The Lake District has inspired the love of poets, painters, and writers for over two centuries. It\u2019s been the home of Romantic poets Wordsworth, Southey and Coleridge, the writer and critic John Ruskin, the writings and paintings of Beatrix Potter, and its landscapes the muse to JMW Turner.\u00a0 They continue to be the inspiration to writers and artists living and working here today.<\/p>\n
Why not take a cultural jaunt through the heart of the Lakes – get yourselves a ticket to ride!<\/h4>\n
Not only does a Stagecoach Coach DayRider<\/a> ticket release you from the car, it allows you to sit back relax and divert your eyes to the landscapes, enjoy ALL that Cumbria\u2019s award winning restaurants and pubs offer, perhaps indulge in a tipple or two along the way, \u00a0and show you\u00a0 \u2018love the Lakes\u2019 by being that little bit \u2018greener\u2019.<\/p>\n Stagecoach 599 in Grasmere by Richard Burgess<\/p><\/div>\n There are routes that take you on buses as well as boats, from the south to the north and everywhere in between, but I am going to suggest the \u2018Classic\u2019 routes – Service 555 between Kendal and Keswick and the 599 open top bus, taking in Windermere\/Bowness and Grasmere.<\/p>\n Kendal has had a caf\u00e9 culture dating back to 1819. Farrer’s<\/a><\/strong> have been blending their own tea and roasting coffee in Kendal for over 200 years – and it\u2019s served in a coffee house that looks very much like it hasn\u2019t changed much since then! \u00a0You\u2019ll also find fabulous brunch options at Brew Brothers, Farmhouse Kitchen, Comida, and Babaganoush.<\/strong><\/p>\n Kendal bus station is but a short hop away so off you go on the 555 or 599.\u00a0 Now depending how long you have you can alight at Windermere bus station and take a stroll through the village, Booths<\/strong> and Lakeland<\/strong> caf\u00e9 literally a short stroll from the bus station and many lovely cafes and pubs in Windermere itself.\u00a0 \u00a0(The 555 runs every hour so there are plenty of opportunities to hop on and off).<\/p>\n Heading north again to Grasmere and Rydal these are both great places to jump off and explore. The hamlet of Rydal sits on the beautiful Rydal Water, and you can get your Wordsworth-fix at Rydal Mount and Gardens.\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0Dating from the 16th century, it contains a selection of the Wordsworth family\u2019s prized possessions and portraits. The five-acre garden remains very much as Wordsworth designed it with fell-side terraces, rock pools and an ancient mound \u2013 with great views!<\/p>\n Rydal Mount Gardens<\/p><\/div>\n Just a couple of stops down the road \u2013 or even a leg-stretcher along the old coffin route, is\u00a0 the old village of Grasmere, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, and full of cafes and shops. Why not have a look at Wordsworth Grasmere<\/a> – <\/em>“The loveliest spot that man hath ever found”<\/em> \u2013 so said Wordsworth himself.<\/p>\n This Wordsworth experience has the option of a long or shorter visit \u2013 with Dove Cottage, the new Museum, Woodland and Garden-Orchard all to discover.<\/p>\n View from Dove Cottage Garden<\/p><\/div>\n From here it\u2019s a very short walk into the heart of Grasmere Village and the home of the Heaton Cooper Gallery<\/a>. Built as a gallery and home by the artist William Heaton Cooper in 1938 his gallery became a popular destination for visitors after the publication of several successful books. Today, the gallery exhibits the work of the Heaton Cooper family of artists, including the contemporary artists, Julian Heaton Cooper and Rebecca Heaton-Cooper. It\u2019s beautiful shop has everything you need (or never knew you needed!) for painting, drawing, and printing and has a superb caf\u00e9 next door: Mathilde\u2019s Caf\u00e9<\/strong> \u2013 itself named after a local love story…<\/p>\n Grasmere sunset reflections<\/p><\/div>\n Grasmere Gingerbread<\/strong> is just down the lane, as is the beautiful St. Oswald\u2019s Church <\/strong>with the ancient gravestone of William Wordsworth.\u00a0 The bus stop is immediately opposite the gallery so you can enjoy the village green and shops too whilst you wait for your next ride.