Our Wainwright story - Hallin Fell (1 of 214)

Our story of climbing the wonderful lakeland fells described in Wainwrights books started with Hallin Fell (our 1st of the 214 listed).

Jono has been climbing it since he was small and vividly remembers being taken there during sail camp from Ullswater Yacht Club (UYC). They were learned to watch the wind squalls on the water, how the shape of the land affects the wind, and the lessons has stayed with him a lifetime.

Since I started coming to Ullswater in the early noughties, we’ve climbed it too many times to count with a variety of family, friends, and dogs, thanks to the fairly instant rewarding views of the dual valleys of Martindale and Boredale as they unfold behind you. The unveiling of the Helvellyn range to your left as you reach the top, and then the magnificent lake of Ullswater beneath you as you reach the cairn is breathtaking every step of the way.

Now that we have two small people in tow (ages 6 and 9 at time of writing), we continue to hike up on a regular basis, it just takes a little longer than it used to. To be honest, nearly double the time it used to, from our previous average of about 30 minutes up-and-down, to now 50 minutes.  

There are usually sheep all over the hill so it’s a dog-on-lead kind of walk, but that doesn’t seem to hinder their enjoyment of the experience any less!

Recent highlights include walking up during UYC’s annual racing extravaganza, the Birkett Trophy, to watch the racing on the lake from above (photo below from July 2022 featuring many small boats in the background of the upside-down girls). It’s also the place our brother-in-law proposed and re-created the moment last summer as part of a brilliant 3 peaks event in memory of a much-loved family friend.

Useful planning notes:

Walking from lake level to the top would be the purist way to bag Hallin Fell, however we tend to park at the Martindale church at the top of the zig zag up from Howtown, then take the route uphill directly opposite (across the road from) the church that totals about 1.7km. It’s well worth the short drive from Rose Cottage  - 7 miles, about 20 minutes with the second half of the journey on largely single-track roads – and also easy to stop off in Pooley Bridge on the way home for a sweet treat reward in one of the many lovely cafes and eateries.

Our favourite places to explore near Rose Cottage

Introducing our whistle-stop tour of things to do and places to visit within a 30 minute drive from Rose Cottage….

A ride on the Ullswater Steamer, to either Howtown, Aira Force or Glenridding - all of which have fantastic walking options. 

Lowther Castle is an impressive building that showcases a really interesting museum section about the history of the castle and the stories of those who have owned and inhabited it. Lowther has a great café and the grounds also make for an excellent destination for walking and cycling (there’s a great board showing the Lowther Estate walking and biking paths by the bridge in Askham, with everything from flat riverside paths to mountain bike trails).

Rheged is the best glorified service station you’ll find in England. One roundabout West along the A66 from the M6, or across the fields using the public rights of way from Tirril, is Rheged, with a great exhibition space (check out the website for current exhibitions), a ceramic painting workshop, a little indoor soft play (charges apply), a cinema and a lovely selection of local shops, cafes and a delicatessen. It’s all housed in a fascinating eco-friendly building and well worth an explore.

Hallin Fell is our favourite local hill walk as the views to reward your relatively short burst of energy are spectacular over Ullswater and the neighbouring valleys. It’s a short drive from Tirril towards Pooley Bridge, then along the shores of Ullswater along to Howtown. You can park at the bottom for the full lake shore to hill top experience, or you can drive ‘up the zig zag’ and park at the top by Martindale church and walk from there (it’s the hill to your right when Ullswater is behind you). We could go on about the family significance (brother-in-law proposed at the top, first hill our kids climbed) but really it’s all about those views and the feeling of being on top of the world. Incredible.

The Fells around Ullswater are a fantastic area to explore. Using an OS map or Footpath app to research your options is probably far more informative than our tips, but there are a huge number of routes to try including the Ullswater Way (a circuit round Ullswater) and High Street, a stunning route that takes you high on the ridges above Ullswater. 

Aira Force is a truly wonderful waterfall with a choice of short and longer walking routes starting from the car park or steamer pier on the northern shores of Ullswater.

Pooley Bridge has a great selection of local shops, a Post Office, cafes and pubs as well as a renowned gin shop that offers tastings (sometimes at a stall outside). You can also walk to the lake shores or round to the Ullswater Steamer pier.

Ullswater Sailing School & SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Hire run from Ullswater Yacht Club (UYC) in the summer months. More information is available online.

Askham Open Air Pool is open in the summer months and is just under 5k from Tirril. It’s a brilliant place for our kids to play, with a normal pool and a baby pool all set in a grassy area and surrounded by trees.

Penrith Leisure Centre is open all year round, just opposite Sainsbury’s, and has a large indoor swimming pool and baby pool, as well as a soft play area. Parking is free for those paying to swim or use the soft play, you just need to park, pay inside for your entertainment, and they give you a ticket to take back out to your vehicle.

