental educational charity Another Way, and 20% to Wordsworth Grasmere.

William Wordsworth arrived to live here in 1799. He was 29 years old, largely unknown and writing innovative poetry in a new style. While living at Dove Cottage with his family, Wordsworth wrote many of his greatest poems and his sister Dorothy kept her Grasmere Journal. Later they moved to spend the rest of their lives at Rydal Mount. You can visit both sites to learn more about the greatest poet of the Lakes.

Wild garlic

The wild garlic season starts in late winter and peaks towards the end of spring, making the month of May the perfect time to visit the Lake District. The smell of wild garlic is very subtle and not overpowering, and the white flowers are utterly exquisite. And one of the best places to see it growing in a woodland setting is at Rydal Hall, just across the road from Rydal Mount. As you go in through the lower gate you’ll find all your senses hit by this astonishing spectacle. Where wild garlic grows is usually an indicator that this is a truly ancient woodland.

It’s worth visiting Rydal Hall at any time of the year to see the remarkable formal gardens, laid out by Thomas Mawson. This is a style completely opposite to the naturalistic style of gardening practised by Wordsworth and still evident in the gardens at Rydal Mount.

Rydal Hall is a conference and residential centre belonging to the Diocese of Carlisle, but the grounds are open to everyone for a donation. There’s an unusual sculpture path leading into the woods below the formal gardens and, of course, there’s the enchanting path which leads to the famous Grotto with its window onto a spectacular waterfall.

Bluebells

For many visitors in spring in the Lake District, the favourite flower is the bluebell, which transforms the landscape, hillsides and woodland. Almost half the world's bluebells are found in the UK; they are relatively rare elsewhere. Individually delicate and understandably inspiring for storytellers of fairytales, en masse they are really dramatic.

There are many places in the Lake District where you will see them in spring. Head west to Buttermere, where the Rannerdale bluebells are famous, along with those nearby at Crummock Water. Closer to us at the Cedar Manor are the bluebells in Skelghyll Woods in Ambleside, a charming woodland that is one of the oldest in England, with a few of its trees being some of the tallest in the country. We love the ones that hide among the trees at Fishgarths Wood on the steep ascent of Todd Crag, from Clappersgate, one of the best routes up onto Loughrigg. But maybe the most spectacular of all are the ones that cover the hillside above and below the path known as Loughrigg Terrace, a delightful walk above Rydal Water. Please don’t pick them; it’s against the law because they are a protected species, and try not to tread on them because bluebells can take years to recover after footfall damage.

Dawn chorus

You can listen to spring in the Lake District as well as see it. And there’s nowhere better to celebrate Dawn Chorus day than at Brantwood on the shores of Coniston Water. This is an annual event organised by the Wildlife Trusts and at Brantwood you can go on a Dawn Chorus Walk from 6.30am – 9.30am. (Sunday May 5 this year). It’s a guided walk through the Brantwood estate to listen to and identify woodland and garden birds. No dogs please, say the organisers, for obvious reasons. They also add that due to weather dependency “it is recommended that you contact us to confirm it will be going ahead”. The cost is £6 per person (includes breakfast bun and a hot drink after the walk). Bookable online. The gardens here, the home of the Victorian writer and artist John Ruskin, are beautiful all year round, and provide an insight into the radical experiments in land management and horticulture which Ruskin began. It’s also co-home to the Cumbria Wisteria Collection.