Lake District Without a Car

[Forkbeard]

I/we want to visit the Lake District sometime in the Autumn (with walking in mind) and don't drive. How easy is it to get around with public transport once there, and what destination would be best to head for initially (I'm thinking easily reachable by train or coach)as a starting point?


 Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Oldtramp]

Good bus service along the main Windermere-Ambleside-Grasmere-Keswick road, also between Penrith-Keswick-Whitehaven. About 5-10 per day from Penrith to Patterdale, Windermere to Patterdale, Keswick to Borrowdale and Keswick to Buttermere,  Ambleside to Langdale and Ambleside to Coniston.   You can get round pretty well, in other words, though not to Wasdale, Mardale or Ennerdale


So, obvious places to stay are the hubs of Keswick or Ambleside.  Penrith is the rail-head for the former whilst you reach Ambleside via the mainline to Oxenholme, then local train to Windermere and, finally, bus.   A crazy way in is the train to Ravenglass, then the narrow gauge to Eskdale, which takes you up to some of the wildest country, though with no onward bus connections.

[Oldtramp]

Bus timetables are here:


https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/roads-transport/public-transport-road-safety/transport/publictransport/busserv/timetables/

[Percy]

Best to check those timetables as the Windermere to Patterdale bus, for example, stops running when the school holidays end.


But oldtramp is right, most of the Lakes is well served with buses.


If you are going for the best part of a week then I would recommend getting a stagecoach smart card and paying for a weekly ticket. The costs soon mount if you keep buying singles or returns each day.

[Islandplodder]

I spent a week in Patterdale a couple of months ago, and got there by train to Penrith then bus.  We then managed a week of walking without needing any transport, though if we had run out of places to go we could have used the bus or the Ullswater steamer.  Did a similar week in Borrowdale a couple of years ago, when we used a couple of buses to get back after linear walks, but we have made it a feature of those holidays to avoid using the car, but chose a place to stay we can walk from  easily.

[Oldtramp]

Percy --- still some service from W'mere to Patterdale over the Kirkstone Pass till end of Oct


http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Internet/544/931/6586/6592/4282981226.pdf?timestamp=429718534


Agree that it's best to buy a weekly pass/explorer ticket.

[Forkbeard]

Thanks for the replies, they're much appreciated. I think we'll go for the Penrith/Patterdale route. It looks like the easy (and relatively cheap)option from Sheffield and I can knock Helvellyn off my bucket list


Islandplodder, whereabouts did you stay? Do you have any recommendations?

[April]

The timetables change on Oct 28th to the winter service 

I hope you are visiting before then to make the best of the summer timetable, we use the buses every week to get around and are dreading the winter change.

The weekly ticket is £28 and the day Explorer is £11 - I thought it had increased to £11.70 but the timetable on the website says £11?

Edited to add - It is £11 after all! You can get a Penrith and Ullswater day ticket for £8, group £22. If you are only travelling to and from Penrith this might be a cheaper option.

[beefy]

I/we want to visit the Lake District sometime in the Autumn (with walking in mind) and don't drive. How easy is it to get around with public transport once there, and what destination would be best to head for initially (I'm thinking easily reachable by train or coach)as a starting point?


 Any help would be greatly appreciated.

as April said, we use buses every week, in fact weve become somewhat celebrities, we know a lot of the drivers, and passengers too ... 


all our trips are made using public transport,
a good place to start is keswick,
you can get a train to penrith then a bus to keswick,
or change  at oxenholm to go to windermere...
say hello if you see us out and about 

[Forkbeard]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have a better look tomorrow. Just off the top of my head though, would we/I be better in Patterdale or Keswick from Penrith? Baring in mind that my o/h won't be doing as much walking as me and certainly won't be taking on any major hikes, so other attractions could be needed . I'm guessing Keswick has more to offer the casual visitor, but what's on the doorstep walking-wise? I'm after something strenuous on at least a couple of days.

[Islandplodder]

We stayed in a cottage, think it was called called Beckside Studio, about a mile south of Patterdale.  It was warm, comfortable and well equipped and we walked from the door every day.  The bus stop was about 50 yards away.  Pubs were 2 miles South or a mile North, lots of good tea and scones and ice cream within reach.  We did a good mix of big hill days and gentle walks along Ullswater. 
A couple of years ago we had a flat in Rosthwaite and just set off in a different direction each day.  There was a bus that left from just outside Booths in Keswick which we used to get back the day we walked along the ridge to Catbells. 
If you stay in Keswick might be that there wouldn't be so many walks from the door, but those who know the area better may be able to give more info about that.

[Oldtramp]

Keswick definitely better if your o/h doesn't want to walk.


Skiddaw can be walked directly from Keswick
Otherwise, take the bus
------to Seatoller /Borrowdale for Scafell/Gable/Glaramara/Bowfell (via Langstrath)


------to Thelkeld for Blencathra


------to Buttermere for High Stile ridge/Gable or for crossings back to Borrowdale (or Braithwaite) via Grasmoor, Dale Head Hindscarth etc.  It's possible to do Pillar, but you must dip into Ennerdale


------to Thirlspot, Wythburn or Grasmere for Helvellyn (I think there's also an occasional Keswick/Patterdale bus, so you might do a crossing of the range if you time it right).


------to Braithwaite for Grisedale Pike, Grasmoor Causey Pike.


Lots to fill a week or two