Local Area
The village lies in a highly attractive sheltered valley, at the head of Esthwaite Water. The surrounding scenery is some of the finest in the Lake District with Grizedale Forest to the south, Lake Windermere to the east and Lake Coniston to the west
Hawkshead
Nestled in the Vale of Esthwaite deep in the heart of Beatrix Potter country lies the village ‘Hawkshead‘ situated 2 miles west of Lake Windermere and aptly named ‘the prettiest little village in the Lake District‘.
Visitors will find a wonderful mixture of the historic and picturesque; whitewashed walls contrast against narrow cobbled streets adorned with hanging baskets aglow with a profusion of colour.
The pubs are not only friendly but offer some tantalising fayre to whet the appetite. A tremendous community spirit can be found in Hawkshead one that will keep you coming back for more, time and time again.
Tarn Hows
The well known and much loved Tarn Hows is a lovely walk from Hawkshead, and is a great place for a picnic, with its scenic backdrop of Coniston Old Man, around to the Langdales and the Fairfield Horseshoe. Left to National Trust by Beatrix Potter there is a reasonably level circular path suitable for pushchairs and wheel chairs with assistance.
Fishing
Nearby Esthwaite Water is the largest stocked lake in the North West of England, offering true loch style fishing, set amidst beautiful scenery. Shore and boat fishing are both available, and if you have always fancied a bit of fly-fishing then lessons are available. Please visit www.hawksheadtrout.com
The Forest is just south of the village and with the visitor centre just a couple of miles drive it offers a great day out for all the family. There are walks for all abilities, including specially designed routes for wheelchair and pushchair users, and children will love the sculpture trail. There is superb off road cycling for all the family with a selection of bikes for hire at the centre. For the adrenaline junkies there is the fantastic North Face MTB trail. The Grizedale tree top adventure Go-Ape always proves a popular day out. Built on a side of a hill, it feels seriously high and that’s because it is. You’ll fly 200 metres across the top of the Grizedale Beck and marvel at the forest canopy 18 metres up a magnificent Douglas Fir.
Horse riding
Horse and Pony trekking is available in the local area at Coniston, Troutbeck, Backbarrow and Grizedale.
Mountain Biking
Around Hawkshead the Mountain biking is superb and there are routes to suit all abilities. Quiet country lanes can be linked at ease with the many off road tracks and trails. Nearby Grizedale Forest offers some fantastic mountain biking for all the family and the North Face Route will test the skills of the best
Walking
You really are in the heart of the Lakes and the quiet Esthwaite Valley offers some great walks for all the family, with gentle rambles through the fields and woods, beautiful forest walks and amazing panoramic views of Latterbarrow and Claife Heights. For more strenuous walking the nearby fells await and within a few minutes drive you will find Coniston Old Man, Wetherlam and the Langdales. For fully guided days out on the fells, see www.cobwebsadventure.co.uk or call Dave on 07855 476 425
Boating
All the family can find boating of all kinds on nearby Windermere and Coniston Water
Local websites of interest
A list of links to other web sites we hope you will find useful. We try to list sites that complement or augment the information on our site. The inclusion of an off-site link does not imply an endorsement of the website by Lakes Lodges Ltd, and we are not responsible for the content, accuracy, completeness, or any opinions expressed on these linked sites. Please e-mail us if you would like to suggest or correct a link.
