Lake District Short Breaks
A collection of short walking holidays visiting the wonderful lakes and mountain scenery of the Lake District National Park.
The Lake District is England's only true mountain region and contains some of the most beautiful scenery in the land. It is an enchanting mix of rugged mountains, deep valleys, shimmering lakes, waterfalls and attractive stone-built villages.
We have devised four short circular trails exploring the Lake District National Park. They follow old packhorse, drovers', and ‘coffin' tracks along valleys and over passes, giving spectacular mountain views without actually visiting any of the summits. Each trail is about 31 miles (50km) in length, giving three days of unhurried walking with plenty of time for enjoying the views and exploring the villages along the way.
North Lakes Short Break
A circular walk starting in Keswick and visiting Derwentwater, Borrowdale and the Newlands Valley in the Lake District.
| Total Distance | 31 miles (50 km) |
| Start and Finish | Circular trail beginning at Keswick |
| Availability | All Year |
During the nineteenth century, adventurous tourists travelled by horse-drawn carriage through Borrowdale and onto Buttermere via the Honister Pass, before returning to Keswick through the Newlands Valley. This short trail through some of the finest mountain scenery in the Lake District is based on their route.
From the bustling little town of Keswick, the trail heads along the shores of Derwentwater to the famous beauty spots of Surprise View and the picturesque hamlet of Watendlath. From Watendlath, the trail meanders past lily-covered Dock Tarn to the idyllic hamlet of Stonethwaite, where riverside paths lead to Rosthwaite, a lovely old village of whitewashed cottages and farms in the upper reaches of Borrowdale. Then the trail follows the old coach ‘road' to the top of Honister Pass, before following an old miner's track that descends beside Warnscale Beck, with breathtaking views over Buttermere and Crummock Water, to the village of Buttermere. The final stage of this delightful trail begins by following a superb footpath that climbs gently between imposing fells to emerge into the tranquil beauty of the Newlands Valley, where woodland, field and lakeside paths lead back through the village of Portinscale to Keswick.
Highlights along the trail include the island hermitage of a Celtic saint, the Royal Oak's strange bedfellows, Johnny Wood and its red squirrels, an infamous Border Reivers last stand, Bathar's Mere, the tale of Fanny Mercer, Lakeland's highest waterfall, the charms of the ‘Maid of Buttermere' and the lands of Mrs Tiggywinkle and Squirrel Nutkin.
Holiday Highlights
- Admiring the dramatic mountain scenery of Borrowdale.
- Visiting Scale Force Waterfall near Crummock Water, the highest waterfall in the Lake District.
- Spotting Red Squirrels in the beautiful woodlands of the Newlands Valley.
| Tour Code | Itinerary | Tour Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLSB | 4 nights, 3 days walking | £305 per person | More Information | Book Online | |
| Our prices are based upon two people sharing a room. If you are walking on your own, or are part of a group, but require a room of your own, the following charges apply: | |||||
| Solo Walker Supplement: | £28 per person / per night | ||||
| Single Supplement: | £18 per person / per night | ||||
| You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops. For each extra night add £48 per person. All of our prices are in British pounds (£). Use our currency converter to convert British pounds (£) to your country’s currency. | |||||
| The price that you pay includes accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, door to door luggage transfers for every day of your tour, maps, guidebooks and a tour pack detailing specific information about your holiday. | |||||
South Lakes Short Break
A circular walk starting in Windermere and visiting the Lakes of Coniston and Windermere along a trail full of literary interest.
| Total Distance | 32 miles (51 km) |
| Start and Finish | Circular trail beginning at Windermere |
| Availability | All Year |
As well as beautiful scenery, the Lake District is also famous for its associations with a large number of poets, novelists and essayists. This lovely walk through some of the Lake District's best-loved areas visits many of the places associated with some of its most famous writers.
