Kentmere Farm Pods is a great base in South Lakes to explore from.
Approx. 30 mins drive from Kentmere Farm Pods
Kentmere Farm Pods is a great base in South Lakes to explore from.
THINGS TO DO: Outdoors Culture Rainy Days Eating Out Shop Transport Events
Explore a vast choice of activities & places to visit for great days out from our glamping pods in the Lake District
It's not just stunning views, there are adventures for all ages and interests with fantastic pubs, tea-rooms and local produce to make your day a real treat
Outdoor Adventures
High Wire
Walking
We are really spoilt for choice with footpaths and amazing walks throughout the Lake District. We have included a number of walks direct from the door of your camping pod.
Here are some of our other favourites:
For shorter walks try Hugil Fell and Reston Scar. Only 3 miles with excellent views. www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_226.html Windermere - Orrest Head. Only 15-20 minutes but a great view. Ambleside to Loughrigg or park in Rydal and do a low level loop around Rydal Water to Grasmere and back.
For bigger walking adventures try the Fairfield Horseshoe. Approx. 6 hour walk starting in Ambleside with fantastic views.
www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_42.html Langdale and Harrison Stickle is one of the highest of the Langdale Pikes www.wainwrightroutes.co.uk/harrisonstickle_r1.html Coniston Old Man ww.walklakes.co.uk/walk_2.html is approx. a 4-5 hour walk. For Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, head up from Wasdale. www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_158.html
ViewRanger is a free mobile app for following off-road walks. You can download OS map overlays for a small cost. WalkLakes website has maps/routes for different abilities. The National Park Miles Without Stiles lists walks suitable for limited mobility walkers
Biking
If biking is your thing you have come to the right place. There are loads of bike routes from the door of you camping pod. Choose from challenging full days on your mountain bike to quiet country lanes, permitted cycleways and bridleways. There is something for all abilities.
You can hire bikes locally from Wheelbase in Staveley and Brockhole National Park Visitors Centre beyond Windermere. If you fancy hiring an electric bike to help get up those hills we recommend Easeride - you can hire from Arnside train station and Sizergh Castle. If you would like to hire for 3 days or more they can deliver to to Kentmere Farm Pods.
There are some fantastic forest bike trails at Grizedale and Whinlatter. You can also hire bikes here. For a great family day out try biking along the old railway line from Threlkeld to Keswick which finishes at a heated pool with wave machine and a pitch and putt nearby.
If it's high wire adventure your after, head to Tree Top Treks,
Brockhole, the National Trust Visitors Centre http://www.brockhole.co.uk or to Go Ape at Grizedale Forrest: https://goape.co.uk/days-out/grizedale Both have challenging courses with zip wires and precarious bridges high in the tree tops. A real outdoor thrill!
You need to book and there are age and height restrictions. Further afield is Honister Via Ferrata: https://honister.com/via-ferrata/ Using the original miners track up the steep outer incline of Fleetwith Pike, climb sheer rock faces with the security of being attached to a continuous steel cable. Amazing views and challenges. Book before you go and check restrictions.
Adventure Playgrounds
The playground in Staveley is definately worth a visit and there are some nice little walks around the village by the river. Why not pick up some bread from the Spar and feed the ducks? For a larger adventure playground, try Brockhole.
Water sports
All the larger lakes have all sorts of boat hire - canoeing, windsurfing, rowing, kayaking, paddle boarding. Escape for a day on the water. Courses are available at Windermere Yacht Club and Glenridding Sailing Centre on Ullswater.
Horse Riding
Holmescales Riding Centre and Larkrigg Riding School, both near Kendal, offer horse riding activities for all ages.
Climbing
Kendal Indoor Climbing Wall offers classes for a range of ages and abilities. If you have your own gear & you're into bouldering, head to Badger Rock, Kentmere to explore a variety of routes in stunning surroundings. If Trad. climbing is your bag, The Langdales have some great routes.
Culture
Galleries and Museums
Abbot Hall Gallery (Kendal) has some fantastic contemporary exhibitions by internationally recognised artists as well as a permanent collection that includes Turner, David Hockney,Bridget Riley and Kurt Schwitters.
