Suggestions welcome for a base for about 8 people in the Lakes for 3 days.
Mixed ability and fitness but looking for some technical challenges.
Thanks
Ambleside or Keswick? Where on the scale from tent/camping barn to 5* luxury are you?
We stayed in Hawkshead, convenient for Grizedale area riding, over to Conisten etc. Smallish town with a few pubs. We stayed in the Queens Head pub/ hotel. Not sure if there is bike storage, large town car park is nearby but possibly not that secure. We where hiking.
Looking for self-catering probably. More interested in 3 interesting rides from the door. Not too bothered about anything else. Although a decent pub would be good.
Stayed in Patterdale, lovely area. High Beckside was the cottage, I think. It is on Cumbrian Cottages anyway.
Keswick everytime, simply because you've got a great variety of trails from the door & whinlatter, lots of pubs & lots of places to eat.
Hartsop....that was the place!! Great riding from out the door too...up on to the old roman Road (High Street) Brilliant.
Just came back from a week in ambelside. Andy from bike treks was good enough to show us loads of routes on a OS map, right from our door in the town center.
didnt touch a trail center.
Ambleside would do 3 rides from the door. I'm less good on Keswick but I can think of at least 2 so there are probably loads
You main challenge is to find self catering for 3 nights
Newfield Inn in Seathwaite has a couple of self-catering flats. A bit different from the usual Lake District honeypots
You could try Broughton in Furness in South Lakes. The natural riding around Duddon and Broughton Mills is good, (don't bother with Walna Scar), there's access to Grizedale if needed, and the village is well endowed with pubs, cafe's, butcher, bakers and a micro brewery.....
I went to Keswick for 1 day and did the Borrowdale Bash (19 miles) then after a break in Keswick town centre I did Lonscale (11 miles) so that's two rides straight away from the doorstep. I was in a group ride and do not know the routes. There are probably more than that, and almost certainly possible to extend these two rides.
Borrowdale YH. 2 Great pubs nearby, loads of riding from doorstep.