We stayed at NatlandPark Farm, which is a running farm with cows and horses set in fields
(complete with the fresh farm aroma) and only a short drive to
Kendal. Google maps said it was a 30 minute drive to Windermere town
but with the SatNav it was only 20 minutes. The camp site was a good
choice; dogs were allowed off lead and the pitches were spaced out.
We were asked to pitch on one of the hard standings, which we like,
but unfortunately these were next to the lane the tractors use
regularly to enter the farm, so you had to have a good recall if you
wanted the dogs off lead. There were ample facilities, inclusive of 2
showers, a toilet, a settee, books and leaflets, a washing machine,
tumble dryer, a fridge and other kitchen facilities, set inside a tin
barn that was in dire need of tlc. There was a notice up saying there
were renovation plans that would be finished for the end of September
'14, but we left on 29th September and there was no sign
of the renovations being started. Pitching with hook up was only £12
per night and we would definitely go again.
There are plenty of
places to walk straight from Natland Farm Park too.
On the Saturday, our
first full day, we were joined by my parents who stayed in a nearby
B&B. We made our way to Ferry Nab, where there is a car park and
a public slipway. My parents hired a kayak, which was £25 for 3
hours and they flew past us with little effort, while we got a little
frustrated in our dinghy on discovering how hard it was to row with
short oars. We also made the mistake of sitting in the wrong places
so Nick was having to row forwards instead of backwards, adding to
his difficulties and leading to me becoming bored and unable to
navigate. We didn't see my parents again for about 90 minutes, who
had sailed around the islands in the middle of the lake, while we
barely reached the other side of one.
We didn't much like
this part of the lake as it was very busy and there were lots of
large boats like yachts speeding up and down which made crossing in
our difficult-to-row boat a little frightening.
Duke had run down the
slipway in desperation to swim before we'd even pumped the boat up
and had jumped into the water after 30 seconds of us launching. He
was a little shocked by his launch into the lake from the boat and
immediately wanted me to pull him out, so I was soaked from the
beginning. I had worn linen trousers as I had little choice in
maternity wear, but I'd definitely choose something more lightweight
and quick-drying if I could.
Alice, on the other
hand, was so relaxed and still in my lap she was almost asleep. I
have never before seen her so serene.
After a couple of hours
in the water, we called it a day and went back to have a hot shower
and dry off before we went back out for dinner.
I chose to eat at the
Eagle Child Inn at Staveley, which was advertised as situated on a
river and very dog friendly. Well, the river was very small and there
was a road in between the pub and the river, and I had expected to be
able to walk along the river but that wasn't an option. They did,
however, have a beer garden on the river which must be nice on a hot
summers day.
There are loads of
walking routes in Staveley, though, and we had a nice walk up over
the hills before dinner.
The pub was very dog
friendly, and there were a few other dogs inside. The tables were
packed in tightly though and the dogs had to stay under the table or
people would have fallen over them walking past us. The pub was very
busy and the food was delicious. The menu was quite interesting and I
had wholemeal pancakes with spinach and mushrooms that was full to
the brim with spinach and tasty, wild mushrooms that I simply could
not finish. Nick had the buffalo chicken which looked delicious, my
Mum had the same as me and my Dad had gammon, which was nice but
smaller than I had expected at the size of my meal. The desserts were
lovely too.
On Sunday, we went to
Fell Foot Country Park, which is part of the National Trust. The
parking was a bit steep but the toilets were nice (and free – 20p
at Ferry Nab) and the site was very well maintained. The ranger was
very helpful and you are allowed to launch anywhere on the park.
We picked a spot and
went south down the lake reaching the Swan Hotel and Spa before we
turned back. It was very peaceful indeed with lovely sights and a
steam train passing every so often. We floated along for a while
while we ate our picnic in the boat and Alice's serene vibes were
infectious. We were totally turned around after a rather trying trip
at Ferry Nab.
As Nick packed the boat
up, I played fetch in the water to satisfy Duke's need to swim with
his favourite toy – his sprong – and Alice was totally pumped up
after her meditation in the boat. Being quite reserved normally,
Alice made Duke very frustrated as she beat him time and time again
to the sprong and refusing to drop it as Duke so readily would. It
was great fun to see this side to Alice, who was clearly having the
time of her life.
After showering and
warming up, we went to the Gateway Inn, which was the most dog
friendly pub we've ever visited. The tables were spread out with
enough room for dogs to lay at the side of the table and still leave
space to walk by. By the door was a selection of dog bowls for water,
an abundance of dog cushions and a tin of dog biscuits, all very
clean and ready for diners to use. The menu was very traditional and
I struggled to choose what to have, but the quality of the food was
good and the portions were huge. Nick had no room for dessert but I
couldn't resist and forced down a blackberry and apple crumble with
custard. It was the nicest crumble I've had for a long time and it
came with custard on and an extra jug of custard. I love lots of
custard but there was so much, Nick finished the custard off out of
the jug!
On the Monday, we were
due to go home but we weren't made to feel rushed to leave the site
so we went into Windermere for lunch. We chose The Queen's pub as it
looked lovely from outside and had a really nice patio area where we
sat down. However, the food was very disappointing. I had a chicken
burger and the chicken breast tasted like it had been barbecued and
was very dry. I gave half my chicken to the dogs and filled my cob
with chips instead. Nick had a beef burger and the quality was no
better than a burger you'd get at a car boot, which the dogs helped
him eat. The staff were very unhelpful and the waitress cleared our
table before Nick had finished eating, which really annoys me. To add
insult to injury, Nick's pint of coke cost £3.50! Visiting The
Queen's was an unfortunate blow to the end of a good weekend.
We will definitely be using the Intex Excursion 3 boat again next year, with a little baby boy in tow!
