7 Days in The Lakes – Our Perfect Travel Itinerary
A road trip around the STUNNING Lake District National Park, discovering some of the best campsites and most exciting accessible-to-all attractions
Want to know one of my favourite things about having a wheelchair accessible caravan?
It means we get the luxury of taking our time to really delve deep into a destination. Soak up the scenery, catch glimpses of its history, visit popular tourist spots and discover hidden gems. Truly experience a place. A campsite pitch is a fraction of the cost of a hotel room, and towing our own home-from-home behind us means we can travel freely, comfortably and spontaneously — for as long as we wish.
We did all that and more during our road trip around the Lake District National Park. Here’s a little story of how it all unfolded…
Planning your own trip to the Lake District?
We’ve put together this handy interactive map, marking out all the places we visited. Whether you are a wheelchair user or not, these are experiences that everyone can enjoy, so start creating your very own perfect travel itinerary today!
Let The Adventure Begin
Setting off in the springtime sunshine, we cruised northwards, with anticipation building between us. The Lake District is known for its dramatic, rugged landscape, which we were very excited to experience, but I’ll be honest, there was also a small part of me that wondered if that very landscape would actually be accessible to me, a wheelchair user. Only time would tell.
After a long stint on the motorway, we came off and were thrown straight into the heart of the Lakes. The roads narrowed, and became bordered by moss-covered drystone walls, which kept fields of prancing lambs safe with their mothers. Before long, we curved along the edge of Derwentwater, which glistened in the sun and welcomed us in to the first campsite of our trip…
Best Campsites in The Lake District
There are endless campsite options in the Lake District, so whether you’re after something under a canopy of trees, buried in the fells, on a lakeside, or even coastal, there will be something for you. We stayed at a number of sites throughout our trip, but our top 2 have to be Borrowdale and Coniston Park Coppice — Borrowdale for exploring the northern half of the national park, and Coniston for the south.
Borrowdale Caravan and Motorhome Club Site Review
Nestled in woodland and surrounded by towering fells, we… fell… in love with this campsite within moments of arriving. It has a real rugged and remote feel, almost like wild camping in a forest, but with the safety of being on a secure site. The approach road is… interesting… but if you take it slow it’s perfectly manageable.
While it’s only a relatively small campsite (59 pitches), with no toilet or shower facilities, that’s a big selling point for us! Sites with no facilities tend to be less busy, and we have everything we need onboard anyway.
There is a short walk down to Derwentwater directly from the site, however it didn’t look great for wheelchair users, so we didn’t attempt it.
Overall, the site had a very cosy and calming feel. On a pitch hidden amongst the trees, we loved falling asleep under a sea of stars every night and waking up to the gentle tune of birdsong every morning.
Coniston Park Coppice Caravan and Motorhome Club Site Review
While this campsite is also set amongst woodland on the edge of a lake, that’s where the similarities to Borrowdale end. Coniston Park Coppice sprawls across 63 acres, with over 200 pitches and almost every amenity you can think of. From multiple facilities blocks (including accessible wet rooms), a laundry room and a well-stocked shop, to a permanent food truck, a dog/bike wash and a drying room for outdoor gear, you will have everything you could possibly need.
You may think this would give a busy/chaotic feel to the site, but that’s far from what we experienced! With the pitches being spread throughout the trees, they still had the quiet, intimate and relaxed feel that we love, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
A personal highlight of the site for me is the walk down to Coniston Water. Although the path is a little rocky in places, it was perfectly manageable in my powerchair, and we had a wonderful time soaking up the sunshine as the water lapped up against the shore.
Exploring Keswick
Having arrived at our first campsite, Borrowdale, and taken some time to unwind and settle in to our new woodland retreat, we were feeling refreshed and eager to get exploring!
Despite the rural feel of the site, just a short drive away (or a bus or boat ride) is the bustling town of Keswick. A central hub of the northern Lakes and a popular tourist spot, it attracts visitors from all over the world, with its busiest times being during market days — Thursday and Saturday. We (unintentionally) avoided these, and found the town to have a pleasant, lively atmosphere.
