hikes — London Living — Twenties in Transit

This series will cover a range of UK-based trips that are relatively easy to take from London.

A getaway to ‘the lakes’ is synonymous with a fun-filled break, combining relaxing strolls and water activities with hikes and hearty food. Many countries have their own version of ‘the lakes’ and the UK is no exception.

The Lake District is a bit of a trek from London - about five hours’ drive and roughly the same via train with multiple changes - but so worth it when you arrive. Glittering, clear waters punctuated with mountain ranges; you’ll feel like you’re in another country, especially when compared with the concrete jungle of London.

The entire national park spans an area of 2,362 km², so you’ll need a few trips to see it all (or, you know, a sabbatical from work). I’ll keep adding to this list as I visit more and more areas.

Lake Windermere

The largest natural lake in the national park - and country - and the first one I visited. We stayed in Bowness-on-Windermere, where we could take an easy 10-or-so-minute walk down to the waterside each day, passing a lovely cafe with an outdoor area. Which we sat in. In November. We cray. However, the heaters were warming, and the hospitality even warmer.

As it was off-peak season, we did many long walks rather than high octane activities. We walked down towards Parson Wyke, snapping photos as we went, and also caught a ferry to the other side of the water to explore the woodland paths between Claife Heights and Wray Castle.

Another attraction we visited, though located away from the lake, was The World of Beatrix Potter, a museum about the writer and her characters, with statues, recreations and a garden. I loved Peter Rabbit as a child, and the big kid in me and my friend loved the visit.

Ullswater

The second largest lake in the Lake District is Ullswater, and this time, I visited in May - though you wouldn’t have known it given the need for jumpers, coats and even a wooly hat on one of the days! Walks are the name of the game here, with routes ranging from flat, chilled lake-side meanders to intense hikes with scrambling required. We did both.

Given the weather forecast, we made the most of the sun on our day of arrival and enjoyed the leisurely Pooley Bridge to Gale Bay walk. You’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Switzerland with the icy-blue water surrounded by various-sized mountains. It’s a nice, easy, short walk with plenty of pretty views and opportunities for skipping stones.

In comparision, the hike up Helvellyn was not easy or short, but it was nice! The third-highest mountain in the area, Helvellyn has multiple routes and we opted for one of the harder ones as a birthday challenge. Thankfully, we had many snack stops along the way to refuel and, of course, I had to stop to properly take in the gorgeous view around us… definitely just stopping for that, not as ruse for a little rest…

We had every weather under the sun on that climb: dry with a little sun, pouring rain and even snow once we got to the top. I was absolutely spent by the time we got to around 200m from the bottom on our return trip and had to be bribed with the promise of cake and rum as not to just set up camp and sleep in the mountains. However, I am so happy we conquered it!

Bassenthwaite Lake

During that same May stay, we also embarked on a hike through Dodd Wood to reach Dodd Summit, which lies on the right bank of Bassenthwaite Lake. The incline was less intense than Helvellyn - thankfully, given that I left the snacks in the car - but still a good few hours and rather rewarding. We did a spot of orienteering with our map and phone compass too. Unfortunately, due to the weather, we saw nothing but cloud once we reached the top, but nonetheless, snapped a photo at the summit sign. Between the woodland and the views on the way up though, I almost felt I was back in the Blue Mountains, just with different types of trees, and more layers of clothing on my body.

Check back for more updates to this piece as I visit more lakes in the area.

This series will cover a range of UK-based trips that are easy to take from London.

Amongst other things, my time in Australia gave me a new lust for exploring the outdoors, be it hiking bushland (or now, in the UK, woodland) or doing something a little more adrenaline pumping. At the moment, COVID has rendered it safer and more responsible to stay within the country for when looking for a holiday, rather than travel on a plane, and the UK really does hold some beautiful natural landscapes under its grey skies.

The Peak District, around a three-hour drive from London, sits in Derbyshire, between Manchester and Sheffield, above Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent. Abound with rolling green hills, bountiful farms and beautiful cobblestone towns, you’ll be charmed wherever you stay in the area. There is plenty to explore - the Peak District covers an area of nearly 1,500 km2, after all - so we chose to stay in the small village of Monyash, which, as of the 2011 census, has a population of just 314, and explored the surrounding area of the southern Peak District.

Lathkill Dale

Lathkill Dale sits a stone’s throw from Monyash, just a 10-minute walk out of town. Traverse this beautiful craggy valley between sweeping hills, past wild forest, waterfalls and the River Lathkill; you’ll honestly feel like you’re in a fantasy adventure. While it’s not an overall challenging walk, especially when taking it at a leisurely pace, there are slippery rocks to manoeuvre and you will need to do an uphill climb to get out of the dale.

Rather than turning back on ourselves, we decided to exit the dale at the waterfall. Here, I had my most outdoorsy experience to date: climbing stile after stile, ambling across field after field, amongst cows and their cowpats for about 20 minutes. It was like a purgatory of sorts!

Dovedale

Dovedale boasts miles of steep limestone valleys and a river where, at one point, lies its famed stepping stones, which you can use to hop over the river - just don’t slip into the water, like the little dog we saw! Close to the stepping stones, you’ll find Thorpe Cloud, which presents a medium-level hike up to stunning views. Apart from the incline, be wary of the slippery mud, but otherwise, enjoy being immersed in beautiful green surroundings (with the odd cow too).

Mam Tor

Mam Tor, aka Mother Hill, is pretty well known and offers far-reaching, 360 views of the surrounding towns, villages and countryside. It’s not as hard a walk as you’d expect, especially if you start from the car park entrance at Sparrowpit Buxton; the walkway is all stones and slats, making it pretty easy. You can also continue on, walking high in the sky from peak to peak, after you reach the top. We decided to go in the morning, which was great due to the weather - the clouds rolled in on the way back (see view comparison below) - and it was far busier later in the day, which is not what you want amidst a contagious virus pandemic.

Heights of Abraham

The Heights of Abraham encompasses both heady heights and dark depths, and is whole day attraction for the family. You enter through a lofty cable car ride, which was very fun but felt a little perilous on such a windy day. I’m glad I wasn’t ridin’ solo (it’s limited to one household per cart, due to Covid, even if your household is just one person) as I’d have been s.w.i.n.g.i.n.g. Once you get to the top, it’s like a whole village, with playgrounds, restaurants, lookouts and more. There are two mining caves, Mason Cavern and Great Rutland Cavern (Nestus Mine), which were used to dig for lead and other minerals (some of which was sent to London for rebuilds after The Great Fire). The tour of the latter cave used fun gimmicks and effects to tell its story.

Exploring the little towns

One of the Peak District’s most lauded towns is Bakewell, home to the Bakewell tart. You’ll find queues outside bakeries and patisseries here, but there are many other enjoyable sweet treats too. We stopped at a fudge shop (fudge shops seem synonymous with little UK country towns, or is that just me?) where you can watch the fudge being made in the window. Don’t forget to get your savoury fill too; The Wheatsheaf Pub has great food. A little closer to home - well, Airbnb - the Bull’s Head is a great pub in Monyash. Large and spacious, enjoy a hearty menu of British classics.

We had a great time in the quintessential British countryside, and it surprised me that I had never really taken a look at the great places we have to explore and outdoor challenges to conquer closer to home (a true Brit with notions of ‘conquering’ eh…) That’ll change for sure now…

'Leaving from London' getaways: Lake District