How many tourists...?
It’s been a long time since I was last in Windermere - probably about twenty years - and I hadn’t realised how busy the place is. It’s absolutely heaving with tourists and the town seems constantly full of cars, nose to tail, edging their way through the narrow streets carrying their occupants who knows where.
It’s a nice enough picturesque town with it’s stone built houses but it’s ultra touristy in a pensioner type way and none the better for it.
Places we went in Windermere:
The Queen pub: obviously a pub for locals - they had stopped serving food so we didn’t stop. Everyone else said it smelled of toilets but I can’t say I noticed.
The Lighthouse Bar: a nice enough bar / restaurant opposite the aforementioned Queens pub. The floor to ceiling windows on the second floor means it was ideal for people watching and we could survey all the pensioners trying to squeeze their cars in and out of minute parking spaces whilst we ate.
Orrest Head: an outcrop on top of the hill that overlooks the town. After a brisk walk through the woods and out on to the top we were presented with an excellent view of the entirety of Lake Windemere and the town below. It was somewhat bracing once we got there - for that read blowing a gale! There was also some sort of iron welding forge about half way up with the wares on display yet no one to be seen. We debated whether we could simply pick up the table and chairs and walk off with it and no one would notice.
Lakeland Limited: Stef described it as like a 3-D Sunday supplement. It’s basically a glorified kitchenware shop stuffed with lots of cheap looking crap but it’s a marvel of branding as people flock from miles around to go there. Why? We were actually seeking a temperature controlled butter dish which apparently they sell. Even more bizarre I gather you can get a butter dish that you actually plug into the mains - how ridiculous is that?
Booths: some sort of supermarket at the station - full of people in barbour jackets getting their weekend shopping.
The Co-Op: small and as tacky as any other Co-Op (and not cheap either.) There was a bit of excitement as someone was arguing about being short changed.
The lakeside: after driving down to the front we decided it was far too busy and there were too many tourists there. Not to mention the fact that there was nowhere to park without paying an arm and a leg so we just drove down the front and away again to the delightful sounds of ‘Bay Radio’.
It's built in the middle of a fork in the road so the unending stream of traffic flows round both sides of you as you eat. This is accentuated by the floor to ceiling windows on the second floor which means you have a panoramic view of the hustle and bustle going on around you.
Inside it's furnished in a modern style and is spread over three floors ranging from a café feel on the ground floor to a comfy fine dining area on the top floor.
It was pretty quiet when we were there (it was around three thirty in the afternoon) but as the afternoon wore on the outdoor seating area in the front began to fill up quite rapidly.
The food was averagely priced but seemed pretty plentiful portion wise with the menu comprising of a decent selection of restaurant staples. There was also a good drinks menu with even the promise of cocktails although due to the time of day we decided not to indulge.
Â
And we couldn't work out what lighthouses had to do with Windermere...
To reach it takes a walk of about a mile or so on a steep path that zig-zags up the side of the hill. Initially starting out in the woods the path eventually opens out into the hill banks before reaching the summit.
Although steep in places the walk isn't too taxing and shouldn't pose too much of a problem for even the most reticent rambler.
The view from the top is described (at the bottom) as unparalleled. I'm not sure there aren't one or two views in the world that aren't a tad more stunning but none the less it's probably the best view of the lake around those parts.
There are a couple of seats and a viewing post which highlights the local features so you can catch your breath before returning back the way you came.
It is a bit exposed so expect wind and generally inclement weather if the day is anything other than bright but that aside it does get you out in the fresh air and gets your lungs working.