Blackwell Arts & Crafts House, overlooking lake Windermere, with an impressive collection of furniture and artefacts from the Arts & Crafts movement. It hosts regular visiting exhibitions.
The Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal programs art exhibitions, live music, theatre, comedy and cinema.
Historic Houses, Gardens and National Trust Property
Kendal Castle is a 12th Century medieval ruin which has great views over the town and surrounding hills. The Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry reveals the town's farming and industrial heritage, from cloth to shoe making. Hill Top, the home of Beatrix Potter, is worth a visit with drawings and artefacts relating to her famous illustrations.
Music
Townend, a National Trust property, in nearby Troutbeck, is a quirky C17 farmhouse with a pretty cottage garden. Levens Hall is famous for its extraordinary topiary garden. The house interior is Elizabethan. Sizergh Castle is a National Trust property with an extensive garden 4 miles south of Kendal. Brantwood in Coniston, home of John Ruskin, art critic and romantic poet. Take the steam gondola over from Coniston to explore the museum and garden. Dove Cottage, home to William and Dorothy Wordsworth in Grasmere.
Bootleggers (Kendal) is an intimate late-night venue with live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Ruskins (Kendal) puts on a diverse mix of music from acoustic jam to reggae, folk and electronica. Kendal Leisure Centre holds a range of concerts for all tastes, from classical to pop. Zeffirellis in Ambleside is renowned for its jazz bar and has regular gigs. The Brewery Arts Centre (Kendal) has a range of music gigs.
Rainy Days
Cinemas can be found at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal and the Royalty in Windermere. Zeffirellis in Ambleside has a number of screen venues.
Jump into sets beautifully crafted from the book with Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Jemima Puddleduck at The World Of Beatrix Potter in Bowness. The cafe is worth a visit to see Hunker Munker in glass cases amongst the tea sets.
Take the steam gondola from Coniston village to Brantwood, home to John Ruskin. Visit the beautiful Arts and Crafts house with great views over the lake and a rocky garden to explore. The Spinning Jenny cafe is a great place to have tea.
Visit Hilltop, Sawrey and the see the house where Beatrix Potter lived and worked. It's small but packed with artifacts and drawings of the animals in her books. There is even a small 'Mr. McGregor' style vegetable garden outside to explore.
Weather in the Lake District is never dull. Rain can blow through quickly leaving clear skies and shimmering rainbows. If you want to escape the weather, there are lots of activities to do inside.
Windermere and Ullswater Lake Cruises tend to run in most weathers. Jump aboard from Bowness or Glenridding Piers.
Catch a short ride on a steam train on the Haverthwaite railway to Windermere. Sit back and enjoy the adventure.
The Quaker Tapestry in Kendal is well worth a visit and has some good interactive displays suitable for young children.
There are indoor climbing walls at Kendal and Ambleside with a variety of sessions. A great activity to burn off energy for all ages.
Make a splash! The Leisure Centre in Kendal has a decent sized pool along with a toddlers pool. You can also book badminton courts or attend a variety of fitness classes, yoga etc.
If you haven't managed to spot Otters on the river Kent, head over to the Aquarium of the Lakes to catch them close-up at feeding time at 10.30am and 3pm. You will find there is lots of aquatic life on display.
Further afield you'll find the Dock museum in Barrow, with models of ships and displays on Barrow's shipbuilding heritage. Entrance free. Nearby, Walney and Piel Island are worth exploring.
Rheged in Penrith is an award-winning indoor family activity day out. There is an Imax 3D cinema, art gallery, an outdoor play area and lots of shops and places to eat.
Honister slate mines offers guided tours of the mine with some impressive underground features and history tour.
Celebrate the rain! Walks to see the waterfalls at Aira Force with great views of Ullswater. Park at the National Trust car park beyond Glenridding. Or follow the Ambleside Waterfall walk to Stock Ghyll Falls from the town centre.
Eating Out
The Lake District is brimming with good places to eat and nice pubs. Here's a selection of places close to Kenmtere Farm Pods
Nearby In Staveley. 2 Miles
Wilf's cafe for great breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Child and dog friendly.
Eagle & Child Pub. A great pub with good ales and wholesome food with a garden right next to the river for sunny days.
Hawkshead Brewery. There's a bar and a large lounge upstairs serving tasty food.