Beginning at Windermere on the shores of England's largest lake, the route heads for Troutbeck via Orrest Head, which provides breathtaking views of the hills of the Yorkshire Dales, Morecombe Bay and many of Lakeland's best known mountains. After exploring Troutbeck with its fine 17th century ‘Statesman' farmhouses grouped around a series of wells the route heads for Ambleside. It passes the famous viewpoint of Jenkin Crag and Rydal Mount, where Wordsworth spent the last years of his life, before following the route of the medieval coffin ‘road' high above Rydal Water to Grasmere. Wordsworth regarded Grasmere as the “loveliest spot that man hath ever found” and spent nine happy and creative years in Dove Cottage on the outskirts of the village. Other places of interest include the little school where he once taught, now the home of a famous Gingerbread Shop; and St Oswald's Church, the last resting place of the Wordsworth family. Then the trail visits the spectacular Langdale valley, idyllic Blea Tarn and Little Langdale Tarn before continuing to Coniston. Arthur Ransome spent his childhood holidays here which later surfaced in “Swallows and Amazons” and the village's most famous resident, John Ruskin, lies buried in the village churchyard, preferring this quiet corner of Lakeland to Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey. From Coniston the trail passes through the famous beauty spot of Tarn Hows and Hawkeshead, a charming village of whitewashed cottages, cobbled streets, arches and alleys, to Near Sawry. After visiting the tiny 17th century farmhouse of Hill Top, the former home of Beatrix Potter, the trail descends to the shores of Windermere to catch a ferry across the lake to the town.
Holiday Highlights
- Taking in the sensational views of Windermere from Orrest Head.
- Sampling the superb Gingerbread in Grasmere, before wandering through the ‘Daffodil Garden’ and visiting the final resting place of William Wordsworth.
- Being inspired by the fells surrounding Hill Top, the home of Beatrix Potter.
| Tour Code | Itinerary | Tour Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLSB1 | 4 nights, 3 days walking | £305 per person | More Information | Book Online | |
| SLSB2 | 7 nights, 6 days walking | £530 per person | More Information | Book Online | |
| Our prices are based upon two people sharing a room. If you are walking on your own, or are part of a group, but require a room of your own, the following charges apply: | |||||
| Solo Walker Supplement: | £28 per person / per night | ||||
| Single Supplement: | £18 per person / per night | ||||
| You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops. For each extra night add £48 per person. All of our prices are in British pounds (£). Use our currency converter to convert British pounds (£) to your country’s currency. | |||||
| The price that you pay includes accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, door to door luggage transfers for every day of your tour, maps, guidebooks and a tour pack detailing specific information about your holiday. | |||||
West Lakes Short Break
A short break starting in Ravenglass and passing through the mountainous landscape of Wasdale.
| Total Distance | 31 miles (50 km) |
| Start and Finish | Circular trail beginning at Ravenglass |
| Availability | All Year |
The western Lake District contains some of the National Park's most diverse landscapes – the rugged mountain scenery of Wasdale, the lush pastures, swathes of woodland and deeply rural hamlets of Eskdale and the glittering Irish Sea.
Beginning at the village of Ravenglass on the Irish Sea, this delightful short walk crosses a gentle landscape of farmland dotted with small woods and isolated farmhouses, to the sleepy village of Nether Wasdale, past the ruin of a Roman bathhouse, a splendid 13th century castle and an 18th century corn mill. From Nether Wasdale the trail heads for the shores of Wastwater and then continues beside the lake to the tiny settlement of Wasdale Head amidst breathtaking mountain scenery: across the lake the awesome Screes plunge 2000 feet into the crystal waters, whilst ahead some of the highest peaks in England crowd around the end of the valley. England's smallest church lies a few hundred yards from the hamlet, in a patchwork of fields criss-crossed by drystone walls several feet thick that served as stone dumps when the pastures were first cleared.
From the church, the trail follows the old ‘corpse road' over Eskdale Moor, past Burnmoor Tarn to Boot, a pretty little village of whitewashed cottages, pink granite walls, three inns, a sixteenth century corn mill and a quaint riverside church. From Boot, the trail returns to the coast beside the fast-flowing waters of the River Esk, past Stanley Ghyll Force, reputed to be the most beautiful waterfall in the Lake District.
