Lake District family holidays: Taking to the water in England's prettiest region

Add to My Stories Share First, a confession. I have been to the Lake District many times - and never been on a lake.I have climbed mountains, crossed moorlands and camped under the stars - but not been out on the water.So this time planning a trip with my family, including my four-month-old daughter Catherine - I knew something had to change.

Boats and bliss: Ullswater, England's second largest lake, has pastoral charm aplentyWe had picked a large holiday cottage in Pooley Bridge, on the shore of Ullswater in the north eastern Lake District. It has a claim to be Englands most beautiful lake and is famous for its daffodils after William Wordsworths visit and subsequent poem.It is certainly big enough. Ullswater is the second largest lake in England at 7.5 miles long, only pipped to the post by nearby Windermere.

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Pooley Bridge sits to the north of the lake and is no trouble to find, even after a long trip right up the country from Brighton, whizzing along motorways and taking a left off the M6 close to Penrith.On arrival, Primrose Cottage proves to be very spacious good news in a week when our holiday party will extend, at one point, to seven adults, a toddler, a baby and a dog.We move an alarmingly wonky coffee table out of harms way and overlook the slightly dated furniture in one of the bedrooms. Everything is immaculately clean, and the crisp bed linen is much appreciated after a long journey.

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Liz and baby Catherine stop for a break at the top of Place Fell - some more in need of a rest than othersOn our first evening! , there is time for an evening stroll along the lakeshore, gazing west across the water to the craggy fells. We pause on the bridge to listen to the River Eamont splashing by, and watch trout leaping out of the water beneath.Pooley Bridge village has the usual essentials post office and gift shops for supplies, and several pubs with enormous beer gardens.Although it is quiet when we arrive, visitors appear like clockwork each day, fresh off the Ullswater Steamers, the passenger ferries that chug up and down the lake. These vessels also stop at Howtown midway down the lake, and Glenridding in the south - meaning that a hop-on/hop-off ticket is a great option.And so to the water. Catherine, my husband Matt and I (along with my parents and the dog) start our days sailing on the Raven, launched in 1889 after shareholder Thomas Cook (yes, that one) suggested running more boats to satisfy tourist demand.We quickly relax into our surroundings and it is wonderful to glide along the water as the fells rise on either side of us. We see birds of prey soaring high on thermals and several paragliders circling like brightly coloured buzzards.Eventually, we alight at Howtown and set off on foot. Though we are not the first to tread this path. Fellwalker Alfred Wainwright criss-crossed the Lake District as he steadily completed his intricate Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells and of all the many beauty spots, he was most impressed with Ullswater.It is the authors opinion that the lakeside path from Scalehow Beck, near Sandwick, to Patterdale (in that direction) is the most beautiful and rewarding in Lakeland, he wrote in Book Two of his series. We certainly dont disagree.

All aboard: The Raven pulls into port at the start of a long but rewarding day on the waterThe good weather inspires us to tackle nearby Place Fell all 2,154ft of it, and Catherines first big climb. There are spectacular views from the t! op. Then we navigate back down to Glenridding and the waiting ferries with a neat little Handihike route guide - part Ordnance Survey map, part description, part how-to guide for anyone a little rusty on map-reading.The Lady of the Lake thought to be the worlds oldest working passenger vessel (running since 1877) - is waiting at Glenridding Pier. We feel first class as we pile aboard, finding that we have the front of the boat to ourselves.One quick stop at Howtown later, we hop onto our next boat, Lady Wakefield, for the final leg of the journey home far more relaxing after a long walk than negotiating twisting, narrow roads in the car. It also means the chance for a refreshing beer on board. As we float along, it is easy to see how poets and authors have been inspired by the Lake District landscape.The next day, we enjoy a pretty woodland walk to Aira Force waterfall and its impressive 65ft drop under little arched bridges. And we keep our eyes peeled for red squirrels but Beatrix Potters character Squirrel Nutkin evades us that day.The National Trust now looks after Beatrix Potters home, Hill Top in Ambleside, and the house and gardens are a time capsule, filled with all her drawings and possessions. We dont have time to visit - but it is firmly on our to-do list when Catherine grows up and enjoys bedtime stories of Peter Rabbit and his friends.

All downhill: The descent into Patterdale is a steep one - but the beauty of the Lake District is hugely apparentWe take our own inspiration from the National Trusts Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill, a wonderful green space outside Penrith. Here, an impressive collection of 250 herbs is meticulously planted alongside traditional fruit orchards, and there is a decent selection of plants for sale too.Back at Pooley Bridge, there is just time for a quick dip in Ullswater. The sun is still out, and the lake looks refreshingly cool. The braver among us go! for a b risk swim, but Catherine and I merely dip our toes and decide that, for her first trip into Lakeland, the water is just right.

Travel Facts

Liz stayed at Primrose Cottage in Pooley Bridge which is available through Cumbrian Cottages, (01228 599 960, www.cumbrian-cottages.co.uk). The property sleeps up to eight and is available from 470 per week (710 in summer season).
Hire cars available through Europcar (0871 384 9950, www.europcar.co.uk).For more information on Ullswater Steamers, see www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk.For more information on the Lake District, see www.golakes.co.uk.