Four Baby-friendly Family Walks in the Lake District

When is a family walk considered ‘baby-friendly‘? For me, a baby-friendly walk is one that can be done with a pram or a buggy. If you have a baby like our V was when we took her to the Lake District, it’s touch and go whether she will accept being suspended in the papoose for a hike, or if she would prefer to take a ride in the comfort of the pram. It suddenly makes planning family walks in places like the Lake District really tricky, as it’s kind of the point of going there!

We discovered that at 10 months old, our baby preferred the pram. The early October weather was a bit naff, so she enjoyed being wrapped up in a blanket, shielded from the wind – fair enough – but this meant that our plans had to be adjusted, and we had to look for accessible walking routes.

Orrest Head

Located north of Windermere town, Orrest Head is an accessible walking route up to a viewpoint over Windermere. We didn’t actually realise this until we were on the path. Yes, we ended up making the mistake of carrying our screaming daughter up the hill, regretting all our life choices.

Initially, there is a single path, well signposted, wide and designed to be accessible to prams, buggies, and wheelchairs. There is a stone wall to the left, and trees and shrubs on the right. It had been raining heavily the day before our walk, and although there were a few puddles, the path wasn’t particularly muddy.

Then the path winds to the right. You have the option to continue walking along the stone wall and using steps, which were quite wet and treacherous, or continuing on the path. The path takes a zig-zag ascent, adding quite a bit of distance to your walk, but spares the steps. We saw two wheelchair users on our visit, so we knew it was possible.

You won’t be able to reach the true peak as it’s covered in rocks, but the accessible route does allow you to continue enjoying the views across Windermere.

Tarn Hows

An excellent circular walk, Tarn Hows is as baby-friendly a family walk as they come in the Lake District. It’s a relatively long walk (1 and 3/4 miles) but nowhere near as strenuous in terms of ascents as Orrest Head.

From memory, the highest point of the walk is actually the start point, offering an excellent view over the tarn – a mountain lake. The path is distinct and scattered with gravel, so it’s a little bumpy under wheels, but is safe from too much mud.

About halfway around, there is a gorgeous little wooden bridge which is perfect for a photo op, and if you look hard enough, you might spot a couple of tiny waterfalls leading from the mountains to the tarn.

Like most family walks in National Parks like the Lake District, there are limited facilities. There is a car park, operated by the National Trust, and toilet facilities (although I didn’t spot where they were) but there is no place nearby to buy refreshments, so remember to pack appropriately.

Ambleside to Waterhead

This walk genuinely saved me from deciding to drive the 300 miles back home after a traumatic walk up Orrest Head without the pram! It’s not at all long or strenuous, but is a lovely little reset after a stressful day, or a pleasant way to kill some time.

From the centre of Ambleside, walk south along Lake Road. It’s a main road, and not particularly scenic, but the end point is the key reason for the walk. You could divert down Maclver Lane, a quiet country road without pavements if you want to avoid the car traffic.

Then you reach the water – Waterhead, duh – and it all makes sense. There are a couple of pubs and hotels, a coffee shop, and The Little Ice Cream Shop, which are open during tourist season for refreshments. There is also the the pier and harbour, where you can book a ticket on the Windermere steamer, or hire a small boat to sail on the lake.

If you prefer to stick to walking, Borrans Park is small, but cute, offering a really lovely spot to sit by the lake and enjoy the quiet. There is a distinct path in the park, so there is no issue pushing a pram around.

Beside Borrans Park is Ambleside Roman Fort, maintained by English Heritage, and the main reason I wanted to wander down to Waterhead. It’s not particularly astounding to see, but there are a few information boards to give you a better idea of what you’re looking at.

There is a small track around the outside of the field where the fort is located, which runs along the River Rothay and leads back to Ambleside, around the rugby club. Re-joining civilisation at Borrans Road and walking northwards will take you back to the town centre.

Grasmere

Most of route in Grasmere is pram-friendly, particularly in the village centre. There aren’t many pavements in the village centre, but there isn’t that much car traffic that it causes a problem. You can walk south from the village centre to Dove Cottage, home of William Wordsworth, with no issue.

Most of the trail around Grasmere itself is pram friendly. However there are a couple of spots which require you to walk through forested areas, which might be tricky to navigate, depending on the size of the pram or buggy.

Some people push the boat out and walk from Grasmere to Rydal. I’ve heard it’s doable with a pram, and do remember walking along a distinct path on the way back from our visit a few years ago. It’s not a route I’ve tried with a baby, but I can’t see why it’s unmanageable!

So, I hope this post gave you a few ideas for family walks in the Lake District that you can enjoy with the littlest members of your household. I’ll be sure that next time I visit, I’ll add a few more I find.

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