The Lake District National Park is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful parts of Northern England. I had already visited the area once with friends, so this time, taking my family there was almost a must. One of the advantages of visiting the same place more than once is that it never really feels like the same place. Different weather, different seasons and different routes can completely change the experience. Besides, there were still quite a few places I had not explored during my first visit.
Stopping around Ullswater LakeThis time, our first stop was Pooley Bridge, situated at the northern end of Ullswater Lake. The bridge itself offers a beautiful view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. The water around this part of Ullswater is relatively shallow, which makes it quite popular for activities such as paddle boarding. During low tide, the water level can become surprisingly low, to the point where even children can walk quite a distance into the lake.
Ullswater lake in the distance as seen from Pooley BridgeAfter a long drive, Pooley Bridge seemed like the perfect place to take a short break, stretch our legs and enjoy the scenery. The only thing I did not particularly like was the parking charge, which felt quite expensive to me.
After crossing the bridge, we drove for another couple of minutes and found another beautiful viewpoint. There is a small lay-by directly opposite the Duke of Portland Boathouse, from where you can park and walk down towards the lakeside. However, this is only practical when the water level is low.
I had taken some memorable photographs from this exact spot during my previous visit. But because of the low water level this time, the experience was completely different. We carefully made our way across the rocks and spent quite a while beside the lake. There was something strangely calming about just sitting there and listening to the water.
Duke of Portland BoathouseAt some point, I realised that the water had gradually started coming back in. We had been so absorbed in the surroundings that we had hardly noticed it. So, before the water reached us, we quickly made our way back up and continued our journey.
The road alongside Ullswater was another experience in itself. Every few minutes, I found myself wanting to stop the car and take another photograph. The combination of the lake, mountains and narrow country roads made it almost impossible to resist pulling over whenever I found a good view.
Our next destination was Aira Force.
Aira Force – A Little Piece of WildernessThe western side of Ullswater is followed by a beautiful winding road, with several small streams and waterfalls along the way. Although many of these are called waterfalls, they looked more like mountain streams to me. One such stream crosses the road and is known as Aira Beck. In Northern England, the word beck is commonly used for a small stream or mountain brook.
There are two National Trust car parks around Aira Force. The first one, Aira Force Car Park, appeared to be the more popular option, as most visitors seemed to park there. From this car park, it takes roughly half an hour of walking along the trail to reach the waterfall.
However, if you are looking for a shorter walk, there is another option. Drive a little further along the side road and park at the Aira High Force Car Park. From there, it is only around a 10–15 minute walk to the waterfall.
One thing I would definitely recommend is carrying some coins with you. Most of the car parks around this area require payment, and although some allow you to pay through an app, mobile network coverage can be unreliable. So having the app on your phone does not necessarily mean you will be able to use it.
We were actually quite lucky. As an English gentleman was leaving the car park, he kindly gave us his parking ticket. He still had around two hours left on it, which saved us from having to worry about parking.
Aira Force itself is essentially another section of the same mountain stream, flowing through huge rocks and surrounded by woodland. The sound of the water rushing and trickling between the rocks was incredibly peaceful. Standing there, I honestly felt like staying for the whole day. Why hurry when you have somewhere this beautiful in front of you?
Unfortunately, day trips have their limitations. There was still a long list of places to visit, and the weather was beginning to change. Rain was on its way, so we could not spend as much time there as we wanted.
We had to move on.
The Road to Kirkstone PassAs I said before, this was not actually my first experience of the Lake District. About a year earlier, I had visited the area with a group of friends. There was hardly any planning involved on that trip. Five of us simply got into one car and started driving. I still remember checking Google Maps and reading reviews along the way to decide where we should go next.
After visiting a castle, we decided to head towards Lake Windermere, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Lake District. But somewhere along the way, we came across Ullswater Lake. It was not part of the plan at all.
After passing the lake, the road gradually started climbing. The further we went, the steeper it became. To make things worse, my friend’s old 1.4-litre car had a habit of randomly shutting down. At one point, the road became so steep that the poor engine was practically smoking.
What we did not know at the time was that we were actually driving along Kirkstone Pass, one of the highest roads in the Lake District.
When we finally reached the top, however, all the frustration disappeared.
The view was incredible. Clouds were floating around the mountains, as if they were close enough to touch. The entire landscape looked completely different from anything I had seen before. It was one of those views that stays in your memory long after the journey is over.
This time, Kirkstone Pass was actually part of our plan.
Since I was driving myself, I was much more confident than on my first visit. The fact that I was driving a manual car also made the steep climb much easier to manage. Once again, the Lake District welcomed us with its familiar cloudy sky and occasional drizzle.
We stopped at the top for some photographs, but after a while the wind became quite strong. We had not brought proper winter clothing either, so it was getting uncomfortably cold. There was little point in staying any longer, so we decided to head towards Ambleside.
Instead of taking the main road from Kirkstone Pass, we decided to try a smaller route known as The Struggle.
And the name is quite appropriate.
The road is steep, extremely winding and runs right along the side of the mountain. In some sections, it was so narrow that if another car came from the opposite direction, there was barely enough space to let each other pass. It was one of those roads where you have to concentrate on every turn.
After around 15–20 minutes of driving, we finally arrived at the beautiful mountain town of Ambleside.
And this is where the biggest surprise of the trip was waiting for us.
Ambleside – The Unplanned StopSome places are simply better when you do not plan for them.
Ambleside was one of those places.
We had not planned to visit the town at all. We were actually on our way back from Ullswater when we found ourselves stuck on its narrow roads. An accident had blocked one of the main roads, and the resulting traffic had completely overwhelmed the small town.
There were cars everywhere.
The queue seemed endless, and after sitting in traffic for a while, it became obvious that we could potentially spend several hours there without moving very far.
To make matters worse, the sky had turned gloomy and it had started drizzling on and off.
At that point, sitting inside the car and getting frustrated did not seem like the best use of our time. So we decided to park somewhere, get out and explore Ambleside while waiting for the traffic to improve.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions we made that day.
Ambleside has a completely different atmosphere from the more open landscapes around Ullswater. Its small streets, old stone buildings, little shops and mountain surroundings give it a character of its own. There was no particular destination in mind anymore. We simply walked around, looked at the buildings, took a few photographs and enjoyed the town.
There was something quite nice about having nowhere to be.
No rushing to the next waterfall. No checking the map every few minutes. No worrying about whether we would have enough time to see the next attraction.
Just walking around a beautiful little town while the rain came and went.
Abandoned classic car in someone’s gardenAnd then came what was probably the most memorable moment of the entire trip.
We ended up sitting in the boot of the car, eating biryani in the rain.
It might not sound like anything special, but after spending the entire day driving through mountains, walking beside lakes and waterfalls, getting caught in traffic and exploring an unexpected town, that simple meal somehow felt perfect.
Looking back, Ambleside probably would not have been as memorable if we had actually planned to visit it.
Perhaps that is one of the best things about travelling. Not everything has to be planned. Sometimes the unexpected turn, the unplanned stop or even the traffic jam that ruins your original plan can lead to the best memories.
This was our second trip to the Lake District, but in many ways, it felt completely different from the first one. I saw some familiar places in a different light, discovered a few new ones and, most importantly, collected another set of memories with the family.
And perhaps that is why I never get tired of visiting places like the Lake District.
You can return to the same roads, the same lakes and the same mountains, but somehow, the experience is never quite the same.
