The Wilson Arms

Where will you go walking first? The Old Man of Coniston walking trail (10 minutes’ drive) for views of valleys and copper mines along the way? Tarn Hows (15 minutes) for a short hike around the lakeside? Windermere’s west shore (half an hour) to catch a boat over to the gothic jetty at the National Trust’s Wray Castle (25 minutes)? Or perhaps Wastwater (20 minutes) or Ambleside (25 minutes) for more of the lakes? Hiking the day away is easy from this site, but watersports are another way to keep active and Coniston (five minutes) has plenty on this front, from Canadian canoe or kayak hire to boat trips for those of you who want to get about the water a bit quicker. And for another place that will keep you moving, Grizedale Forest (25 minutes) has mountain biking trails, a sculpture park and Go Ape, so take your pick. Nature’s certainly a treat in these parts, but so is history. The National Trust’s Hill Top (25 minutes) is all about the stories of Beatrix Potter, as her old house lives on here. Elsewhere, Brantwood (15 minutes) is the home-turned-museum of another English writer, John Ruskin.