Some of this http://www.windermere-way.co.uk/

Not all of it obviously.

To spend a day in Ambleside mooching around shops sounds expensive.

When’s the last time you made a major bike purchase Rob, not long ago I’d wager. Some very shiny stuff in biketreks.

An hour in the park, a walk up the waterfall, up to the caves at Rydal, down to waterside, a film at Zeferellis….

We go a couple of times a year, and never run out of things to do. Play it by ear, you can’t not enjoy any time spent up there.

http://www.walkingenglishman.com/lakes6.htm

Jacks Rake

The Royal Oak. That is all.

Park on the Glebe in Bowness and walk down to the ferry through the park, there’s a nice little ‘beach’ for a paddle and a picnic if it’s a nice day…..
Foot passenger on the ferry is only 50p each each way and there’s a really nice ice cream van on the other side!.
+1 for the Zoo in Dalton, great day out if not a little pricey.

Coniston is a great little place for a mooch…..nice little park for the little un to play in on the way down to the Bluebird cafe Mmmmmmmm.

Steam train at Haverthwaite is good, you can get the steamer from Ambleside(Waterhead) to Bowness then Lakeside and on to the train.

+1 for a visit to Ulverston (my home town)…..Thursdays market day and is usually bustling, great pubs for a meal, The Farmers, The Mill, Rose and Crown, take a look in the Laurel and Hardy museum.
Walk upto Ford Park from town(10mins) and play on the park, really good cafe there as well….nice coffee. Lots of really good Indy shops for you and your missus, DC Cycles, Gill Cycles, Working class heroes, two by two, Booths is worth a call for some good local produce if you self catering.

Take a drive all the way down the A590 till you get to Walney Island, great beach if the tides out!. Avoid Barrow town centre! Dump.

You should be able to get a bus to Keswick from Ambleside, nice scenic route…..also get the train to Kendal from Windermere via Staveley……Wilfs cafe, Wheelbase, Hawkshead brewery.

Hope you’ve got deep pockets!…..you’re going to need them!…..enjoy.

Yeh, come and see me in Ulverston. Actually, don’t bother, you’ll only feel let down.

This is real life!

Cathedral quarry. Park at Hodge Close (careful with the little one near the edge, it’s a way down). Walk to Cathedral Quarry, explore the tunnels, and walk back. Our daughter managed this walk aged 3, and rather liked the tunnels. Last year aged 5 we visited Cathedral again but made a longer walk of it.

2 people died in Jacks rake last year.

It is technically easy but there is a very exposed section near the top.

Not to be taken lightly and only with a child that you know can be trusted. Also I wouldn’t recommend taking children they young in to territory you aren’t familiar with yourself

We live in grasmere and have a 4yr old girl id love to take her up some of the peaks but theres no way she could walk up them i took her up Allcock tarn but had to carry her allot of it stick to the bottoms, langdales kentmere etc, cant belive anyone would sugest taking a 4yr old up jakes! 😕

Don’t miss Wray Castle – National Trust.
The NT have made a brave move and are giving it over to kids(big and small) to play with. Think a room with 200 foam bricks in and encouragement to build your own castle 🙂
Lots of outdoor stuff in the grounds and a stunning fell backdrop
TM

From Ambleside: A pint in the golden rule, a meal in stampers, climb wansfell, visit rydal cave, walk the Fairfield horseshoe

Further afield: try and find the ‘secret’ cave in borrodale, go to grasmere for gingerbread, go to Keswick for ‘the cars of the stars’

And mountains, lots of mountains!

another day

Loughrigg Terrace has some nice short walks but a lot of Red Socks, as is Rydal. Fairfield horseshoe is nice for a big walk.

Loughrigg Tarn is good for a swim.

Purchase the Rocky Rambler “Wild Walks” book, 10 child friendly walks starting from easy to moderate. We started with a 5 year old and ticked off the walks over a 3 year period on the numerous visit to the Lake District. It’s an interactive guide book which will keep children entertained during the walks as they map read.

I wasn’t suggesting that the 4 year old would necessarily be up for swimming out to the island in Rydal Water (unless they are one of those super-hard wetsuit kids), but they are hardly going to die by paddling and swimming off the little beaches on the lakes in summer, and while you’re there with them, an island swim is a nice thing for an adult to do. Just make sure you’ve got a towel and warm clothes for afterwards (for you and for the kids splashing at the beach).

All the memorial at Loughrigg Tarn would testify is that when taking large school groups of teenagers swimming in big lakes, a certain level of supervision is a good idea, and has nothing to do with what one does with a 4 year old really.