I've stayed twice in Ambleside, in the Lake District, once in autumn and once in spring. Both times I came home wanting to go back. Half of it is the drive in, on narrow roads between stone walls and sheep, which looks like something out of a fairytale. It's one of my favourite places in the UK, so let me talk you into going.
Where to stay
Two hotels and a campsite. The region is expensive, so I’ve put the range in.
A Grade II listed country house and the luxury option here, and one of the best hotel experiences I've ever had. We were invited as guests in 2022. Huge beds, warm decor, the kind of room you're pleased to come back to. Get breakfast in your room one morning.
📍Rothay Manor Hotel, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0EH
Rothay Garth
The bed and breakfast where I stayed in April with my cousin and our partners. We had a big dog-friendly room on the ground floor with its own door onto the front garden, which was very practical for taking the dog out without going through reception. The breakfast was generous and properly good. It was £98 a night when we went, which for this area is a fair price.
📍Rothay Rd, Ambleside LA22 0EE
Rydal Hall campsite
If you'd rather camp, Rydal Hall does it on the estate I've written about below, from £17.50 a night for adults. You'd be sleeping in the grounds with a waterfall in the garden, which for £17.50 is a fairly good deal. Dogs are welcome.
📍1 The Croft, Rydal Hall, Rydal, Ambleside LA22 9LX
Where to eat
A pastry, a pizza, a view, and one proper dinner.
The Apple Pie
A bakery people queue for. We picked up pastries here before heading out for the day.
📍Rydal Rd, Ambleside LA22 9AN
Tap Yard
Wood-fired pizza and good beer, very relaxed. The easy answer at the end of a long day out.
📍Rydal Rd, Ambleside LA22 9AN
Force Café and Terrace
I haven't been, so this is a note rather than a recommendation. It's on my list for next time, mostly for the view from the terrace. It's in the old Kelsick Grammar School and close to Stock Ghyll Force, a scenic 70-ft. waterfall, so you could stop either before the walk or after it.
📍Kelsick Grammar, Stockghyll Ln, Ambleside LA22 0QY
Rowan
Rowan is the restaurant at Rothay Manor, and the option for when the meal is the point. Very elegant. I still remember the pumpkin dessert I had there in 2022.
📍Rothay Manor Hotel, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0EH
What to do
In no particular order. Pick whichever you're in the mood for.
Ambleside town centre
Start with Bridge House, a tiny two-room house built on top of the beck in the seventeenth century, apparently to avoid paying tax on the land it wasn't technically standing on.
Then Fred's Bookshop, going since 1956, which has a section of books written by Lake District authors or set here. I bought The Hotel at the Heart of the Lakes by Ellie Wood, undemanding in the best way, exactly right for a relaxing trip. Then walk up North Road and get lost in the small streets.
Rydal Hall
You cannot miss this one. An estate a couple of miles out of town with gardens, woodland and a waterfall, and a little café to stop at. The Grot below the falls is the picture everyone takes. It’s a one-room hut built in 1668 with a single window, positioned so that the window frames the waterfall.
📍 Rydal Hall, Ambleside LA22 9LX
Kirkstone Pass
A beautiful view down the valley, with free parking in front of the Kirkstone Pass Inn, right where the view is. The road up from Ambleside is called The Struggle, which tells you what you need to know.
If you’re up for it, there are paths going up on both sides of the road. Facing the view, Red Screes is on your right, a proper climb of two to three hours. I took the path on the left and stopped about fifteen minutes in, which was far enough for what I wanted. Both are very steep from the start. Buy something to eat in the village and have it at the top. There are sheep, so keep your dog on a lead.
📍 Kirkstone Pass, A592, north of Ambleside
Cathedral Cavern
A man-made slate quarry chamber, underground. Parking is the hard part. We found something around Little Langdale and it was about a thirty minute walk in from there, though there's a bigger car park at Tilberthwaite. The walk itself is lovely. We went in April and it was very muddy, so wear boots rather than trainers.
📍 3 Stang End, Little Langdale, Ambleside LA22 9NT
The proper hikes
Ambleside is one of the best hiking bases in the Lake District and I didn’t do any of them, so I’m not going to pretend to guide you. The one I kept seeing and wanting to do is the Rydal Water and Rydal Mount Circular. If you've done it, tell me whether it's worth it.
Anywhere else in Ambleside I've missed? Put it in the comments and I'll go next time I'm there.
Very beautiful