18/12/25 - The Royal Oak, Bowness-on-Windermere

Stupid Spanish Sat Nav

We were meant to be walking from Ash Landing today. On the west side of Lake Windermere. If I had been more aware of my surroundings, I would have questioned why the SEAT was taking us up the eastern side of the water.

All is revealed as we reach Bowness-on-Windermere. Technology wants us to catch a ferry. No warning during programming, just selecting what it thinks is the best.

Having already paid for parking in the Lake District, I can only guess how much the ferry would cost.

Regardless. We can adapt on the fly. Komoot always provides routes wherever you are in the world and this is a cracker of a walk.

An up-and-over Brant Fell, with the excellent Dales Way taking us back to town. With a hardcore path, you wouldn't think that we had 24 hours of biblical rain yesterday.

The flooded Lake Windermere

Start of the Dales Way

Views from Brant Fell

Back on the Dales Way to return to town

I'd always dismissed Bowness as being a small hamlet during previous visits to Ambleside. I was wrong, if anything it's bigger. Certainly, if you use pub counts as a guide to size. 24 outlets, according to Pubsgalore. But only one is open at 11am on a Thursday. The Royal Oak wins the Mappiman dollar.

Budget Hotel, Pub

It's a simple affair, done well. A decent beer selection, with 5 hand pulls. With no other punters who are still breakfasting, I went conservative, with a perfectly conditioned Timothy Taylor Landlord to drown out the Christmas songs.

Landlord Tested. It passed.

Sorry Ambleside Best Western, with your spa facilities and comforts. I might be stopping here next time. There is plenty of pub ticking to be done.

Walk Details

Distance - 4.5 Miles

Walk Inspiration 

Geocaches - 10