‘If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet’
Anon
Places in the Lake District we’ve loved visiting
Hotels/Inns
The New Dungeon Ghyll, Langdale: Rooms all with spectacular views, dog friendly bar with good food and ale. Pretty garden and terrace looking down the valley. Walks into the hills from the door.
The Swan at Grasmere: Recently completely refurbished, it has a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, good food and great dog friendly garden rooms at the back of the hotel with your own separate entrance. Good position for walks from the door.
The Pheasant at Bassenthwaite: A centuries old Cumbrian inn that has a fantastic bar with leather lined walls. Superbly cosy in winter with a lovely comfortable lounge and open fire. Designated dog friendly areas.
The Wateredge, Ambleside: Superb position overlooking Windermere and a short walk to the centre of Ambleside. Refurbished after the floods of 2015, this is a genuinely comfortable hotel with a restaurant offering really quality food. So cosy in winter, with open fires and a fabulous garden in summer looking down Windermere. Very friendly.
The Wasdale Head Inn: A world famous and iconic pub at the head of the sublime Wasdale Valley. Surrounded by all the highest mountains of Lakeland, it is the home of British Rock Climbing. Superb food, lots of history and right in the thick of it.
Pubs
The Traveller's Rest, Grasmere: An old favourite in a great position with lovely views and good value food served all day. Real ale, dog friendly and a welcome open fire. Very friendly staff.
The Sun, Coniston: A real winter pub, dark and cosy, with low ceilings, an old fashioned range with open fire. muddy boots and wet dogs. Good value food, real ale and views over the village from the terrace.
The Hikers Bar at the Old Dungeon Ghyll: A Lakeland icon at the end of Great Langdale. Basic, but with a great atmosphere and decent food, usually busy with hikers chatting about their days on the fells. Just the place to relax with your muddy boots on in front of the fire or in the garden in summer. surrounded by the fells.
The Kirkstile Inn: An old, traditional, pub tucked away in Loweswater with low ceilings, open fires and a buzzing atmosphere in the evening. Handy for coffee and cake before tramping the fells. Dog friendly.
The Queen’s Head, Troutbeck: Another old traditional Lakeland pub, now almost completely and beautifully renovated after a devastating fire in 2015, which luckily didn’t damage its warm and welcoming atmosphere. An iconic Elizabethan four poster bed bar, lovely food - not the cheapest - but a roaring fire, cosy atmosphere and wonderful views.
Cafes
Herdwick Cafe in central Coniston: Gorgeous homemade cakes, a good choice of drinks and light lunches in lovely surroundings, surrounded by all things Herdwick. They adore dogs and regularly post pictures of their canine visitors on their social media pages.
Baldrys in Grasmere: Right in the centre of the village, dog friendly, lovely mismatched china cups and saucers and huge, delicious cakes and light bites. Always warm, cosy and welcoming.
Bluebird Cafe, Coniston: Right on the lake shore serving coffee, cakes and light meals. An outdoor seating area for warmer weather watching activity on the water. Dog friendly on the covered terrace.
Wilf’s Cafe, Staveley: Right on the river in The Mill Yard, this is housed in what was once an old bobbin loft. Warm and welcoming, seating inside and on the decking outside, great choice of food, home baked cakes and breads. Dog friendly.
The Sawmill Tearoom near Bassenthwaite. A lovely, convenient stop for a cup of coffee before heading up through beautiful Dodd Woods to the high hills beyond, or for a warming cup of tea and a hunk of cake after a long, cold day.