Abbott Lodge Jersey Farm Ice Cream Parlour is a firm favourite with our kids, about 10 minutes’ drive from Tirril (not far beyond Clifton) and as well as delicious ice cream they have a large indoor climbing frame and outdoor play area including swings and little karts.** worth checking online as we haven’t been post- lockdown **

Haweswater is about 30 minutes’ drive from Tirril and is a beautiful place to walk. The history is fascinating as the valley and a village were flooded to form a reservoir in the 1960’s, something Lord Birkett managed to stop happening in Ullswater. There’s a car park at the end of the road and a lovely hotel, Haweswater Hotel, that is a great lunch spot, though it’s worth enquiring in advance as they do close for private events on some weekend dates.

The Kirkston Pass beyond the Glenridding end of Ullswater takes you over the fells to Ambleside on the shores of Lake Windermere. It’s an incredible drive (or cycle if you’re feeling fit enough for the winding zig zag hill climb – the descent is meant to be very exhilarating!!) and Ambleside, Bowness and Windermere are all beautiful places to explore.

Our top picks of the best eateries near Rose Cottage

Here is a brief run-down of our top suggestions of places dine at to truly tickle your tastebuds within a 30-minute drive from Rose Cottage…

The star attraction for local food in our opinion is the Queens Head Inn two doors from Rose Cottage in Tirril. It really is marvellous. It’s a family-friendly pub that serves great, locally-sourced pub food and it has a great selection of local beer and gin. We recommend reserving a table on weekends as it can get very busy, particularly in holiday periods. The roaring fire in the colder months is hard to beat in the bar, a lovely restaurant spread over two rooms, a back bar with pool table and tv’s.

Granny Dowbekins is our favourite local café, in Pooley Bridge just next to the bridge before the main car park. It’s an excellent spot for breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea or any type of coffee and cake treat. The Welsh Rarebit is one of the best brunch options on the planet. There’s plenty of outdoor seating by the river for when the weather is fine, and an extension on the riverside so don’t assume it’s full if you peek through the windows – there’s more!

Askham Hall is home to the acclaimed Askham Hall Restaurant, which celebrated being awarded a Michelin Star in October 2019 and really is a special dining experience. You can find out more on their website, but they do a 6-course tasting menu on weekends which is fantastic. Reservations recommended. This group also own the Queens Head pub in Askham, which is a fantastic place to eat all year round. Check their website for details.

The Brackenrigg Inn on the road between Pooley Bridge and Glenridding is great pub and restaurant with views over Ullswater for lunch or dinner.

The Art Deco Haweswater Hotel has become one of our favourite places for lunch (one man cycles there, we drive to meet for lunch then a walk). In January 2023 they relaunched their restaurant to offer tasting menus and more; we’ve yet to try the new look but it sounds exciting and well worth booking ahead for a visit.

Another Place is also off the road between Pooley Bridge and Glenridding and has a great ‘swim and dine’ package, where you can access their spa facilities followed by dinner in the restaurant. They also do SUP hire. More information is available on their website and again reservations are recommended.

These are just the highlights, however when you’re branching out in your explorations around Ullswater lake there are lots of other options including:

·      Pooley Bridge for a nice selection of pubs, cafés and restaurants to choose from

·      The Howtown Hotel has a great sandwich selection (at the foot of Hallin Fell)

·      The famous Inn on the Lake at Glenridding is well photographed for good reason

·      The Helvellyn Kitchen in Glenridding is also a lovely café.

Please note, for all suggestions made here you may wish to call ahead before travel to check seasonal opening hours or to make a reservation.

Sorting out your self catering options at Rose Cottage

The proximity of Rose Cottage to the M6 and Penrith means that although you feel hidden in a little pocket of rural England, you’re only a stones throw away from all the shopping facilities you’re likely to need during your stay in Tirril.

If you head towards the lake (Ullswater) there’s a decent selection of basics available in the Shop & Post Office in Pooley Bridge. 

The Park Foot Campsite shop further along the lake shores towards Howtown has a larger selection again (we use this a lot in the summer, particularly for BBQ supplies).

Rheged has a really good deli on the ground floor, as well as serving a really good range of nice pastries and hot snack food from their filling station.

Penrith really has had a facelift in recent years and there’s some great deli options in the town centre.

There are also a number of large supermarkets in Penrith. We regularly use Sainsbury’s delivery service by booking online in advance to stock up, and Morrisons has a great selection too.

Dana Curry is a great Indian Takeaway in Penrith that deliver to Rose Cottage, visit their website for the menu and further details. We usually phone to order to explain that Rose Cottage is two doors away from the pub in Tirril.