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Author Topic: English Lake District  (Read 1984 times)

vjbelle

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English Lake District
« on: November 15, 2014, 08:32:17 am »

My wife and I are contemplating a photographic vacation in the English Lake District.  I had thought staying in one location for the duration (as long as 10 day) and venture out from there.  The numerous villages and town are as photographically important to me as the many landscape opportunities.  Is one central location doable or should I try to locate in other locations?

Thanks in advance....

Victor
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john beardsworth

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Re: English Lake District
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2014, 09:45:02 am »

Victor

I'd advise against a single location. Even if you stayed somewhere quite central, such as Grasmere or Ambleside, it could be an hour's drive to where you might want to photograph. And that hour will extend if you want to stop when you see something interesting. So I would choose 2 or maybe 3 locations. For the north, which would cover Derwentwater and Buttermere, Ullswater too, consider the town of Keswick or somewhere in the Borrowdale valley. For the centre, which would include the Langdales and Blea Tarn, I'd recommend Grasmere or Ambleside.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I spend a lot of time in the area and can recommend specific places if I have a good idea of your budget and mobility issues (ie do you want to hike or must photo locations be near the road?).

One tip is to look into our National Trust as it usually has the only parking in the top locations. Maybe you are a member of an affiliate in your country or can get a temporary pass? I'm pretty certain you'd be able to use the car parks (though confirm directly with the NT).

John
« Last Edit: November 15, 2014, 09:47:54 am by john beardsworth »
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PhotoEcosse

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Re: English Lake District
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2014, 10:41:15 am »

I can't do better than agree with John's recommendation.

The only other thing I would add is to pack a good pair of walking boots - many of the best photographs will be obtained from locations (sometimes just a few hundred yards) off the beaten track.
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vjbelle

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Re: English Lake District
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2014, 03:33:00 pm »

John,

Thanks so much for your reply.....  I have a rather extensive budget for these trips so I usually try to pick out the best hotels (not necessarily the most expensive) that I can find for my destinations.  Some hiking is very doable...  I walk 2 to 3 miles every morning so I'm in pretty good shape for my age.  Your suggestions make a lot of sense and I'll certainly act on them.  As I mentioned in my OP the village/city scapes would be as important to me as the many vistas.  I'll be traveling with my Alpa so all images will be from a tripod which is usual. 

Thanks again.....

Victor
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john beardsworth

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Re: English Lake District
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2014, 04:50:21 pm »

I've not stayed at hotels in the area, Victor, so I can only judge places by the dining experience. But if they get food right, the rest often follows.

While it's not in a village, the Drunken Duck is good for the south/central areas - it's close to the Langdales, Blea Tarn, Tarn Hows, Hodge Close, Cathedral Quarry (a few to Google!). Its food is superb, they brew their own excellent beers, and it's my favourite place in the whole area.

There's a lot of choice around Grasmere, but I've heard very good things about the Oak Bank Hotel - a review here. Grasmere's nice, not as busy as Ambleside. I'll add that I tend to avoid Windermere as it's too busy for me. 

Near Keswick, the Lodore Hotel looks good. It's close to Derwentwater and Borrowdale, where there are some nice villages (I'm writing from one of them). I like the Langstrath, a B&B / pub with good food in a small village.

There are plenty of other places I could mention, often small and in small villages or by themselves, but those are ones to consider.

John 
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vjbelle

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Re: English Lake District
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2014, 04:26:28 pm »

Again.... thanks to everyone for replies.  All have been very helpful.

Victor
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