Theres tourists all over the Lakes at this time of year...you'll be one of them!
Dont worry, the place is big enough to cope, its a beautiful part of the world - go and enjoy yourself!

Grasmere is a honeypot but it is only a village ! all of the central Lakes is busy I would say Ambleside is worse! we live in the South of the lakes near Grange over Sands it makes a good alternative only half an hour from Windermere and Coniston a bit more to Ambleside we lived just outside Ambleside 30 years ago and I much prefer here less tourists any more info feel free to ask or pm me regards Gill

Hi Lyn

I've never been to Grassmere so can't comment.

If you do decide it'll be too busy for you then have a look HERE

We were delighted with our cottage, it was in a beautiful part of the Western lakes, we saw very few people and went on some lovely walks

I've been to Grasmere, its a lovely little village, we stayed in Keswick but had a day in Grasmere, it is busy with people wanting to see where William Wordsworth lived but you will be visiting other places through the day yourself won't you so the day trippers shouldn't bother you.

as said before, practically everywhere in the lakes is busy with day trippers, especially at weekends.

Grasmere is fine! Don't forget to visit Wordsworth's 'Dove Cottage' and Sarah Nelson's Gingerbread shop!

Have a lovely time!

thanks all for your replies - keep them coming - yes we will be going out and about ourselves and the cottage is just outside village.

pippi - i nearly booked bridge farm at the time - i was slightly worried about the remoteness mainly for eating places but then most of the cottages that were within our price range were small and there are 5 of us and wastewater cottage i think slept 6/7 and just went way over the budget in august:( . thanks anyway we obviously think along the same lines

lyn

thanks for the link pippi - i remember reading it at the time i was thinking of booking bridge end farm but was depressed over the cost .then somebody suggested grasmere and the rest is history . I also found "lakelovers "through that link .

There are few places in the Lakes that won't be busy over an August Bank Holiday weekend but even so Grasmere will have a lot going for it. There are some lovely walks of varying degrees of strenuousness that start right from the village so you won't need to brave the traffic jams. There's a good choice of pubs, hotels and eating places within the village so you won't have to walk far of an evening. And unlike many Lakeland villages if has sufficient local shops to mean that your day-to-day needs are catered for.

Yes, there are places that will be much quieter but they'll be much more remote too and farther from any sort of local facility as well. For example, I love Wastwater but unless you are staying up in the Dalehead near the hotel you'll have to drive there everytime you want a drink or a meal and you'll need to bring practially everything with you food wise because there is no village shop either. It's very much swings and roundabouts - if you want good local services such as you'll find in Grasmere then one has to put up with the numbers of visitors that are needed to keep them viable and if you want away from it all quietness you have to expect and plan for only minimal services nearby because the local year round population cannot sustain them.

SM

I used to live and work there many many years ago, and did my courting there with the sister of the owner of this place....> http://www.thejumbleroom.co.uk/

Keep promising myself a trip back. must make it soon.

beautiful village and area

Its a lovely place and like fallan keep on meaning to go back and once you get walking you wont see many tourists on the walks.

spent last weekend in Windermere and it was wonderful. While the 'touristy' places were quite packed, my partner and I love walking, and found some marvelous walkes where most of the time we felt like we were the only people on earth. Although it's the school holidays, kids hate walking, so if you go 'off track' , particularly up high you can really get away from it all.

kev

thanks for all your words of incouragement everyone - im going to stick with it . Yes we enjoy walking and so do our children now they are older as long as their heading towards something exiting and they can have fun on the way . I think i got caught up in the " cant imagine us there in the summer" feeling as we usually go to devon/cornwall then. and i booked in in the winter when i had a feel for all those lovely cosy cottages but now i have had another look at all my brochures i know why i booked it . the lake district does look lovely.

bit of a long shot but does anyone know if you can scuba dive there . I think it may be a little more specialised in the lakes but looks pretty near some coastal places that would please hubby and my 2 older boys

lyn

Mmm, yes, Lynn, it is near some coastal places but those coastal places are also pretty near to Sellafield and some of the beaches have been found to have contaminated radioactive particles on them. As someone who grew up on the northwest coast I would be wary of going into the Irish Sea at the best of times because it is so polluted. On the other hand you might want to do a Google on the gnomes garden in Wastwater!

SM

Hi SM

I love Wastwater and have swum in it many times so was intrigued by your post.

I've Googled it HERE

Sounds pretty scarey to me!

- way beyond their 18m limit me thinks. scary stuff tho. maybe give the coast a miss as well then

lyn

Yes, Pippie and Lynn, not for the novice! But I love the idea that deep down there, there is this secret gnome world! Or perhaps I shouldn't be saying that?

About halfway down Wastwater is my all-time favourite campsite run by the National Trust - very basic but in the best location ever. In the winter the NT doesn't bother with a warden nor do they charge (or at least they never used to - my camping days are over now - I prefer a proper bed now!) and they just leave one loo and a cold water sink available which anybody using is expected to leave clean for the next visitor. I remember one magical weekend in the February that I went with my Dad and cousin and there was such a bright big full moon that as we put the tents up in the dark we were casting shadows. There was a sharp frost every night (thank heavens for a good down sleeping bag!) but the days were beautifully sunny and crisp and we did some wonderful walking including doing the Climbers' Traverse on Great Gable and 'threading the Needle'. The only people we saw all day were two climbers ascending Napes Needle itself. And of course every evening was spent in the bar at the Wastwater Hotel which is such an evocative place in itself.

SM

a tent in February - thats real boys stuff eh

lyn

Yes, even though I'm definitely female! The lads had a borrowed 'canvas bungalow' but I insisted on taking my own lovely little lightweight mountain tent. I was glad I did because had it up and the first brew made while they were still struggling with acres of tent and yards of poles! And I reckon that I had the cosier night too - much more draughtproof even if they did have more space!

SM

3 years ago we returned to holidaying in the lakes.
Grasmere does get busy with tourists going to wordsworth places.
There are some lovely walks right outside your door - and a Gingerbread shop in the village the thought of which makes my mouth water.
Ambleside does heave with visitors like Bowness/Windermere.
You have Rydal Fell on your doorstep and you are not far from Chapel Stile and Great Langdale. If you are more adventurous drive upto Cockley Beck via Wrysnose Pass and walk upto the roman fort at Hardknott. We drove back two weeks ago from Ravenglass via Eskdale / Hardknott Pass to Hawkshead and the view / scenery was astounding.
Once you've been the lake district you'll go again.

Davee

That's very near to where I stayed in Boot, stunning area