Harley Young takes a trip (even further) up North to the Lakes for an autumnal weekend break
Sometimes it’s easy to feel disconnected from nature living in the thick of a big city like Manchester. Sure, there’s nearby parks and fields, country walks in Cheshire, but if you want to be really ‘off grid’ (I’m talking no signal, muddy wellies, big winter coat ‘off grid’) and embrace the changing of the seasons, an autumnal weekend in the Lakes is sure to do the trick.
My partner Dave and I wanted to get one last weekend break from the hustle and bustle before the busy festive season arrives. You know the type; when all that work, socialising and mind-numbing Christmas songs melt your brain into mush.
To get us there comfortably, we teamed up with Lexus who kindly offered up their all-new compact crossover for the weekend.
The LBX is the smallest Lexus yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s not mighty. This self-charging hybrid comes with all the modcons you’d expect from a leading vehicle brand in 2024, including brake assist, digital touch screen console and an Advanced Park system which uses four cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors to gain all-round, real-time coverage of the car’s immediate surroundings.
It’s comfortable, stylish and dynamic, yet robust enough to tackle both urban driving and more rugged countryside terrain. We loaded up the boot with our supplies for the weekend - winter coats, sleeping bag, pillows, rucksacks, walking shoes and snacks - and still had room to spare.
The almost two-hour drive up to our first stop, Pooley Bridge, was seamless. The GPS system was easy to use and follow and the high-quality speakers played back our music at a comfortable frequency which kept us company throughout the journey, plus, thanks to the vehicle’s eco-friendly fuel consumption mode, we’d barely tipped the fuel gauge below full.
The closest village to Ullswater, just an eight-minute drive away, Pooley Bridge takes its name from a bridge over the River Eamont at the northern end of Ullswater.
According to VisitLakedistrict.com, a popular way to explore the area is to ‘take a boat from Pooley Bridge, leave the boat at Howtown, and then walk to Glenridding and catch the boat back to Pooley Bridge.’
As we were just waiting to check-in down the road, we opted to explore the village on foot and weaved our way in and out of bookshops, gift shops and country pubs, stopping off at the cosy and characterful Pooley Bridge Inn for a bite to eat and drink.
Described as ‘a spacious, traditional bar’ featuring ‘open fires, free wifi and a relaxing ambiance’, Pooley Bridge Inn is just what you’d expect from a cosy countryside stop-off. It also houses 12 en-suite bedrooms, some with their own balcony to relax on.
But we were here to embrace the outdoors, stripping back all (or most) of those typical home comforts and taking in the Lakes for what it really is - a stunning natural space that looks even more unbelievable around this time of year.
With our pod almost ready, there was just enough time to drive 15 minutes over to Penrith and check out some antiques at The Brunswick Yard before hopping back in the LBX and making our way over to The Quiet Site.
We were met with a warm welcome from the onsite team, who checked us in and explained a few site features and ground rules before handing over the keys and letting us explore at our leisure. We’d be spending a night in one of the site’s adorably named Gingerbread Houses.
In line with The Quiet Site’s sustainable ethos, the Gingerbread Houses are carbon positive with a PV panelled roof, triple insulation and ground source heating, and are ‘wrapped’ in a ginger beech hedge.
Inside the pod was clean, housing simple yet functional furnishings like a small kitchenette and padded foam sleep ledge with a wraparound seating area and table. It also featured an en-suite toilet and shower so you don’t have to mooch your way across the site in the middle of the night for a wee - ideal for those who want to experience the great outdoors but without compromising on their nighttime routine too much.
Outside each Gingerbread House sits a covered patio with a flat area for portable BBQs and a picnic table overlooking the surrounding rolling hills. Neighbouring Gingerbread Houses are nearby but not on top of each other, there’s plenty of space for keeping to yourselves if you so wish.
Comfortably set up in our pod, we took a walk around the park to familiarise ourselves with the amenities before popping into The Quiet Bar for a few drinks by the fire.
