BearMade guide to The Lake District
The Lakes is where we made one of the biggest and best decisions of our lives.
We first visited the lakes together in 2019.
After spending a great week sleeping in the back of our car, getting drenched every day and exploring the area, we made the decision to leave Ely (near Cambridge) and move to the country.
At the time I (Oscar) was really struggling living in a city. I was having panic attacks every other day, had lost my purpose and knew I needed to get back to nature. Nell was working as a Vet at the time, and felt very emotionally tied to staying in her role. Society tells us that quitting is a bad thing, and this can be hard to get past.
Like many big ones, it wasn't a simple decision to move, it was actually the cause of our first proper argument (which we had half way up a mountain).
Long story short, by the time we got back down the mountain we had agreed to move closer to nature.
We both hated living in the city, and reminded ourselves that our collective wellbeing was far more important than the pressure of societal standards.
A few months later we were living in the Yorkshire Dales. The rest is history.
Why didn't we move to the lakes you ask? Well, our first date was in the dales, it's always been a special place for us, and it's a lot cheaper than the lakes!
Best Coffee in the Lake district
We aren't going to hide it. We are coffee snobs. Wherever we go, we seek out the best coffee we can find. So far, in the Lakes, this title is held by Chesters By The River. Chesters is in Ambleside which is about 15 minutes from Windermere. They use great coffee and have excellent baristas. 8/10
Best food in the Lake District
So far this title is also held by Chesters By The River. It is a purely vegetarian cafe and serves exceptional food. We aren't vegetarians, although we do limit our meat intake, and we love it. They only have a takeaway section at the moment but it's still worth a visit. The jam donuts are our favourites. 8/10
Best Wildish stuff in the Lake District
As you probably know we don't go for the super hardcore stuff, a couple of hours walking with a bit of scrambling and rock hopping is our kind of fun. If we can do a bit of swimming or fishing along the way, even better.
Often a walk that should take a couple of hours takes us twice that. We think it's important to observe as you go.
Find the stuff that others tramp past.
Appreciate where you are.
Enjoy the journey.
Our best Lake District walks, swim spots, and places to fly fish
These are our go to spots in the Lakes. We go regularly, and are keen to explore other areas. As we do, this list will grow. We would love to add some of your favourites to this list. You can always let us know in the comments or send us a message.
Blea Tarn in 2ish hours Stunning views, great swimming, no fishing.
Blea Tarn & Langmore Fell in 4ish hours Stunning views, great swimming, no fishing.
Angle Tarn in 5ish hours Stunning views, really steep, incredible tarn to swim in, you can fly fish.
Loughrigg Fell in 2-3ish hours Panoramic views, not too strenuous, can walk from near Chesters By The River (don't park there and walk from there, theres other parking nearby), you can fish Loughrigg Tarn but need a day ticket, and it looks like a great place to swim. It's quite shallow so the water should be fairly warm.
