This is a “better late than never” type of post”! At the end of March, we went for a mini break in the Lake District in Cumbria. This holiday was partly just to have a little escape, but also to mark my Dad’s birthday. I took some nice photos and wanted to write about our mini-break as a pseudo travel diary. I hope you enjoy reading about our adventure in celebration of my Dad.
We stayed at Drybeck Farm in their Wigloo – a wooden igloo-style cabin, and this site is located near Carlisle. Carlisle is just on the Scottish Borders and it was a 5-6 hour drive from Oxford with all the traffic and road works (and rain!).
For readers who are unfamiliar with the Lake District, it’s a popular tourist destination in the UK for those who enjoy outdoor sports like hiking and boating. It is also a hugely dog-friendly holiday destination. The Lakes are the largest water bodies in the UK – with Lake Windermere being the largest and Ullswater being the second largest. Now when I say large, I don’t mean by Canadian standards. In fact, they are fairly small by Canadian scale! Nonetheless, the views are beautiful and there is lots of history in the area, including Beatrix Potter’s landscapes.
We went for a day visit to Pooley Bridge, on Ullswater. This lake has the famous steamer boat crossings, and Wordsworth’s daffodils. We went for a walk along the lake shore and then stopped into Granny Dowbekins Tearooms. This is a dog-friendly café which has vegan options and I had the biggest piece of chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten! After our coffee and cake, we went for a hike on Dunmallard Hillfort. This hike wasn’t too long and is dog and child friendly if you’re looking for walking options with fantastic views of Ullswater.
One of the selling points of the Wigloo is that is had a private wood-fired hot tub on the deck. It took a few hours to warm up, but it was relaxing and peaceful sitting in the tub as the sun set. The other aspect that I enjoyed most about the Wigloo was the sky light. It rained overnight and the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof was utterly soporific.
Wilbur had a good time as well, though he was a bit too much of a “guard dog” and barked at the people staying nearby. Thankfully, as we stayed mid-week, there weren’t any other guests apart from us and one other couple. If you’re looking for a quiet retreat, I would recommend Drybeck Farm for a mid-week stay in the off season.
On the way home, we stopped at Beacon Fell Country Park in the Forest of Bowland, which is near to Blackpool. The park had a statue trail and we enjoyed a windy walk on the hill summit. Dad loved owls, so I couldn’t help but get a photo with this nice sculpture.
We don’t have any big holidays planned this summer, but will instead focus on day trips. Lucy and I want to go canoeing, and also pop down to Bournemouth for a seaside visit!
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