With the traffic light system still in place, there is no better time (option than) to stay local. Throughout the nearly fourteen years of being in this country, I have admittedly neglected going up North. Staying true to the Hongkie I proudly confess to be, anywhere further than 15 minutes is considered far. Living in London has forced me to accept 30 minutes as a standard. And so anything over an hour was the limit, and enough to board a plan to somewhere further. So I’ve a lot of unchartered territory yet to explore.

The Lake District is a comfortable 3hr 23min train ride from London Euston. And it’s a gastronomic destination, known for a number of Michelin (stars and recommended) restaurants including two of the country’s top 50.

And that’s exactly why booking in advance is important. If you’re a foodie, and travelling with the hopes to have a culinary experience, then try to be as flexible as you can. Many restaurants operate on an old-fashioned way and have waiting lists. So always call/email in advance in case you don’t see a slot.

WHERE TO STAY?

Since we travelled without a car, we stayed at Kendal which is a 4min train or 7min taxi from Oxenholme Lake District train station.

Blackwell Arts & Crafts house

Perched on Bowness-on-Windermere, this museum is set within a Grade I listed building designed by architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott. Originally a holiday home for Sir Edward Holt, the house also served as a school during the Second World War. It’s a key example of the Arts and Crafts movement and there’s also a tea room and craft shop. For a limited time, the tea room is serving okonomiyaki!

Until 10 October, the house is showing House of the Setting Sun. Exploring the exchange between Britain and Japan, the exhibition occupies a room on the second floor with Yokai Trail featuring works of manga and comic illustrator Inko Ai Takita. Bedrooms had pieces of Ukiyo-e woodblock warrior prints, origami and hand-embroidered 19th-century Kimono. Liberty (the department store) was one of the largest manufactures of Arts & Crafts goods who once opened an ‘Eastern Bazaar’ in 1875 and sold Japanese export goods.

2. Windermere Jetty Museum

A 6-minute cab ride from Blackwell will get you to Windermere Jetty Museum. Freshly reopened in March 2019, the museum features a collection of walnut-panelled heritage boats, including Branksome (boarded by HRH Prince Philip), Windermere’s history of speed racing and WRECKED! - an interactive experience on the hidden treasures of Windermere.

An absolute highlight was the Heritage Boat Trip! For 30 minutes, you can board the Penelope II Motorboat and guests are taken around the Belle Isle. Built in 1930, Penelope II just returned after a 3-year conservation project and only allows up to nine passengers. Definitely feels more special and an intimate experience!

3. Dine local

Apart from not having a car, one of main reasons why we chose Kendal was because it wasn’t in the middle of nowhere. Many hotels at the Lake District are drive-in sites and so there aren’t many other things to do. Staying at Kendal meant we could walk to pubs and there were three Chinese takeaways to satisfy my mildy lactose intolerant stomach. Highly recommend New Fortune for their prawn toast and explaining what a Chop Suey is.

4. Scafell Pike

My trip was basically planned around conquering this peak. We were ready to splurge on taxi but actually managed to get to/from the base (and a lot of walking) via public transport. There were three man routes to choose from: Borrowdale, Wasdale and Langdale. Wasdale would’ve been the easiest option though it’s near impossible to get to without a car. It took 2.5 hours to get from Kendal to the base, via Keswick.

Itinerary:

555 bus: Kendal to Keswick (1hr40min)

78 bus: Keswick to Seatoller (28min)

Walk: Seatoller to Seathwaite (30min)

£11.50 (unlimited 1-day explorer)

Although this is the cheapest option, I definitely recommend either taxi at least one-way. Taxi from Kendal to Seathwaite is only 1hr and would allow you to start much earlier. This would leave you with more time to relax and enjoy the hike, rather than worrying about catching the last 1850 bus from Seathwaite. Found this site very useful on deciding which route to take.

An alternative is staying at Keswick the night before so you wouldn’t have to spend too much time travelling. There’s also a huge supermarket called Booths at Keswick which is perfect for snacks. I brought my own special self-heating braised pork belly rice (鮮鋒自熱台灣滷肉飯).

4. Yard 46 Cafe

On our last day, we didn’t have much planned and was deciding between either going into Windermere for a lunch at a hotel or staying in Kendal. I’m so glad we stayed in Kendal because we discovered Yard 46 Cafe, a courtyard cafe tucked away from the high street. Split over two floors, the menu is based around their daily freshly baked sourdough and there’s even an outdoor area. Definitely recommend the spiced fig sourdough toast and the coffee here was so good I wanted to buy the beans! They don’t sell the beans here though I got the name: “Under Milk Wood” by Dark Woods Coffee - a medium roast with a delicious caramel praline finish.