Cafe Eclec for tasty soups, snacks and cakes.
More? Bakery. As well as bread there is a Hipster style coffee shop with excellent coffee, cakes and pies.
Mr. Duffins Coffee on the high street selling coffee roasted and ground on the premises. A real treat.
Staveley Chippy: it tends to close quite early so plan ahead!
Local Pubs:
Watermill, Ings. Good pub food and cheery service. Welcomes dogs.
The Factory Tap, Aynam Rd. Kendal Dog friendly pub selling real ale at good prices. Check their website, some nights they do street food
Black Horse, Winster. Gastro pub with good food and nice surround.
Punch Bowl, Crosthwaite. Gastro pub with great food and good atmosphere.
Wild Boar, Crook. A bit smarter, excellent food. Dogs allowed in the bar.
The Black Labrador. Underbarrow. Good pub food
Nearby In Windermere: 5 miles
Homeground. Lovely setting for brunch, coffee and cakes.
Just Good Food. Really nice place with friendly staff and great food to eat in or take away.
Bandito Burrito, 30 Main Street. Mexican Street food. Vegetarian and Vegan options. Lunch.
Hooked Seafood, Ellerthwaite Square. Serves locally caught fist and sea food dishes with a global spin.
Chesters, Skeleth Bridge. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options. Delicious food but often have to queue. Dog friendly with store attached and they do takeaways if you need to dash.
Nearby In Kendal: 6 Miles
Pizza Express just off Highgate near Booths
Yard 46 Cafe Cliff Brow. Worth finding - tucked away in a little courtyard. Great coffee, breakfasts, lunches and cakes.
Cafe Olive, 3 Stramongate. Tasty Turkish food. Great Delhi and also do take aways.
The Joshua Tree, 11 Stramongate. Vegetarian friendly. Vegan options.
Union Jack Cafe. Traditional egg and chips and no frills but tasty.
Shop
Nearby Staveley has some great artisan stores. Check out the Mill Yard for some special treats. There is a Spar for groceries, a Post Office, Butcher, Chemist, Antique and Gift shop. If your into specialist plants, visit Inglefield nursery. It's a gem.
For supermarkets, there is a Morrisons, Aldi, Sainsburys and Asda in Kendal If your not familiar with Booths, it is a privately owned chain of high quality super-markets. Excellent for cheese and specialist ingredients. There is one in Kendal & Windermere with parking. There is a Marks & Spencer in Kendal
Kendal is a pleasant market town with a mixture of high street brands and some nice independent shops. Off the high street, there are lots of nooks and crannies to explore. The Herdy shop on Stramongate sells a range of their herdy kitchen ware, textiles and toys. Made in Cumbria sells gifts and tasty treats at it's shop on Branthwaite Brow.
Kendal Markets: There is a great fruit and veg. market on Wednesdays on Stramongate and a Farmers' market on the last Friday of the month in the Market place.
Bowness has a number of high street chains along with numerous shops selling good quality souvenirs to cheaper options.
Kirkby Lonsdale, on the other side of the M6 is a pretty town with lots of small independent shops and cafes around a central square.
Low Sizergh Barn shop, close to Sizergh Castle, just off A592, has an excellent farm shop with a fantastic delhi. Bring your own containers to sample the raw milk. It also has some original gifts.
Lakeland, the kitchen mail order company, has its flagship shop in Windermere. A vast emporium for any aspiring Bake-Off chef.
Transport
Most visitors will arrive by car. Whilst we have plenty of parking we are keen to reduce our carbon footprint and ask for a maximum of two cars per pod. A fee will be charged for a second car.
The 555 bus service runs through Staveley to Kendal or in the other direction to Windermere, Ambleside and Keswick. Mountain Goat is a private minibus service that can connect you from Windermere all over the Lakes. It also arranges organised tours so you can explore different parts of the Lake District.
Staveley railway station is on the branch line that connects Windermere to Kendal and Oxenholme mainline station. Great for a trip out without your car. You can take bikes on this line but you need to book.
If you would like to leave your car at home and bike or walk to the Camping Pods, we will provide free towels and are happy get some groceries for you if you give us a few days notice.
Please contact us if you would like to ride in and keep your pony or horse here. Depending on the time of year we may be able to accommodate you.
