Townfoot Guidebook
Eating out
Tried and tested, popular eateries.
Great little cafe serving snacks and cakes (not open evenings) situated next to Skelwith Bridge and the waterfalls. Approximately 45 minute walk from Elterwater via a beautiful easy riverside path.
66 locals recommend
Chesters By The River
Great little cafe serving snacks and cakes (not open evenings) situated next to Skelwith Bridge and the waterfalls. Approximately 45 minute walk from Elterwater via a beautiful easy riverside path.
Perfect for an evening meal. We've eaten here many times. Warm cosy place with great food.
12 locals recommend
Lucy's On A Plate
6 Church StPerfect for an evening meal. We've eaten here many times. Warm cosy place with great food.
A cosy restaurant with an open kitchen cooking up classic Mediterranean dishes from local produce. Great pizzas!
14 locals recommend
Dodds Restaurant
Rydal RoadA cosy restaurant with an open kitchen cooking up classic Mediterranean dishes from local produce. Great pizzas!
Amazing food in this gastro pub. If you want to push the boat out, their chateaubriand steak to share is delicious.
14 locals recommend
The Wild Boar
Crook RoadAmazing food in this gastro pub. If you want to push the boat out, their chateaubriand steak to share is delicious.
A small, fantastic fish restaurant, with a limited menu and booking usually required as it is so popular. Great, high quality food.
9 locals recommend
Hooked
Ellerthwaite SquareA small, fantastic fish restaurant, with a limited menu and booking usually required as it is so popular. Great, high quality food.
Bellis
Rydal RoadOpened in 2022. A small, cute French restaurant serving fantastic quality food
Serves a great cooked breakfast and snacks all day. Open daily from 10am, closed Tuesdays. A ten minute walk from Townfoot in Troutbeck.
The Old Post Office Tea Room Troutbeck
Serves a great cooked breakfast and snacks all day. Open daily from 10am, closed Tuesdays. A ten minute walk from Townfoot in Troutbeck.
Great, vegetarian, Italian food. With a cinema attached. They do film and a meal deals.
64 locals recommend
Zeffirellis
2 Compston RdGreat, vegetarian, Italian food. With a cinema attached. They do film and a meal deals.
Fantastic tapas style dishes in a beautiful location. With views over Elterwater valley and its own distillery making fantastic spirits, this place is definitely worth a visit for a treat. Dog friendly
Lanty Slee's Elterwater
Fantastic tapas style dishes in a beautiful location. With views over Elterwater valley and its own distillery making fantastic spirits, this place is definitely worth a visit for a treat. Dog friendly
Lovely pub, and if warm enough to sit outside, a terrace with beautiful views over the valley. Good value, great quality food. Do friendly
50 locals recommend
The Masons Arms
Lovely pub, and if warm enough to sit outside, a terrace with beautiful views over the valley. Good value, great quality food. Do friendly
Ambleside Tap Yard
Good value, high quality food. Great selection of beers. Fab burgers.
Local towns
Not short of an outdoor clothing shop or two! But also home to lots of cafes, boutique and craft shops as well as galleries and small local shops. A great spot to start walks from.
145 locals recommend
Ambleside
Not short of an outdoor clothing shop or two! But also home to lots of cafes, boutique and craft shops as well as galleries and small local shops. A great spot to start walks from.
Distinct from Bowness, though it seems to merge into one, this small village has lovely traditional butchers and a lot of other locally owned artisan shops
150 locals recommend
Windermere
The PromenadeDistinct from Bowness, though it seems to merge into one, this small village has lovely traditional butchers and a lot of other locally owned artisan shops
Walks
A selection of some enjoyable and not too arduous walks with beautiful views. All dog friendly!
A beautiful tarn, high up in the mountains. It has a lovely 35 minute circular walk around the edge of it, from the National Trust car park. Take a picnic, and your camera!
(Wheelchair friendly)
88 locals recommend
Tarn Hows
A beautiful tarn, high up in the mountains. It has a lovely 35 minute circular walk around the edge of it, from the National Trust car park. Take a picnic, and your camera!
(Wheelchair friendly)
Sat at the top of a windy pass up from the end of Langdale valley, this beautiful tarn is worth a visit for a walk around it. Easy parking in the National Trust car park. Our dog loves swimming here!
19 locals recommend
Blea Tarn
Sat at the top of a windy pass up from the end of Langdale valley, this beautiful tarn is worth a visit for a walk around it. Easy parking in the National Trust car park. Our dog loves swimming here!
