Morning dear STW,
I’ve got a couple of days around Cartmel next weekend. Just wondered if anyone had any ideas of good things to do in that area? Interesting walks (up to maybe 10 miles ish), places to visit and see, that kind of thing. No bikes sadly, walking boots will be packed.
Thanks all.

Money well spent.

Pudding. Just eat a metric ****load of delicious pudding.

What to do in Cartmel?

Eat! You’ve got some top notch eateries available!

We usually stay at the Cavendish arms. Its the perfect pub to arrive at after a walk at this time of year. Big roaring open fires, and bloody lovely food! Globalti has it. Just buy an OS and head out. You can’t go wrong

Have a lovely weekend! I love Cartmel! 🙂

I grew up in the Cartmel valley (haven’t lived there for a long while though).

Depends on what you are interested in I suppose. There’s the motor museum at Holker Hall, the Bobbin mill at Finsthwaite and the Aquatic Centre at Lakeside for “attractions”.

Walks: all fairly easy/tame compared to what’s a little to the north but Humphrey Head is pleasant enough. Hampsfell between Cartmel and Grange over Sands would be the nicest summit to go for, you can make a loop of it.

Eating is the main reason I’m there, a trip to L’Enclume is the plan. Just need to do something in the days to make up for the food and booze intake.

the Bobbin mill at Finsthwaite

I’ve driven past that so often, is it actually worth visiting? Or is it just a desperate fourth rainy day in a row activity.

Hi,
It is loaded with footpaths and bridleways around there, I would head across the racecourse and pick up the paths to Lakeside going over Great Allotment, Bigland Heights to Low Gate ,I would head down Brow Edge Road looking for a small path on the left towards the bottom that will get you under the main A590 , I would then go to the Motor Museum for a cake , coffee or lunch, if I fancied a pub I would cross the River on a foot bridge then head right to the Swan at Newby Bridge for a couple of pints and a meal. I would cross the bridge and main road then head up over Canny Hill either picking up new paths working your way back or re join Brow Edge Road and retrace your steps.
Got to be up around the 10 mile mark I am guessing. Enjoy your few days away.

L’Enclume! Everything will be a let down after that.

@martinhutch – the bobbin mill is probably an hour at most. There’s only so much you can say about taking a stick and putting it on a lathe to make a bobbin! I remember it as a working mill back in the 1960s.

I also remember Backbarrow Ironworks in use, a bit derelict these days and you’d have to be an industrial heritage geek to appreciate it. There used to be a gunpowder works further downstream but there’s sod all of that left (no joke intended!), my gran remembered it working in the early 1900s.

Another vote for walking on Hampsfell.

The Hospice is fascinating – and I’m always amused by the phrase “feeble old and timid fair” in the poem!

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

The cakes at the hazelmere cafe at the entrance to grange are amazing, crecy pie, yorkshire curd cake, eccles cakes…get them to takeaway and walk up to the hospice.

Hes finished for the year now but cedrics guided walks across the bay are well worth it, arnside to kents bank. He ll start again in may 18.

The pie shop in grange, higginsons butchers, sort of at the back of grange, is fab too.

We usually stay at the Cavendish arms. Its the perfect pub to arrive at after a walk at this time of year.

Good to know. Spending 2 nights there with the Mrs in a couple of weeks.

Any suggestions as to good, local ish walks? Old Man of Coniston is one option but does involve a 20 mile drive. This is closer and looks interesting but other ideas would be gratefully received.
If it helps, we’re staying just north of Cartmel near Ayside.

Whitbarrow Scar is a pleasant walk. Might be a bit boggy walking along the foot of the scar at the moment. Claife Heights is pleasant enough, about ten miles to Sawrey.

If there’s something online regarding Wainwright’s Outlying Fells then there’s a few in the immediate area. Off the top of my head in a rough approximation of closeness to Cartmel:

Hampsfell
Newton Fell
Gummer’s Howe
Whitbarrow Scar
Claife Heights

I’ve got a load of rubble that needs to go in a skip and a wall to build if you want to drop past.

There will probably be a band in the kings on Friday about 9ish, and possibly saturday night.

If it’s the weekend of the 4\5th then I think there is a winter treats festival on at Holker hall.

Also grew up in Cartmel *waves at Whitestone*.

Lots of good but easy walking on the nearby fells, but if it’s raining (likely) then head to the Cavendish arms and drink Fell beer.

Then go round to Unsworth Yard and pick some up to go home with.

Welcome to Unsworth’s Yard Brewery

Err, update, can I ask for suggestions for what to do in the area when the weather is somewhat inclement? Like, heavy wind and rain kind of inclement.
Thanks all.

Drive to Barrow in Furness?

It’s lovely at the moment.

Err, update, can I ask for suggestions for what to do in the area when the weather is somewhat inclement? Like, heavy wind and rain kind of inclement.

Surrender to the STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING.

Try and make it across Morecambe Bay without wandering into quicksand and dying?*

*This is not a good idea.

Err, update, can I ask for suggestions for what to do in the area when the weather is somewhat inclement? Like, heavy wind and rain kind of inclement.

What’s wrong with Cumbrian sunshine? 😉

Apart from the motor museum (plus whatever bits of Holker Hall you can wander round) and the Aquatic centre there really isn’t much indoor stuff in the area. There may be an exhibition on at either The Brewery Arts Centre or Abbott Hall in Kendal.

Motor museum now at Backbarrow (and has been for a while)
I’d also recommend the Pig and Whistle to eat at. Very good food, very good value – family owned and run, and Tim the chef/owner rides MTB when he can find time.
Bit further out windermere cruise and Haverthwaite steam railway to join it up.
Holker Hall, is an easy walk from Cartmel and there lots to see and do and a good cafe there (not eaten there myself though)
Based on having kids, but some good ideas here?
Enjoy, shame you’ve no bike with you………….

Update, the weather held, had a lovely stroll around the Coniston area and the area behind out B&B. Ate at a The Black Bull in Coniston which was your stereotypical Lake District pub, open fire, lots of OS maps out on tables, good beer and hearty food. The Crown at High Newton is also very pleasant. Had a beer at The Cavendish Arms and, good though it was, it wasn’t really my kind of pub, a little to polished for my personal tastes.

I can also confirm that L’Enclume is AMAZING. I’ve eaten at some serious eateries over the years and that place blew everything else out of the water. If you can get a table (and lets be honest, if you want to spend that kind of cash on a meal), I would highly recommend it.

I want to see the photo taken a fraction of a second after that one on the map cover. I reckon he missed.

Nice to hear about L’Enclume, it’s the kind of hedonism I’ve been considering.