Dog friendly walks
Dog friendly log cabins: recommendations for walkies!
We’ve written a few walking blog posts here at Lakeland Lodges but this is the first that’s all about your four-legged friends. We’ve got three different walk recommendations for your holiday in our dog friendly log cabins – and each has a café and pub stop to go with them.
Rydal
Rydal village itself is tiny and strung out along the road between Ambleside and Grasmere, both of which are well worth a stop as they’re packed with lovely cafés and pubs (many of which welcome dogs). The walk we’ve chosen also has the option of its own tearoom at Rydal Hall, which is open year round and is dog-friendly.
Walk: Rydal Round (3 miles, 1 hour 30 minutes, easy)
Rydal Cave is a man-made consequence of slate quarrying but nonetheless is a lovely cavern with stepping stones that’s well worth a visit. Last time we walked there, we were treated to an a capella version of Amazing Grace by a fellow walker, which was quite something. This circuit on stony paths and tracks does have a couple of road crossings and some livestock, but dogs will love the route and a chance to cool off in Rydal Water. There’s also lots of exploring to be done along the lakeside and woodland tracks.
Pub: Baldry’s Tea Room, Grasmere (dog biscuits provided)
Café: The Golden Rule, Ambleside
Windermere
Windermere village is a lovely place to wander through. Merging as it does into Bowness with access to the Lake, it’s a very popular spot with visitors. This walk provides fantastic views of Lake Windermere whilst avoiding the crowds in Bowness, and it is paired with plenty of options for a post-walk refreshment stop. There’s a lot of uphill at first but you’re rewarded with the downhill when you’re tired.
Walk: Orrest Head (2.7 miles, 1 hours 10 minutes, moderate difficulty)
Orrest Head is an ideal route as it is close to Windermere and its facilities yet the summit provides amazing views of the Lake and the surrounding hills. This route follows a winding lane and paths to the fell summit and there are options to drop straight back down for a brew or pint, or extend the walk and make it slightly longer on the downhill.
Pub: Brambles Tea Rooms & Café
Café: The Crafty Baa
Aira Force & Glenridding
Probably the most famous of the Lake District waterfalls, the main force falls 65 feet from below a stone footbridge and the surrounding landscape provides dramatic waterfalls, arboretum and rock formations. It’s a truly spectacular landscape and one that dog-walkers regularly explore. You’ll need a lead as the land is shared by livestock, and, of course, dog bags. Glenridding is a small village at the foot of Kirkstone Pass and is ideal for refreshments after your explorations.
Walks: Aira Force (choice of routes)
We often cheat on this blog as we find it so hard to pick just one route in our favourite places, and that’s exactly what we are doing again. The National Trust has four different routes detailed on their website, including the Gowbarrow Trail, the Glencoyne Farm Trail, the Glenamara Park Trail, and the Hayeswater Gill Trail. They’re all well worth walking and will be enjoyed by you just as much as by the dogs!
Pub: The Travellers Rest
Café: Helvellyn Country Kitchen
We look forward to welcoming you to our dog friendly log cabins and can’t wait to hear about your walking adventures. There are some great books that might give you more ideas for dog-friendly routes in the Lakes – take a look at Gilly Seddon & Erwin Neudorfer’s series.
Sheryl, Paul and the Lakeland Lodges team