<\/p>\n You then head over the awesome Dunmail Raise<\/strong> past Thirlmere<\/strong> and through some magnificent mountain and lake views before heading down into Keswick.<\/p>\n I recommend a stop off at Keswick Museum<\/a>. The museum is housed in an original Arts & Crafts house on the edge of Fitz Park. Its collections reflect life in Keswick and brings us back to those old Romantics \u2013 as you\u2019ll find out more about the story of the lesser-known Poet laureate: \u00a0Robert Southey (also the author of Goldilocks and the Three Bears!).<\/p>\n Panorama of Keswick on the shores of Derwentwater<\/p><\/div>\n All my suggested stops also have cafes \u2013 yes, all of them! But I\u2019d save some space for a real treat on the return leg.<\/p>\n The Gaddum at Brockhole<\/a> on Windermere has an enviable reputation for its five-star afternoon teas and lunches with its magnificent views across the Thomas Mawson heritage gardens to the Langdale and Coniston Fells.\u00a0 The Gaddum<\/strong> is only open in the evening for very special occasions and what could be more special than celebrating Valentine\u2019s Day with the one you love? \u00a0The Gaddum Restaurant could have been designed with Valentine dinners in mind. The beautifully designed Arts & Crafts rooms truly come alive in the evening \u2013 warm, relaxed and, might I say, romantic.<\/p>\n Best view in the house? The Gaddum Restaurant, Brockhole on Windermere<\/p><\/div>\n They are taking booking for dinner only on Valentine\u2019s Day, but you could hop off earlier and enjoy one of their spectacular afternoon teas.\u00a0 (Booking required).<\/p>\n And if you have any room left \u2013 head out on the bus for last orders! to \u00a0Hawkshead brewery<\/a> or perhaps Wilfs Caf\u00e9, in Staveley Mill Yard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our #CulturalConcierge loves the Lake District as much as we do and has come up with a non-drive bus tour to take in some of the sights! \u201cMany of us have fallen in love with this magical place and return again and again to renew that passion or seek out its beauty.\u00a0 \u00a0No surprise for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":3637,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[715,938,1029,939],"tags":[2005,2007,2019,1914,1937,2006,2017,1954,2018],"class_list":["post-3619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-and-drink","category-keswick","category-things-to-do","category-windermere","tag-bus-journey","tag-grasmere","tag-heaton-cooper","tag-kendal","tag-keswick","tag-stagecoach","tag-valentines","tag-windermere","tag-wordsworth","location-grasmere","location-keswick","location-lake-district","location-windermere"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3619"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5554,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3619\/revisions\/5554"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Stagecoach](\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/599_Grasmere_Richard-Burgess-sml.jpg\")
Pick your starting point and direction and here’s a few ideas for stops along the way:<\/h4>\n
Every good adventure needs to start with a good breakfast- or at least an excellent coffee.<\/h5>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/Rydal-Mount-Gardens-visitors.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/5.-View-from-Dove-Cottage-Garden.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_1507399904.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/shutterstock_1848587617.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/TheGaddum_Opening_April-1R-window.jpg\")
So, there you have it \u2013 a romantic bus trip through The Lake District world heritage site \u2013 enjoying its sights, sounds and smells whilst leaving your car at home.\u201d<\/h4>\n
Another fantastic idea for a romantic finish to Valentine’s day itself, is to have an exclusive Home by Simon Rogan meal box delivered to your holiday cottage, or even your home address.\u00a0 They are now delivering all over the Mainland UK – read more here about the special Valentine’s offering.<\/a><\/h3>\n
View our romantic cottages here<\/a><\/h4>\n