A good place to start is the Keswick Museum. Although a relatively small exhibition, it’s packed with information about local history and artefacts dating back hundreds of years. The volunteers are also extremely friendly and knowledgeable, so we learnt a lot just from talking to them. Our favourite exhibit was the ancient, HUGE, interactive xylophone-like instrument made from Lake District slate.
Accessible-For-All Walks in Keswick
The Keswick to Threkeld Railway Trail
Close to the museum we discovered the start of the Keswick to Threlkeld Trail. This disused railway line has been transformed into a dreamy, smooth-as-butter cycling/walking route which links Keswick to—you guessed it—Threlkeld, along the picturesque River Greta. Starting at the old train station, the path extends 3 miles (5km) one way and 3 miles back, so unfortunately we didn’t have time to do the whole length. However, the little bit we explored, we loved! And it’ll certainly be on our list for the future.
Friars Crag
Another must-do walk in Keswick, and a highlight of our entire trip, was Friars Crag. Parking in the Lakeside Car Park, we strolled along the edge of Derwentwater, cradled by the mountainous landscape. Geese paddled alongside us as the March sunshine thawed our winter-cooled skin, and we were reminded, once again, how travelling feeds the soul. Any fears I had about the accessibility of the Lake District were quickly washed away, as we made our way along the smooth and relatively-flat path (roughly 0.5 miles), to the STUNNING viewpoint at the end. Sitting at the tip of the Friars Crag peninsula, we took in the vast scenery, inhaled the fresh air and realised that the Lake District is even more beautiful than we hoped it would be.
Top tip: Friars Crag is (understandably) a popular spot, so try to avoid peak times for the best experience.
A “Surprise View”
After a wonderful time exploring Keswick, we were on route to our next destination when we saw signs for “Surprise View”. I’m not usually a fan of surprises, but we threw caution to the wind and took a small detour. As soon as we turned off, the road became steep and narrowed to a single track, with dense greenery on either side of us — a carpet of fern beneath towering trees. After about a mile (and a few blind corners!), we reached a small National Trust car park, which sits adjacent to the view in question… and THIS is a surprise I can get behind!
Oak trees parted and created a clearing on the cliff edge, which showed us just how high we’d climbed. The vastness of Derwentwater looked like an ocean as it stretched out below, cradled in a basin of mountains which glowed in the warm, golden-hour light. I know it sounds dramatic, but for a moment it truly felt like time stood still. Despite the elevation, there was barely even a whisper of a breeze, and I could have happily stayed there a lot longer if we weren’t running out of daylight. It’s the kind of view you could never get bored of!
Not Every Idea is a Good Idea
Getting back on track, we continued to where we were supposed to be going — National Trust Bowder Stone. This impressive, 2000-tonne rock is thought to have travelled down from Scotland on the back of an Ice Age glacier. It measures 90ft in circumference and appears to balance precariously on the ground, making it one of the most famous rocks in the Lake District.
Despite the sun sinking towards the horizon, temperatures dropping, energy-levels depleting, my wheelchair battery running low (we forgot to charge it — oops), and finding minimal access information online we, again, threw caution to the wind and decided to give it a go… That method had served us well so far…
Setting off, we quickly questioned whether this was something we should be doing. The path was incredibly steep (I needed a push to get up and had to reverse down it on our return journey), with sharp rocks jutting out in every direction. Although the gradient levelled out a bit, it was a very—and I can’t emphasise this enough— very bumpy ride, which my noodle-neck wasn’t too happy about, and it made 500 metres feel like 5 miles.
Travelling at a snails pace, by the time we made it back to the car it was dark — but I’m just thankful we made it back in one piece. While the rock itself was impressive, it was just that—a big rock—and probably wasn’t worth the effort it took to get there. Therefore, I can’t, in good faith, recommend it as “wheelchair accessible”… unless you have a beast of an off-road wheelchair, neck muscles that actually work, and a particular fascination with big rocks!
Scenic Drives in The Lake District
Something that most definitely is accessible to all, is a scenic drive. Not only is it a fantastic way to soak in the sights and discover new places, but it’s also a low-effort activity that you can enjoy even on those low-energy (or wet-weather) days.
