We are now in the middle of April and many of us are probably beginning to feel the need for a little recreation and relaxation. We have noticed that we are getting quite a few people who are coming to stay with us for short little spurts whenever they can get away, whether it is a midweek or weekend break. Speaking to a couple who arrived to stay with us today, they simply thought they would take a 2-day midweek break from the busyness of their lives and have a breather. I think this is a great way to recharge the batteries.
Blenheim Lodge is situated in the South/Central Lakes and there is easy access to our guest house from the Scottish Lowlands and Central Scotland, North Wales, middle England, and the north-eastern and north-western areas of England. Today’s new arrivals arrived from Wigan, not more than 1.5 hours’ ride to Blenheim Lodge, which makes for an easy drive for a night or more away. Guests from areas of such close proximity typically reach Cumbria in the early part of the day, stay a night or more with us, and then spend their days exploring and absorbing the beauty of the Lake District landscape before heading back home nice and relaxed.
It is always a bonus for guests when there is a long holiday weekend: it means that they can stay an extra day or two without having to take holiday time from work, and therefore have a longer period to truly rest up from the busyness of their everyday life and return home refreshed. This year, the early May Public Holiday long weekend will begin on Friday, 4th May. Visitors who do not need to return to work until Tuesday, 8th May, will have 3 days of Lake District gorgeousness to enjoy before heading home on Monday to get ready for work on Tuesday.
As part of our eco consciousness, we encourage guests to visit us using public transport by allowing them to leave their luggage at our guest house after check out at 10 am. Guests can then go out and spend a great last day in the Lakes before returning to our guest house to retrieve their luggage and take a cab to the train station or bus depot. (We are always happy to book cabs for our guests.) There is no exception to this rule unless we ourselves need to leave the premises for an extraordinary reason. Thus, for guests travelling by public transport who wish to make the most of Bank Holiday Monday, we would be very happy for them to leave their luggage in our guest house until they are ready to come back for it before making tracks for home.
Guests who base themselves in a central location can and do take in a lot of what the Lakes have to offer very easily indeed. For instance, a 5-minute walk from our guest house will take guests to the shores of Lake Windermere, where one can hire a boat or board a ferry, walk along the promenade or visit the shops, pubs and tearooms by the Lake. Take one of the ferries and sail to nearby towns – Ambleside, Lakeside and Hawkshead – and hop off to enjoy the sights and activities there. Or take a ferry to Wray Castle where you can go for a walk. One can also take a round trip on the water without alighting at other towns if so inclined. Ferry trips are available with Windermere Lake Cruises (www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk), and we have negotiated an exclusive discount for Blenheim Lodge guests of 10% off their individual cruise prices.
Other local things to do include walking the Dales Way (or at least part of it) and trekking the fells to the 3 viewpoints behind our house while staying with us. You will find the views from Biskey Howe, Post Knott and Brantfell well worth the easy hikes. There are fells to wander at will, so much so that I have got lost with my awful sense of direction – or lack of it! I remember taking an American couple for a walk up to Post Knott one November and all of us not being able to tell which way to go because all the trees looked alike. Eventually we walked downwards and arrived at a different exit point about 10 minutes’ stroll away from our starting point. Lesson Number 1: do not go walking with me if you require someone with a sense of direction to lead the way!
The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction (www.hop-skip-jump.com) and Steamboat Museum (www.steamboats.org.uk) are local attractions that are within an easy walk from our guest house, the first being only a 5-minute stroll from our front door.
For something a little different, why not try a yacht cruise to include a 4-course meal, a buffet lunch or cheese and wine? We have a special relationship with SailnDine (www.sailndine.co.uk), and can arrange these cruises for guests as part of their stay package. We can even arrange exclusive sails on the yacht for that very romantic treat on the water!
If one is really ambitious and wants to see as much of the Lake District as possible during a short breakaway, we can also arrange minibus or private tours to pick guests up from our B&B and return them here after a half or full day of admiring beautiful Cumbrian landscapes and visiting interesting visitor attractions, such as Hill Top, where the famous children’s writer, Beatrix Potter, lived for a time (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hill-top) and Dove Cottage, William Wordsworth’s much-loved home near Grasmere (www.wordsworth.org.uk). For guests with eclectic tastes, there are many places to visit, such as the Pencil Museum in Keswick (www.pencilmuseum.co.uk) which relates the history of the pencil, an item that we use all the time and likely never consider its origins, and the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston (www.laurel-and-hardy.co.uk) where fans of these iconic comedians will be in alt. The attractions mentioned in this paragraph are only between 20-40 minutes’ drive or bus ride of Blenheim Lodge, so it is entirely possible to take in much more during a short stay in the Lakes.
All the attractions and amenities of the Lakes are open during weekends, including public holiday long weekends. Even the shops stay open. The early May Bank Holiday long weekend is no exception.
Well, if this post has whet your appetite for a visit to the Lakes, do contact us for a place to stay. We would love to welcome you to our guest house for a peaceful relaxing getaway.
‘Blenheim Lodge . . . panoramic Lake views, peace and tranquillity, nestled against acres of beautiful fields and woodlands, in the heart of the English Lake District National Park.’
Visit our website: www.blenheim-lodge.com
Email: enquiries@blenheim-lodge.com
Telephone: 00 44 (0)15394 43440