Ambleside

11:04am Tuesday 17th April 2007

High quality restaurants, awe-inspiring mountain scenery and classic Victorian architecture are just some of the attractions of this friendly South Lakeland market town.

Within easy reach of the M6, Ambleside is the perfect place to come and enjoy a little peace and quiet walking the Lakeland Fells.

The most famous landmark in Ambleside is the tiny two-storey Bridge House - once a 17th century folly - which straddles Stock Beck.

Come in the summer and enjoy Ambleside Sports show where a wide variation of traditional Lakeland activities, such as wrestling and hound trailing, are on show.

With a cinema, public parks, a recreation ground featuring tennis, pitch and putt, bowling and mini-golf, plus contemporary and traditional art galleries, you are never short of something to do.

Ambleside is a specialist outdoor clothing and equipment retail centre, with shops run by experts who really know their stuff. There is a bustling Wednesday market, plus numerous pubs and cafes. The town is awash with independent retailers selling a wide range of goods unique to the area, often craftsman-made in Ambleside or nearby towns and villages.

Main attractions...

Visit the remains of a 1st and 2nd century Roman fort built to guard the Roman road from Brougham to Ravenglass.

Visit the many exhibitions at the Armitt Museum, Library and Gallery on Rydal Road.

Make time to visit Rydal Mount gardens and enjoy a picturesque explosion of colour and beauty.

And if it's wet...

Zefferellis at Compston Road shows all the top new film releases on four screens. It includes a pizzeria, shopping gallery and garden room café.

Visit nearby Dove Cottage and Wordsworth Museum - a living memorial to the life and poetry of William Wordsworth and his contemporaries.

Walks...

Long - Red Screes and Dove Crag. A challenging ten-mile circular walk across the fells. Breathtaking views of Kirkstone Pass, Brothers' water and Patterdale can be seen from the highest points.

Short - Stock Ghyll Force. Charming one-mile circular walk from town centre, including a climb alongside lovely waterfalls. Alternatively take the short walk to Blea Tarn where there is an excellent spot for a family picnic.

Events...

Ambleside Daffodil and Springflower show - March.

Ambleside Rushbearing - July.

Ambleside Sports - Rydal Park - July .

Ambleside Lantern Procession - November.

For more information: Ambleside Tourist Information Centre at Market Cross, 015394 32582.

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