I want to ride my bicycle!

A great way to spend your time in the Lakes is to bring or hire a bike and see a bit of the countryside without a car. We love the freedom of jumping on our bikes in the evening after work or on our days off. We have a couple of E-bikes, as there are a lot of hills in the Lakes, but you can do these rides on an ordinary bike.

There are a few cycle paths close to the hotel, one of which includes a trip over the lake on the car ferry, it costs £2 per bike each way (always check its running before you go). You can cycle from the car ferry at Ferry Nab up to Wray Castle along the lakeshore. Cars can only go so far on this road until it turns into a track all the way up to the Castle. During the season there is Café at Wray Castle so you can stop for a spot of lunch before you cycle back the way you came, or you could carry on and around through Ambleside along the A591 back towards the hotel.

Another nice ride is from Windermere to Coniston and back, the only downside is there is a bit of road cycling which can be busy from Bowness to Ambleside and then roads get a bit quieter. Some of views are amazing and most of the time you have the paths to yourselves.

There are plenty of places you can stop to have a drink or eat lunch. There are cafes, pubs, and snack bars, oh and plenty of ice cream stops, which is a must on a hot sunny day.

A nice evening ride before dinner is from Windermere to Kentmere. From Windermere there is a cycle path to just before Bannerigg, you turn off there and take the left road towards The Common and you take the back roads to Staveley and then to Kentmere and back. These are nice quiet roads, but you will see many cyclists and walkers about.

The views at from St. Cuthbert Church in Kentmere are worth the ride!   

You can hire bikes in Bowness from: https://www.windermerecanoekayak.com/pages/bike-hire-in-the-lake-district

or Windermere from: https://www.countrylaneslakedistrict.co.uk/