The original building, which was erected in the 16th century, is attached to the farmhouse in traditional Cumbrian Long barn style and boasts a cosy, traditional feel. Seats and tables are mismatched, some are made from barrels, and there’s lots of taxidermy and pelts dotted around further adding to that typical countryside haunt vibe. Open from 4-10pm every day of the year, there’s often live music performed weekly to accompany your evening.
On our way back to our Gingerbread House, we picked up a margarita pizza from The Quite Bite, the site’s food shack that serves hot butties during breakfast hours and stonebaked pizzas for supper, and retired to our cosy confines for the evening.
After a sound night’s sleep in our sleeping bag, with the padded foam shelves providing just enough cushioning to prevent us from getting a bad back, we awoke early to pack up our glamping gear. Only the sound of birdsong and early-morning dog walkers' footsteps hitting gravel could be heard. The mist danced around the hilltops in the distance. We had just enough time to stand in awe with a hot flask of coffee before hitting the road for our next destination.
A swift check-out later and we were on our way, taking the breathtaking hour-and-forty-minute drive over to Birker Fell, a mountainous rugged landscape located 950 ft above sea level, for a morning we wouldn’t forget in a hurry.
Having spotted Woody’s Woolies on TikTok a few months prior and fallen in love with the concept, I knew I’d have to make a pitstop the next time I was in the Lakes.
A passion project operated by a family-run farm in Ulpha, Woody’s Woolies is a concept born from the family’s friendly Swiss Valais Black Nose sheep, ‘Woody’, who led the flock and gave the farm the idea of sheep and goat-walking sessions for the public to come and enjoy.
These unique experiences are hosted privately, meaning you can get the most out of your two-hour session, getting to know the herd and their owners, Denise and Meghann, and get up close and personal with these lovely, characterful creatures.
Sadly, Woody passed away earlier this year, but the rest of the woolly gang have continued his legacy providing plenty of cuddles and barrels of laughs.
Denise and Meghann told us that the sheep and goat-walking experiences have had a great reception so far, with them providing much-needed smiles and distractions from everyday life, even helping adults and children with mental and physical disabilities to open up and communicate through the animals.
“[The animals] are so gentle with the people who need it most. They’ll come sit down and have a cuddle - it’s almost like they know,” explained Meghann.
After being introduced to the herd and giving them some treats and cuddles, Denise and Meghann picked out three of the goats to accompany us on our walk; Dinky - an adorable pygmy who was on his very best behaviour all morning, and Tigger and Yoda - British Alpine cross siblings (who weren’t as well-behaved, but that’s all part of the fun when it comes to walking goats).
We took a scenic walk along the lane down to another paddock where we let the goats off their leads for a play on the rocks. Dinky, who by now had become a very good little friend of mine, came and sat with me for a few head scratches while Tigger and Yoda concocting a plan to get the last few treats out of Denise’s pockets.
After two hours of goat shenanigans, it was time to say goodbye to Denise, Meghann and our four-legged pals, despite the fact I would have loved to take Dinky home in the LBX (although I don’t think Lexus would’ve been too impressed). Thankfully, Denise sent us on our way with plenty of candid pictures she’d taken during the walk, so I didn’t have to go without seeing Dinky’s sweet little face for too long.
We drove the smooth two hours back to Manchester and arrived back at our local petrol station thoroughly impressed with 60 miles still left in the tank - even more impressed when a £20 top-up filled the 1.4L tank back up.
Feeling refreshed and inspired by a weekend of reconnecting with nature, we were ready to tackle the week ahead after a thoroughly enjoyable weekend that reminded us you don’t need to travel a million miles away from the city to feel like you’re in an otherworldly place.
Fact file:
- We stayed in a Gingerbread House (currently priced at £100 a night) at The Quiet Site in Ullswater.
- We visited Woody’s Woolies in Birker Fell.
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