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"My home patch! There are so many incredible walks here, and a complete change of scenery compared to the coast path!"
Jade C. - Travel Designer
Lake District
Heritage Walks
Discover the Lake District on foot
We’re delighted to introduce our Lake District Heritage Holiday, a self-guided walking adventure in the heart of the Lake District. With overnight stays two to three charming locations, you’ll have the chance to visit local historic houses with cultural and literary significance, whilst walking in the footsteps of Romantic poets, painters, US presidents, and pioneering conversationalists.
Starting with a three-night stay in Coniston, you’ll spend your first afternoon exploring the village, or perhaps sailing to Brantwood, former home of John Ruskin. Your first real adventure begins the next day, with a 13-mile (20.8km) Beatrix Potter inspired loop from the charming village of Hawkshead. This walk begins with a climb to the summit of Latterbarrow before visiting Wray Castle, Claife Heights, and Beatrix Potter’s home at Far Sawrey. Day three is a real taste of what the Lake District has to offer – Coniston Old Man. At 6.6 miles (10.5km), this classic route rewards you with panoramic views from various summits, before descending through the copper mine valley, offering a true taste of Lakeland’s industrial heritage.
Your next three days will be spent exploring lush landscapes and literary legacies around the town of Ambleside, with an optional to 9.5-mile (15.2km) walk between stays, using the well-trodden Cumbria Way. Your walks from Ambleside include the final circuit on the newly introduced Wordsworth Way, launched at Ambleside on 7th April 2025 - William Wordsworth’s 255th birthday. The following day, you will walk to Troutbeck village via Wansfell Pike for a further line up of impassioned tales and striking scenery.
To extend your trip by two to three days, an optional stay in the Ullswater valley for walking the Ullswater Way is recommended. The Way is a 20 mile (32km) circular trail around the lake, packed with a series of heritage installations, and simplified with return journeys with the Ullswater ‘Steamers’, whose vessels have cruised the lake for over 160 years. Seasoned walkers may consider walking here from Ambleside via the Scandale Pass, a journey of around 10-miles (16km) if staying in Patterdale or Glenridding at the southern end of the valley.
What’s included in your holiday?
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6 nights B&B in en-suite accommodation with optional upgrades.
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In depth walking itineraries, packed with local knowledge.
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GPX files and access to the Encounter Walking Holidays App.
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Optional walks between stays, with luggage transfers provided.
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Enquire now for more information or email info@encounterwalkingholidays.com.
Distance
Varied
Days
Various
Walking Grade
Variable
Accommodation Grade
Standard with upgrade options
Start Location
Coniston
End Location
Ambleside or Ullswater
Pricing
This walk features a really good accommodation with some lovely upgrade options
From approx. £90 per person per day
Itinerary
13 miles. Grade - Moderate walking
Distance - 13 miles (20.8km)
Elevation - 1675ft/510m
Grade: Moderate
Starting in the charming village of Hawkshead, this heritage inspired walk starts with a climb to Latterbarrow summit, offering incredible views over Coniston and Windermere. The route then descends to Wray and its mock Neo-gothic castle, once used as a holiday home for author Beatrix Potter, and Hardwicke Rawnsley, co-founder of the National Trust. The walk then follows the West Windermere Way for 3.8 miles (6.08km) before a short climb to Claife Heights Viewing Station, a 19th century viewing platform with colourful stained glass windows, inspired by Thomas West and the Picturesque movement. A short climb from here leads you to Far Sawrey and Hill Top, home to Beatrix Potter, with a final push to Moss Eccles Tarn before descending back down to Hawkshead.
Overnight Stops
Ambleside is a lively market town set at the northern end of Windermere, England’s largest natural lake. The town is one of the region’s most popular locations for exploring the great outdoors, with some of Lakeland’s finest fells rising above it. The Fairfield Horseshoe offers a classic circular walk, with eight Wainwright summits to bag, while the lower summit of Loughrigg Fell provides a shorter but equally rewarding outing.
Closer to town, Stock Ghyll Force is a popular spot, and is especially impressive after heavy rain. From there, another classic walk leads to the village of Troutbeck via Wansfell Pike, a route taken by US President Woodrow Wilson in one of his many visits to the Lake District. Although small, Troutbeck offers two pubs, a café, and Townend, a historic farmhouse now managed by the National Trust, as well as dramatic views over to Troutbeck Tongue and the Kentmere fells, which stand firm above Troutbeck Park Farm, once owned and worked by Beatrix Potter herself!
At present-day, Ambleside’s streets are populated by walkers, shoppers, and food lovers sampling one of its many Michelin star restaurants. Independent shops, cafés and traditional inns are abundant in the town, many of them championing locally sourced produce. The Apple Pie Bakery is a popular spot, while the award winning Zeffirellis offers a cinema, live music and pizza under one roof.
Beyond its present-day character, the cultural and literary heritage of Ambleside is hard to ignore. A walk along the Wordsworth Way from the town centre will lead to the hamlet of Rydal, and then into Grasmere village, where Lakes poet William Wordsworth lived with his family. The Way also passes the homes of his literary associations, including Thomas De Quincey, Harriet Martineau, and the Arnold family. Further creative legacies can be explored at the brilliant Armitt Library, which holds a great collection of Beatrix Potter’s work, including her meticulous drawings of fungi and mosses, as well as a digital trail dedicated to of Herbert Bell, a local photographer recognised for his images of local farms and Lakeland landscapes.
Ambleside makes an excellent base for exploring on a well-earned rest day. Windermere Lake Cruises travel the length of the lake to Lakeside, where visitors can step aboard the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, or explore the Lakes Aquarium. An afternoon is always well spent exploring Bowness-On-Windermere, a popular holiday town at the southern end of the lake, where you can visit The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction as well as its many shops, pubs, and restaurants.
Ambleside can be accessed via Windermere, where trains operate daily from Manchester. From Windermere railway station, bus services to Keswick run directly into Ambleside town centre. The nearest airports to Windermere are Glasgow and Manchester.
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Travel To And From The Route
Direct trains run from Glasgow Central (1hr 37) and Manchester Picadilly (1hr 30 mins) to Penrith Train Station.
From here a frequent bus service (X4/X5) runs directly to Keswick from outside the station (40 mins).
The closest airports to Keswick are Glasgow or Manchester.
Direct trains run from Glasgow Central (1hr 37) and Manchester Picadilly (1hr 30 mins) to Penrith Train Station, where a frequent bus service (X4/X5) runs directly to Keswick from outside the station (40 mins).
Driving to Keswick is straightforward. Exit the M6 at J39 and follow signs for the A66 to Keswick. Free parking is limited, but if you’re early, you may find some around the residential areas near the town centre. After exiting the A66 onto Penrith Road, turn left onto Wordsworth Street – the roads around here are populated with guest houses, where parking spaces can become available.
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