From Peaks to Lakes

The best of the Lake District - from the Peak District

What do you call a combination of the Lake District and the Peak District?  The Leaks?  Hmmm...  Anyway, our latest tour is designed for those staying in the Peak District, Manchester, Sheffield area but who want to experience the splendour of the Lake District.  Pick up and drop off at your accommodation is included and we whisk you up to the Lakes for a day of spectacular scenery and amazing views, with little or no walking required.

Read on to discover more...

View across Buttermere

The idea for this tour, like many of our others, came from a request from our guests.  At the end of a day touring the Peak District, they asked if we could take them up to the Lake District a few days later.  More requests followed and we thought we should add this tour to our regular options. So, let us take you through a typical day on our Best of The Lakes tour...

Like all of our tours, this is for private bookings for 1-4 passengers.  Travel from the Peak District/Manchester/Sheffield areas included.  It takes around 2 hours to reach the Lake District so an early start is needed!  We can also pick up from other areas nationwide.  Please email us for a quote if you would like to travel from a different location - or maybe you would like to travel to Edinburgh at the end of your tour to continue your adventure, for example.  The choice is yours.

We include pick up and drop off at your accommodation or convenient railway station, for a complete door to door service.

When we arrive at the Lakes, we drive along the side of Windermere and stop off at Waterhead, close to Ambleside, seen above.

From there we head through some of the most rugged, spectacular and remote scenery in the Lake District as we drive on the first of 3 mountain passes that we will cover, Wrynose.  The narrow, twisting road will take us from Little Langdale to Duddon Valley, reaching a height of 1281 feet at its summit.

But all of this is just a precursor of what is to follow, one of the steepest roads in the UK, the Hardknott Pass, a route which has been used since the 2nd Century, with a well preserved Roman fort at the summit.

After descending into Eskdale Valley, things are a lot more sedate and tranquil, until we arrive at England's deepest lake (258 feet), Wast Water. 3miles long, Wast Water is a glacial lake, surrounded by mountains such as Red Pike, Kirk Fell, Great Gable and England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike.

One side of the lake is dominated by the Screes - millions of fragments of broken rock rising from the lake to a height of almost 2000 feet, giving the lake an ominous appearance.

There is an option to enjoy a pub lunch in Ennerdale Bridge (or bring your own food along for a picnic if you prefer) before we continue alongside Loweswater and Crummock Water to Buttermere.

We can take an easy 10 minute walk to the lakeside at Buttermere, offering beautiful views towards High Stile, Haystacks and Fleetwith Pike.

Once calmed by the serenity of Buttermere, it's time to head on to our 3rd and final mountain pass of the day, the Honister Pass.  This is another spectacular route that takes us to the Honister slate mine at its summit, before descending into the beautiful Borrowdale valley.

The route takes us alongside Derwentwater before we visit one of the most photographed scenes in the Lakes, Ashness Bridge, with its views towards Skiddaw.

Further along the road, we can enjoy one of the Lake District's most celebrated views, Surprise View, where you look over Derwentwater, Keswick and Bassenthwaite Lake in the distance.

We then drive through Keswick before stopping off at the mysterious Castlerigg Stone Circle.  It's one of the UK's oldest circles, raised around 3000 BC during the Neolithic period.  The views are amazing, with Helvellyn and High Seat forming the perfect backdrop.

And then it's time to settle back in the car for the journey back home, inspired by the lakes, mountains, passes and vistas.  And the sheep.  How could we forget the Herdwicks?

You can discover more about bookings and availability  here.  Or email us if you would like any further information.