Family friendly walks in the Lake District

Laura Earl, Mum of four, can often be found walking the fells of the Lake District with her brood. We found out which of the Lake District walks she thinks are perfect for those little legs of the family.

When hiking with young children it is essential that you plan ahead, particularly the route that you intend to take. With many of the fell walks it is the distance from parking your car to the beginning of the ascent that causes the issues - often the children can be tired before you even begin the official walk! Luckily I have done some of the hard work for you and the following Lake District walks are short in distance, yet still provide breathtaking views from the top.

RYDAL CAVES:

This is such a lovely, easy walk with kids. We are always a big fan of walks with car parking close by to the attraction - we find the children start to whinge a little if they have to walk a few miles before actually reaching the walk highlight. However, for this walk it is less than a mile to the caves from Rydal Pelter Bridge Car Park and the caves are always such a hit - they never get old!! Each time we visit the children are always amazed and excited over them.

I would strongly recommend this walk for those with all different age groups, the walk isn’t too far for the little legs but the caves themselves offer a great place to explore for all ages.

LATRIGG:

This is a very easy circular route round the summit. It is approximately 1.5 miles and very easy for little legs. It isn’t steep or difficult terrain and the views are truly breathtaking. A wonderful walk for young children, or families whose children may not want to walk too far. There is a bench very close to the summit for you to enjoy a snack while taking in the view.

CATBELLS:

A classic fell walk of the Lake District with some incredibly breathtaking views. The ‘picnic route’ that we take is often quieter and involves much less scrambling – far better for little legs or those carrying babies. This route is approximately four miles long and, while it is steep in parts, our three year old managed it no problem. A wonderful family walk with breathtaking views ❤️

GRIZEDALE FOREST:

This Forest offers a fantastic day out for everyone, there are multiple walking trails to choose from - ranging from easy to hard. There is also a visitors centre, play park, GoApe and cycle centre.

The MillWood long route walk is an extremely manageable route that my children and I often take when we visit the forest. The walk is a very pleasant 1.5 mile loop ending at the play park, the promise of a slide and sandpit is always a great way to keep the kids spirits up when they are beginning to get tired! Keep your eyes peeled for the sculptures which are dotted around the forest! The MillWood short route would have been pram accessible for those keen to find pram accessible walks in the Lake District.

BROTHERS WATER:

Brothers water is a small lake in the Hartsop Valley in the Lake District. This is such an incredible walk!! The route takes you along the shoreline of Brothers Water and what makes this such a great walk is the level terrain - the path is wide and safe and is accessible with a single, or double, pram. The route we took was approximately 2.5 miles, however you could walk as much, or as little, as you wanted. The path is relatively sheltered making this a good walk for wetter days too.

If you would like to find out more of the walks that Laura and her family have completed you can following them on @thehikinghousehold. All their walks are also mapped, and documented, in detail on www.thehikinghousehold.com.