If you've visited the Lake District before, chances are you've stayed in or around Windermere - the most popular lake - but this month we stayed in the Western Lakes at a National Trust campsite in Wasdale. It took a windy twenty-five minute drive past the lake before we reached our bed for the night, but the views made the single track worth every pounding heartbeat and scrunch of the brakes. It was breathtaking. When we arrived, angry clouds were seeping in over the horizon and the wind whipped my hair as soon as I exited the car, but for me that was all part of the appeal; we felt like we were face to face with the elements.
Wasdale is famous for being part of the 'nation's favourite view' and if scenery is your thing (as it very much is ours), this is the place to come. Every second was a framed photograph; I could have snapped all day long and still every image would have had an element of magic in it.
Whilst we were over to the west, we decided to visit Muncaster Castle. Home to the World Owl Centre, a historic, haunted building, a maze and tea-room, it was a the perfect way to spend a day in changeable weather conditions. Well worth a visit, and very child-friendly.
One of my favourite things about our holiday was discovering new villages, tiny shops, hidden views, and none more so than the Honest Shop in Coniston. With the focus solely on local and homemade products, it was filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, local crafts and tempting cakes. We settled for some melting moments and a watercolour of a hare, but we could have purchased so much more. Do you have any shops like this near you? I don't know of any in my local area, but what a lovely idea.