Points of interest along the trail include smugglers tales, an ancient Anglian cross, ghostly galloping horses, traces of Bronze Age man, packhorse bridges and La'al Ratty.
Holiday Highlights
- Walking through the picturesque valleys of Wasdale and Eskdale with rugged mountain scenery as a backdrop.
- Following the shores of Wastwater, England’s deepest lake.
- Admiring the magnificent Stanley Ghyll Force Waterfall.
| Tour Code | Itinerary | Tour Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WLSB | 4 nights, 3 days walking | £320 per person | More Information | Book Online | |
| Our prices are based upon two people sharing a room. If you are walking on your own, or are part of a group, but require a room of your own, the following charges apply: | |||||
| Solo Walker Supplement: | £30 per person / per night | ||||
| Single Supplement: | £18 per person / per night | ||||
| You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops. For each extra night add £50 per person. All of our prices are in British pounds (£). Use our currency converter to convert British pounds (£) to your country’s currency. | |||||
| The price that you pay includes accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, door to door luggage transfers for every day of your tour, maps, guidebooks and a tour pack detailing specific information about your holiday. | |||||
East Lakes Short Break
A circular walk starting in Pooley Bridge on the shores of Ullswater and enjoying the stunning mountain scenery of the Eastern corner of the Lake Districts.
| Total Distance | 32 miles (51 km) |
| Start and Finish | Circular trail beginning at Pooley Bridge |
| Availability | All Year |
Wordsworth declared Ullswater, “the happiest combination of beauty and grandeur, which any of the Lakes afford”, a view that still holds true today. Much of its appeal comes from its sinuous shape, wooded shores and the magnificent fells that surround it. To the west stands Helvellyn with its awe-inspiring rocky ridges, to the east the windswept grassy ridges of the High Street fells. Beyond them lies Haweswater, the quietest and most remote of all the lakes. This scenic walk explores the shores of both lakes and the fells and valleys surrounding them.Beginning at the attractive village of Pooley Bridge at the foot of Ullswater, the trail follows lakeside paths through meadows and ancient oak, birch and hazel woods to the hamlet of Patterdale at the head of the lake.
From here the route follows a wonderful path that winds up through the hills, with exhilarating views over the surrounding mountains to the fine viewpoint of Kidsty Pike. It follows the shores of Haweswater to the sleepy little village of Bampton, where the scenery changes from rugged mountains to a pastoral landscape of lush pastures, drystone walls and field barns. From Askham, a delightful village with a large green surrounded by old cottages and a couple of inns, the trail returns to Pooley Bridge over Heughscar Hill, with glorious views of Ullswater. Stone circles, the drowned village of Mardale Green, the highest Roman ‘road' in the country, Lakelands only Golden Eagles, the ‘Echoes of Ullswater', tales of Border Reivers and Iron Age hillforts add to the interest of this lovely walk.
Holiday Highlights
- Experiencing the scenery that inspired Wordsorth to write his famous ‘Daffodils.’
- Following the shores of Ullswater, the Lake District’s second largest lake and watching the Ullswater Steamers pass back and forth.
- Absorbing the peace and tranquillity as you follow isolated Haweswater.
| Tour Code | Itinerary | Tour Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELSB | 4 nights, 3 days walking | £305 per person | More Information | Book Online | |
| Our prices are based upon two people sharing a room. If you are walking on your own, or are part of a group, but require a room of your own, the following charges apply: | |||||
| Solo Walker Supplement: | £28 per person / per night | ||||
| Single Supplement: | £18 per person / per night | ||||
| You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops. For each extra night add £48 per person. All of our prices are in British pounds (£). Use our currency converter to convert British pounds (£) to your country’s currency. | |||||
| The price that you pay includes accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, door to door luggage transfers for every day of your tour, maps, guidebooks and a tour pack detailing specific information about your holiday. | |||||
