Cumbria 2026

This holiday was an experiment. Something different for us.

So why was it different? Did it work?

Firstly it was a trip to a part of England we haven't been to for decades. Secondly, it was a trip by car, something we haven't done for years. Thirdly it was to a self catering lodge, something we used to do a long time ago. Lastly, we were going on holiday with our daughter - and we haven't done that since she was a teenager!

*Did it work? - Most certainly!

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I'd wanted to visit the Cumbrian coast for a while, and had developed a bit of a fascination with the disused lido at Grange-Over-Sands. Cumbria is home to the Lake District, so we chose a Hoeseasons holiday park midway between the lakes and the coast.

This wasn't cheap accommodation but it turned out to be worth every penny. We rented two adjacent lodges - one for us, and one for our daughter, both fully equipped and with hot tubs, on a lovely peaceful park.

We drove up on the Friday - going via the A1 and the A66 - not the shortest route, but far better than the M6 alternative. We stopped off to charge the car in Kendal while we did some food shopping.

Our first full day could have been a bit of a disaster - the satnav sent me in completely the wrong direction, so istead of a walk in the woods above Borrowdale we went to WIndemere, which turned out pretty well.

On Sunday I was driving almost aimlessly away from the lakes, and the traffic, and the narrow roads - and we went to Barrow in Furness, which is a much nicer town than I expected, although dominated by the shipbuilding sheds. There was a small museum with a nice cafe. After that we went to Akram Pier with its views and wonderful beach.

On Monday we went on a combined steam train trip and boat ride on Windemere to Bowness which was a great way to have a relaxing day.

Tuesday was a Great Day! We went to Grange to charge the car and to look at the town. The promenade was long, and quiet with magnificent views over Morecombe Bay. Unfortunately the Lido isn't open yet (there's some sort of dispute) but you can see through the bars that it's an excellent renovation even without a pool.

We got caught in a torrential downpour on our way to meet our daughter for afternoon tea. This was at the tea shop of all tea shops - they had every type of tea you could ask for, and more besides. The owner had encyclopedic knowledge of teas! Grange over Sands is another nice town.

The next day we split up, we went to Sizergh Castle - a rambling National Trust property, and our daughter went to Holker Hall stately home. Once back at the lodge the ladies had a very long soak in one of the hot tubs.

Our last full day in Cumbria was even more random! We'd booked to go to a classical music concert in Grasmere - which was good, but not really our thing. Not to worry was because there was the Gingerbread Shop and a good cafe. We finished our stay with a really good meal in the Commodore Hotel in Grange.

We drove home by way of the Pencil Museum in Keswick - yes, it was out of our way, but it was worth the diversion. We came back along the M6 - and it was the Friday before a Bank Holiday, so the traffic was, let's say, intense! Another charge, another supermarket - this time in Preston.

It was a splendid holiday, in a lovely part of the country.

Downsides? There was a lot a driving, and some of the driving on the small Cumbrian roads was difficult, approaching unpleasant. The Lake District is a honeypot, and there's a lot of traffic which makes sightseeing, driving and parking difficult. Being turfed out of the lodge by 9:30am on the departure day was brutal.
Upsides? Family time. Hot tubs. Eating when we wanted, where we wanted. Seeing great countryside, and the unexpected coast.

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If you want to read the day-by-day details then here's the link to the individual blog posts : detailed blog link