When exploring Cumbria in the Winter period, whether or not you can find a winter warmer to keep you going may decide whether you have the energy to keep exploring - or whether you will head back to one of our stunning self catering holiday cottages or luxury holiday cottage in the Lake District for some TLC. We’ve made a note of all the best places to take a breather during an excursion to Cumbria’s most scenic places. We hope you get to try some of these fantastic winter warmers soon!
A Hot Chocolate is the cure to a pair of frozen hands and wobbly legs, especially after a day’s ascension up towards the Stickle Tarn!
The Stickle Ghyll Barn is a small pub turned restaurant turned hotel, hidden away in the depths of the mighty Langdale Peaks. Whether your intention is to scale the sides of these impressive peaks or walk amongst them down the humble road that gently meanders between them, we’re convinced that the best way to end your adventure is at a table in the Stickle Ghyll Barn with your hands wrapped around a hot drink.
After such exertion, it can be good to restore some of the blood sugar that you have lost, and we reckon that the most enjoyable way to do this is through a hot chocolate.
If you’ve ventured for a cold day out shopping in Keswick, then you’ll need to keep your energy up to get the job finished. For this, we recommend that you swing by the Java café for a sumptuous chocolate skewer.
The Java Coffee Shop is a quaint café with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free friendly options. If you’re looking for a place to go walking, Keswick also has various walks in its vicinity, including Catbells. Java is also very dog-friendly so if you are staying in our dog friendly cottages in the Lake District with your pet, you’ll be sure to have a great time together.
Windermere is a must-see for anyone visiting the Lake District, whether you’re going for a visit or just passing through. On a cold wintry day, however, the concept of walking along the lake shore might not seem like such a romantic concept as it might during the summer months – unless you’re equipped with a cone of chips, that is.
You can’t pass up a hot cone of chips to keep you warm on or around Lake Windermere. By virtue of being outside, this is another dog-friendly winter warmer to keep you going.
You might be journeying to Red Screes for an energetic walk or just for a view of Lake Windermere that you can’t get anywhere else. Red Screes is situated up in the mountains looking out over Windermere and is a secluded place that’s perfect for taking a few photographs and enjoying a quiet rest – but in winter it gets pretty cold up there. Luckily, Red Screes is also home to the Kirkstone Pass Inn where you can dive in for a bit of shelter and hot soup. This is the highest pub in England and frequently experiences high numbers of people hoping to get a meal here, so visiting during the winter should promise a quieter environment for you.
Grasmere is a hotspot for tourists visiting the Lake District, but it is fairly quiet during the winter. This is good news for you because it means that you’ll be able to enjoy Grasmere’s best views uninterrupted by the usual throngs of tourists, and we’ve got the perfect thing to help you withstand the cold air.
In Grasmere, you can visit Wordsworth’s cottage and grave, partake in some light shopping and try out the famous gingerbread sold here, but you would be missing a trick if you didn’t stop by Faery Land before retiring back to your holiday cottage for two in the Lake District.
At Faery Land, you can enjoy a beautiful hot mulled apple juice to warm your bones for the trip home. Finding Faery Land can be a little difficult if you’ve never visited before, so we suggest using Google Maps to help you to find your way. Luckily, the hot pink apple juice you’ll get to try at the end will be well worth finding this hidden gem.
Be aware that Faery Land is prone to closing a little earlier during wet weather and off-season and will sometimes stop serving an hour before closing time. This is done so that the staff can retrieve the boats which you can hire to journey out onto Lake Grasmere. Make sure you get there early if this is on your list of places to visit.
Aside from all the winter warmers that you can enjoy during your adventures in the Lake District, our self-catering holiday cottages also offer you the opportunity to make your own winter warmers. Our kitchens are beautifully clean and modern, enabling you to try out various culinary fancies during your holiday. We hope to see you soon.
