Your weekend in: Ambleside

Have you got your sights set on an epic backpack in the Lakes? But need a ‘Plan B’ HQ just in case? Ambleside could be the answer.

Sandwiched between high fells and the more sedately rolling hills of the South Lakes, this tiny town at the northern tip of Windermere offers the best of both worlds. Towering over the slate roofs to the north are the long, shapely ridges leading up to Fairfield (873m) and Red Screes (776m). Lower tops easily accessed from the town on foot include Loughrigg Fell (335m) and Wansfell Pike (482m). Ambleside is geared up for visitors, particularly those of the Gore-Tex-clad variety.

Main image: Looking across the rooftops of Ambleside towards the western arm of the Fairfield Horseshoe | Credit: Vivienne Crow

You won’t get snooty looks in cafés for having muddy boots or be turned away from a B&B if you’re dripping from head to toe. And, as you’d expect of any self-respecting Lake District town or village, there are lots of places to replace any outdoor equipment that’s wearing thin. Maps and walking books are available from several shops, with the staff at Fred’s Bookshop particularly knowledgeable. Once you’ve browsed the shelves, pop next door to the Rattle Gill deli to stock up on goodies for your day on the fells.

With frequent bus services, Ambleside makes a good base from which to explore the area. The 555 opens up opportunities for several linear walks, while the 516, Langdale Rambler service operates all year, putting Great Langdale and its many hiking highlights within easy reach of the town. If you’ve got time, pop into the Armitt Museum, next to the University of Cumbria campus, for the fell-running exhibition. Running int’ Fells, open until the end of 2024, looks at the history of fell-running through photographs, memorabilia and audio stories.

Your weekend in Ambleside, sorted

• Your itinerary
• More great nearby
• Accommodation
• Food and drink
• Guides and activity providers
• Guidebooks
• Getting there

Your itinerary

Saturday

Most hill-walkers have heard of the Fairfield Horseshoe, but not so many know of the extended Fairfield round. After striding out along the western arm of the traditional route, taking in Heron Pike, Great Rigg and Fairfield along the way, those going for the longer version part company with the lesser horseshoers on Dove Crag. From here, the route drops to Scandale Pass and then climbs Red Screes before descending along the Snarker Pike ridge, enjoying fabulous views out to Morecambe Bay and, if you’re really, really lucky, as far as Eryri (Snowdonia) in the hazy distance. It’s almost 20km with 1300m of ascent, and will take about eight hours.

For a shorter, lower-level walk, head up past the waterfalls of Stockghyll Force and then climb Wansfell Pike. After dropping to Troutbeck, walled tracks and woodland trails lead back to Ambleside, completing a 10-mile circuit with only 620m of ascent. In theory, the walking time is not even four hours, but I always find it takes me a lot longer because every twist and turn of the route has me reaching for my camera.

At the end of the day, Ambleside’s independent cinemas, Zeffirelli’s and Fellini’s, show a range of the latest mainstream films as well as more niche, arthouse productions. Both also have restaurants and offer meal-and-movie deals.

Sunday

Catch the 516 bus out to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and take your pick from a range of magnificent routes above Great Langdale. Tackling Pike o’ Blisco, Crinkle Crags, Bow Fell, Rossett Pike and Pike o’ Stickle in one go makes for a grand day out. A little over 17km with almost 1500m of ascent, it covers rockier terrain than in the Fairfield group and, as such, is likely to take longer than the previous day’s outing. There are short, easy bursts of scrambling too, warming up on the approach to Pike o’ Blisco and taking in the ‘bad step’ leading up to the highest of the Crinkles.

Lingmoor Fell represents a less challenging option with an often breathtaking perspective on the Langdale Pikes. Catch the 516 bus to Elterwater for a walk along its short ridge and a fun rock squeeze on Side Pike, returning along valley paths in the shadow of Langdale’s most iconic peaks. It’s 11.8km in total, with less than 600m of ascent, so it’ll take about four hours.