Stock Ghyll Force
6 Stockghyll LnA short walk from Ambleside is this lovely waterfall.
Miles and miles of forestry commission tracks, accessible on bikes or on foot. There are a few tiny, secret tarns hidden throughout the area which are worth discovering.
85 locals recommend
Grizedale Forest
Miles and miles of forestry commission tracks, accessible on bikes or on foot. There are a few tiny, secret tarns hidden throughout the area which are worth discovering.
Climb to the top of the waterfall and cross over on an old packhorse bridge. A lovely circular walk from the National trust Car park
68 locals recommend
Aira Force Waterfall
Climb to the top of the waterfall and cross over on an old packhorse bridge. A lovely circular walk from the National trust Car park
Wray Castle is a Victorian neo-gothic building which you can walk to, with a scenic footpath running along the side of Windermere from Red Nab Car Park.
54 locals recommend
National Trust Wray Castle
Wray Castle is a Victorian neo-gothic building which you can walk to, with a scenic footpath running along the side of Windermere from Red Nab Car Park.
Shopping
Small supermarket in Windermere, with the excellent, high-quality food, probably in the Marks and Spencer, or Waitrose price bracket.
36 locals recommend
Booths, Windermere
Victoria StreetSmall supermarket in Windermere, with the excellent, high-quality food, probably in the Marks and Spencer, or Waitrose price bracket.
In Kendal. Twenty five minutes from Windermere, this is a new, large store. Great for a weekly shop. Also stocks clothing and homeware, plus an Argos branch.
26 locals recommend
Sainsbury's
Cable StreetIn Kendal. Twenty five minutes from Windermere, this is a new, large store. Great for a weekly shop. Also stocks clothing and homeware, plus an Argos branch.
Huddleston Butchers Ltd
16a Crescent RdGreat local butcher, in Windermere
Activities
Go Ape has a run of 7 zip wires which whizzes through the tree-tops. Expensive but worth a bit of a treat for the adrenaline rush.
You can also hire normal or electric bikes to explore all the forestry commission tracks
53 locals recommend
Go Ape Grizedale
Go Ape has a run of 7 zip wires which whizzes through the tree-tops. Expensive but worth a bit of a treat for the adrenaline rush.
You can also hire normal or electric bikes to explore all the forestry commission tracks
Visit the last working slate mine in England. Quarrying for Westmorland green slate has been taken place in the area since 1728. Apart from the mining, they welcome tourists with activities including a rock face climb - the Via Ferrata.
75 locals recommend
Honister Slate Mine
Honister PassVisit the last working slate mine in England. Quarrying for Westmorland green slate has been taken place in the area since 1728. Apart from the mining, they welcome tourists with activities including a rock face climb - the Via Ferrata.
Waterskiing, canoeing, paddleboarding, sailing, boat hire and flyboarding facilities on Windermere
22 locals recommend
Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa
Ambleside RoadWaterskiing, canoeing, paddleboarding, sailing, boat hire and flyboarding facilities on Windermere
Ullswater Steamers
Grisedale BridgeVery scenic and relaxing trips up the length of Ullswater.
Especially worth a visit for a family with children. A very popular attraction in Bowness
103 locals recommend
The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction
Crag BrowEspecially worth a visit for a family with children. A very popular attraction in Bowness
Set on the West coast, it is a long drive, but several scenic routes can be taken. Well worth a visit for a full day out, if you have time. It is also close to Muncaster Castle.
108 locals recommend
Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Co.Ltd
Main StreetSet on the West coast, it is a long drive, but several scenic routes can be taken. Well worth a visit for a full day out, if you have time. It is also close to Muncaster Castle.
Historic sites
Worth a visit if you're heading north to Keswick. This is worth stopping off to enjoy the spectacular views from the site. It has panoramic views and the mountains of Helvellyn and High Seat as a backdrop. It is also among the earliest British circles, raised in about 3000 BC during the Neolithic period.
44 locals recommend
Castlerigg Stone Circle
Castle LaneWorth a visit if you're heading north to Keswick. This is worth stopping off to enjoy the spectacular views from the site. It has panoramic views and the mountains of Helvellyn and High Seat as a backdrop. It is also among the earliest British circles, raised in about 3000 BC during the Neolithic period.
Take away
The Sourdough Pizza Co
Great take-away pizza
Vinegar Jones
Award winning fish and chips