The Lake District is a hotspot for these—even driving to the supermarket and back will give you a feast for the eyes—but there are a number of particular roads that will make your heart flutter and your jaw drop. A favourite of ours was Honister Pass, from Seatoller to Buttermere.
Rising to 1,167 feet before dipping deep into the valley, the road twists and turns, unfolding a new vista after every bend. We took the drive at the end of a beautifully clear day, as the sky glowed orange and the peaks cast long, drawn-out shadows across the landscape. Trailing alongside a rocky river, we couldn’t help but stop to take in the surroundings. There wasn’t a single soul around! The gentle flow of water provided the only soundtrack as the sun disappeared behind the fells, and again, we felt thankful to be sharing such an experience.
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The Search for an Accessible Waterfall
Throughout our time in the Lakes so far, we’d been keeping our eyes peeled for waterfall that I could see from my wheelchair. Despite there being an abundance of them around, every single one seemed to be in a hard-to-reach spot, only accessible on two legs. By the time we’d made it to the Coniston Park Coppice campsite, we’d done exhaustive online research, spoken to locals and other tourists and even contacted the Cumbria tourist board — the general consensus was that if there was going to be a wheelchair accessible waterfall, Skelwith Force seemed to be the best bet.
Luckily it was only 7 miles away, so we hopped in the car and went in search. We found a small car park downstream, and set off along the gentle, pressed-gravel track which runs alongside the rushing River Brathay, taking in the earthy scent of wetlands on a sunny spring day and enjoying the glimpses of wildlife. Soon, the rushing turned into a thundering sound, as the waterfall came into view! It wasn’t the biggest we’d ever seen, but it was mighty, and roared over the rocks ferociously, leaving white swirls in its wake — And it felt like quite an achievement to have found the Lake District’s elusive wheelchair accessible waterfall.
About 50 metres beyond this, we discovered the Trevor Woodburn Bridge, which gave us great views of the river snaking its way down through the valley, before heading back to the caravan for some authentic Cumberland sausages, which we’d bought from the campsite shop. The perfect end to another exciting day.
The Ultimate Lake District Experience
All too soon, our final day was upon us — but there was still one last adventure to be had. And in my opinion, we’d saved the best until last…
We had tickets for a boat trip on Lake Windermere!
Waking up that morning, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect for a day on the water, and we eagerly made our way to the dock at Ambleside under immaculately-clear blue skies. Being England’s largest lake, there are many routes you can take, but we were buzzing with excitement to catch the MV Swift, which is the most wheelchair-friendly of all Windermere Lake Cruises’ vessels. Right on cue it rolled in alongside us, and we boarded easily via the ramp before finding seats by one of the humongous windows, to enjoy the views passing us by.
It’s always a gamble when it comes to accessibility aboard boats, but I was super impressed with this one! Not only could I board easily in my powerchair, but there was level access to the bar, a discrete platform lift to the outer deck and a good-sized accessible toilet. All I had to do was sit back and relax — which was incredibly easy, given the gentle movement and quiet hum of the boat.
Exploring Bowness
While you can do the journey in reverse (Bowness to Ambleside) we’re so pleased we did it the way we did. Ambleside is a pretty little village, but Bowness felt more like a destination to aim for, with much more to see and do.
We’d only travelled for about half an hour, but as we disembarked in Bowness it felt like we’d stepped into a resort. I’m not sure if it was the sunny skies, wide promenade, assortment of souvenir shops, array of ice cream kiosks, stunning views across the water, the mere fact that we’d caught a boat to get there—or a combination of all the above—but it felt, to me, like a real “holiday” destination.
Wandering around, soaking up the sights and eating ice cream on the rippling shoreline… I can’t think of a better way to end what had shaped up to be a highly-memorable 7-day road trip around the Lakes!
The Lake District — A Destination for Everyone
Whether you’re a super-fit adrenaline junkie, a wheelchair user with high access needs, or somewhere in-between, the Lake District is a stunning national park full of exciting things to see and do. We can’t recommend it enough!
