Crossfell Caravan Park

This close to the Lake District, not spending any time on a lake would surely lead to a rather sinking feeling… There are lots of options nearby for boating trips, starting with Ullswater Steamers, 25 minutes’ drive away at Pooley Bridge, before puttering along to Keswick on Derwentwater 40 minutes away and the Lake Coniston gondola just under an hour and a half from base. Prefer those lake experiences to be had from dry land? The site’s less than 10 minutes from Blencarn Lake and its 15 acres of fly fishing – a lucky catch for some… When back on dry land, sweet treats await: Abbott Lodge Jersey Ice Cream is 25 minutes from base, where kids can spend time at the indoor and outdoor playgrounds while grownups tuck in to a healthy helping of homemade ice cream. Want to pencil in some more unusual outings? The Derwent Pencil Museum is 40 minutes away and (not to put too fine a point on it) comes highly recommended by the site team. If that doesn’t do it for the gang, try a visit to Trotters World of Animals, 50 minutes away, for hundreds of species – as well as bird of prey displays – or nab a ticket for a movie at the Rheged Centre (20 minutes), home of a six-storey-high cinema screen.