Any recommendations for places to stay for a family holiday with some doorstep biking? Some trails where I could get out for a scoot in the morning or evening would be ideal but would be based near enough a town for family stuff.

Well I think most places fit

However I would sugest

Elterwater for a fab village in the middle of trail network. On Saturday we have our 17 th holiday there with kids. Some cottages include passes for the Langdale time share which is a short walk away

Keswick and Ambleside both fit the bill as well if you want a town

Ambleside would be good. Biketreks do rides from the shop on Tues and Thurs eves. Had a great time with them a few weeks ago.

Keswick Keswick Keswick, 3 mountains, a lake, a trail park on your doorstep. Also has a cinema & shit loads of pubs and restaurants. Also too far north to get all the grannies doing day trips on coachs from the south.
What kind of accommodation were you looking for Op?

What kind of accommodation were you looking for Op?

We were looking for something largish, sleeping for 2 kids 2 babies and 4 adults. The wife has found something but I’m not sure how far away from any good biking it is, its near a place called Backbarrow which is at the southern end of Windermere rather than the north where most of the recommendations are coming from.

Lakeland Peddler in Keswick Tuesday night 6:30pm fun ad games 🙂

http://www.lakelovers.co.uk/cottage-details/462

Its a great cottage

backbarrow is a nice little development but it is a bit far away from all the main action. It’s pretty near grizedale forest though and easy enough to get to coniston too or hawkeshead, plenty of cycling there, prob within 30 mins driving. Depends on the price it’s up for but if you wannna go up to keswick you’re looking at over 45 mins driving. I’d look for north lakes if it were me. Bowness and windermere are all a bit blehhh and I never go near them anymore. Other attractions at that end are the aquarium of the lakes and fellfoot park, the windermere steamer as well as ravenglass and eskdale steam railway, as well as walking in grizedale forest, there’s a sculpture trail and a big rope playground place for the older kids. Ahhh grizedale, i have so many childhood memories trudging round there in the rain.

We stayed at a cottage in Thwaite Head a few years back. Brilliant and I think it’d fit you all. Big gardens etc too. Comfortably rideable is Grizedale (over a hill into Satterthwaite which had some great trails on it!) and Claife Heights.

Would recommend getting a bit nearer the big hills but there is plenty of riding round backbarrow – not the big mountain stuff though, fairly low key but that might suit a quick spin out a bit more.

On the doorstep:
Simpson Ground – (woods above fell foot and south of Gummers How)(climb up the fireroad from chapel house plantation and have a half hour seeking out the BW and bits of cheeky then either descend down the front BW or for aq longer ride head out NE to Sow How. Pop in the Masons for a pint – continue

Bishops allotment – Bridleway above back barrow – useful as a way of getting from back barrow to the above, avoiding the main road
Gentler riding around Cartmel – kind of stuff you can take a child seat on if that’s useful to you

Within 1/2 hour pedalling on the lanes:

Grizedale 1/2 hour on the bike – Pint in the Eagle – continue

Oxen fell – look for Oxen Park/High Ickenthwaite you’ll find a road called bletherbarrow lane that’s quite good fun ridden from West to East and Bessy bank/Park Wood on the map there’s a few bits in there. Don’t head from bessy bank toward spark bridge on the BW’s cos they’re cross field bore fests. At ickenthwaite end turn immediate left through another gate follow that until you meet a stream, turn left down there – Pint in the Manor at Oxen Park – continue

Look for blawith/water yeat on the o/s map and West of there there’s plenty of BW’s on Blawith Common with some good descents Particulalry going from E-W over woodland fell, climb back up the road to the south of blawith knot, just before the top turn R on to BW at the bottom of that turn left up a short steep climb head to Birck Bank and Tottlebank. Where the track turns to tarmac there’s a footpath back over to woodland fell that some have said might be quite good for mountain biking – if it was a BW – but it isnt. ahem. Pint in the Red Lion, Lowick – continue