With the sun setting as late as 9.50pm during June, there’s time after dinner to visit the remains of Galava, the Roman fort close to Windermere’s northern shore. Open to the public at all times, the surviving stone structures include the headquarters and granaries.

OTHER WALKS NEARBY

Langdale Pikes

7.5 miles/12.1km; 790m/2570ft; 4½ hours

Have the Langdale Pikes become too much of a cliché? Should ‘serious’ fell-walkers avoid such honeypots? The answers are ‘no’ and ‘no’. As popular as they might be, they’re simply unmissable. Use the traditional, but nevertheless awesome path up Stickle Ghyll to Stickle Tarn, climb each of the summits and then return via a less frequented path over Martcrag Moor and along Mickleden.

Helm Crag, Sergeant Man and Blea Rigg

13.3 miles/21.4km; 4050ft/1235m; 7-7½ hours

For an antidote to the busy Langdales, catch the 555 bus to Grasmere and then walk back via Helm Crag, Calf Crag, Sergeant Man, Blea Rigg and Loughrigg Fell. It’s a long, roller-coaster affair, requiring good navigational skills, but the effort can be reduced by ascending via Easedale Tarn instead of the Helm Crag ridge (19km with 1080m of ascent).

AMBLESIDE ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation options in Ambleside are skewed towards mid-range hotels, B&Bs and self-catering cottages. The few budget options include the large YHA hostel at the southern edge of town on the shores of Windermere – an area known as Waterhead. This large hostel, with its own bar and restaurant, has dorms as well as private rooms. If you’re bringing a tent, you’ll need to stay outside the town, but self-contained campervans will find a place to park up overnight at Miller Field.

FOOD AND DRINK

There’s no chance of going hungry here; there are cafés and restaurants galore, including two of Cumbria’s 13 Michelin-starred restaurants, the Old Stamp House on Church Street and Lake Road Kitchen on, well, Lake Road of course. There are several pubs, bistros, a couple of Thai restaurants, takeaways and daytime cafés. One of the newest additions to the café scene is Force, a 15-minute walk from the town centre, serving good-quality brunches and lunches made from locally sourced ingredients.

AMBLESIDE GUIDES AND ACTIVITY PROVIDERS

• Ambleside Adventure – organises group events as well as privately guided hikes for walkers of all abilities (www.amblesideadventure.co.uk, 015394 33794)
• Lakeland Mountain Guides – reliable and experienced local guides who also offer navigation and winter skills courses (www.lakelandmountainguides.co.uk, 07557 022362)
• Hayley Webb – locally based guide holding summer and winter Mountain Leader qualifications (www.hayleywebbmountainadventures.com, 07909 544736)
• Lake District Adventuring – offers guides for walking, rock climbing, gill scrambling and stand-up paddleboarding as well as skills courses (www.lakedistrictadventuring.co.uk, 07502 604166)

GUIDEBOOKS

Where to start? There are probably more walking guides to the Lake District than anywhere else in the UK. Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells remain an inspiring resource, with the latest ‘walker’s editions’ updated by Clive Hutchby. The second edition of my own Cicerone guidebook, Lake District: High Level and Fell Walks, was published earlier this year. For those wanting to feel rock under their hands as well as their boots, Cicerone also publishes John Fleetwood’s Scrambles in the Lake District – South.

GETTING TO AMBLESIDE

The nearby town of Windermere is the north-western terminus of a branch railway that links up with Oxenholme on the West Coast Main Line. From Windermere, there are then up to six buses an hour to Ambleside, including the 555, 599 and 505. Or here’s an idea… Use the West Coast Main Line to Penrith, join the Roman road just outside the town and follow it along the crest of the Ullswater fells, over High Street and down into Troutbeck, ending by crossing Wansfell and dropping to Ambleside. It’s a 40km walk, but hey, it’s all about getting there!

Discover more of the UK towns and villages that make great weekend adventure bases.