Day 4: Grasmere village, lake and Rydal Water
On my fourth day visiting the Lake District in winter, I had slightly less good weather. It was bound to happen at some point – the Lake District is known for rain all year round, so visiting in December I was definitely expecting at least one rainy day! It was a combination of rain and snow on this day, and very cold, so I kept today’s activities a bit more simple.
Grasmere village and lake
Grasmere is one of the prettiest villages in the whole Lake District. As a small village, it’s easily walkable, and you can park in the large car park just outside the village.
It’s a short, easy walk from Grasmere village to Grasmere lake. It’s definitely worth walking to the lake to see the beautiful mountain views across the water.
Keep an eye out for wildlife as well. I was lucky to see a grey wagtail on the edge of the water, and it was great to see the little bird hopping around.
Grasmere village has several tea rooms for lunch. I visited a tea room, and it was a lovely chance to warm up out of the cold weather.
As well as being a pretty village, Grasmere is famous for something else as well: Grasmere gingerbread. A small shop next to the Church, dating back to 1854, sells the traditional Sarah Nelson’s gingerbread. It’s a really small shop so there’s sometimes a queue outside, but the queue moves quickly. And it’s definitely worth the wait to get some of this delicious unique gingerbread, made nowhere else in the world like this.
Rydal Water walk
The lake next to Grasmere is called Rydal Water. It’s only a few minutes’ drive away, and another stunning place for a walk. I visited Rydal Water just as the sun was starting to dip behind the mountains, casting a beautiful light over the top of the mountains.
Rydal Water is also a great place for birdwatching as well. I was lucky to get really close to this beautiful robin, as it sat and posed for some photos.
Ambleside dinner
My last stop for the day was in Ambleside. Ambleside is one of the slightly bigger towns in the Lake District, although it’s still really small. The famous house bridge is great to see, but what I really liked about Ambleside was the pretty main street and also the range of pubs and restaurants.
My favourite pub in Ambleside was The Ambleside Inn. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas, with a warm fire as well. There was a great range of food and ales, making it the perfect stop at the end of another day exploring the Lake District in winter.
Day 5: Skelwith Force, Hawkshead Village and the Lakes Aquarium
For your final day visiting the Lake District in winter, here are still some more great adventures waiting. There was some fresh snow for me on my final day in some parts of the Lake District – but other parts just remained icy, and still beautiful.
Skelwith Force
There are several really impressive waterfalls in the Lake District. Skelwith Force is quite easily accessible so it’s a great choice to visit in winter. You can park in the car park just outside Chesters By The River, a small cafe and shop. Follow the path around the back of the shop and you’ll see the river. Follow the path next to the river upstream, and you’ll be able to see the waterfall in about 10 minutes.
You can see the waterfall fairly well from the edge of the path, but for the best view you’ll need to climb down the rocks. Be very careful if the rocks are slipper and wet/icy! But the view from next to the waterfall really is worth it.
You can also walk further down the path past the waterfall to some fields and more mountain views. It was really snow when I visited which meant great snowy views!
Hawkshead village
Hawkshead is well known to be one of the most beautiful villages in the Lake District. It’s a great place to stop for a short visit after you’ve seen Skelwith Force. The old houses make it feel like you’ve stepped back in time, and it’s a really cute place.
However, when I visited Hawkshead in December, the village felt really quiet and dead. A lot of the shops and cafes were closed, and the Beatrix Potter Gallery was closed as well. It was a shame, because the village was pretty and I could tell that it could be a really lovely place in summer. But when I visited in winter, it was a little underwhelming and I didn’t stay long. But it was still nice to see.
Lakes Aquarium
My final stop visiting the Lake District in winter was to the Lakes Aquarium. The Lakes Aquarium is at the bottom of Lake Windermere, so it’s a good place to visit if your onward journey is heading south. You can check out the opening times here.
The Lakes Aquarium is fairly small, but it’s still a nice place to visit for an hour or so. It’s a great place to visit when the weather outside is cold and rainy. There are interesting displays of fish from all around the world, with an emphasis on freshwater fish that are found in lakes. Some of the fish were huge.
I really liked the tunnel where you could walk underneath the fish and see them swimming all around.
The Lakes Aquarium is the perfect final stop when visiting the Lake District in winter.
The Lake District really is a beautiful place for a winter holiday, and I’d definitely recommend visiting it during the winter.
Hope you enjoyed my ultimate itinerary for visiting the Lake District in winter! If you’re visiting the Lake District at Christmas, check out my top things to do in the Lake District at Christmas. You can also check out my guide to the best walks in the Lake District, and the best viewpoints in the Lake District. If you’d like to explore more of the beautiful UK scenery in winter, check out my guide to visiting the Peak District in winter. Or visit other parts of the UK in warmer weather – such as the Yorkshire Dales, Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye, Brecon Beacons, Devon and Dorset.
