Growing up, my classmates would often spend their holidays in the Lake District, however my family always spent our holidays abroad rather than in the UK, despite living in London. This was due to multiple reasons, including that our relatives lived elsewhere, however it meant that I'd explored relatively little of my own country. During the pandemic, I took advantage of international travel restrictions to truly explore the UK and it completely changed my perspective of the country; I had a newfound appreciation for other counties in the UK and decided to explore as much as possible whilst still living in London. That said, staycations in the UK are often more expensive than a trip abroad (and good weather is most definitely not guaranteed).
Last year, I managed to visit many cities and towns in the UK due to Covid-19, however I hadn't yet visited the Lake District and so, for my mum's birthday in May we decided to treat her to a long weekend up North.
First, we visited Knaresborough on the recommendation of a friend, which was so pretty and quaint and reminded me greatly of Harry Potter (I think it was likely something to do with the bridge). Many houses were built in the cliff face, which was reminiscent of small Italian towns. In true town fashion, Knaresborough has its own unique traditions; for example, each June the Knaresborough Bed Race takes place, in which various locals dress up and decorate beds, which they race through the town. Although I'm yet to attend one of these races, I have heard very good things about them and they seem to be a great way to bring the locals together for a bit of fun.
After Knaresborough, we headed to the Lake District. Although we were staying in Coniston, we managed to visit a couple of the other towns too; of course, we couldn't visit the Lakes without visiting Windermere, and although it was picturesque, it was very crowded and a pigeon decided to relieve itself above us during our meal, which wasn't ideal. We also passed through Kendal to try its famed mint cake (which is essentially a block of sugar and I wouldn't recommend) but didn't stay long enough to explore the town fully. Coniston was exactly what we were hoping for, with a lake-view from the house, woodlands and hiking trails nearby, and a quiet town for our morning coffee, I'd never been so excited to go on a morning run as I was during our long weekend here! Despite the covid restrictions, there was plenty to do, so we hired a motorboat (which had been on my bucket list for years) and went on various walks and hikes (I'd especially recommend the hike to Tarn Hows from Coniston).
As a family who loves road trips, we decided to go on some scenic drives at the end of our trip, for which we were spoilt for choice. En route to the highest pub in the UK (The Tan Inn), the terrain was so unique and the Yorkshire Dales were truly spectacular.
We got very lucky with the weather on a couple of days despite the drizzly weather forecasts (which we also got a bit of), but to be honest the North is most authentic in the rain! Despite the constant (friendly) competition between the Northerners and the Southerners, I always enjoy visiting the North: the people are lovely, the food is good, and the countryside is stunning - what's not to like?!
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