Useful Links

Transport

Food & Wine Suppliers

Local Activities

Transport  

Car Rental - Avis
This national car rental company's nearest branches to Ambleside are Lancaster (42 miles) and Carlisle (52 miles).

Lakes Car Hire

This small family run business in Windermere, is friendly and has efficient customer service with an extensive knowledge of the area. Maps of the area are provided with each car rental. They are based just a short walk from the Windermere train and bus station, they also provide a collection service or deliver your car to Rothay Manor (free of charge).

National Rail Enquiries

There are several fast trains a day from London’s Euston station up the West coast, stopping at Oxenholme/Kendal, with a local connection to Windermere.

Virgin Trains
Will help you find and buy the ticket that fits you best. You can also browse the latest special offers, and find out more about seat reservations, upgrades, travelling in a group and the queue-busting FastTicket system...

Cumbria Traveline

Provides detailed public transport information for all bus, coach, rail and Lakeland ferry journeys to/from and within Cumbria.

Road / Motorway Traffic Reports

If you're looking for traffic information for your route, this site will give you up-to-date information as it is uppdated every 3 minutes.

Cumbrian Discoveries

For individuals and groups touring Cumbria and the English Lake District, these guides are knowledgeable and friendly, and offer entertaining and informative tours.

Englandsmiles

Specialists in tailor-made day tours for small groups visiting the Lake District.

Go Lakes
Why not use this extensive and user friendly information network t o help you plan and make the most of your visit to the Lake District. Whether its details on how to get here or how to get around, or advice on what to see and do, and suggestions of where to stay and eat, you will find it all there at your fingertips.

Lakes Odyssey Tours 

Lakes Odyssey offers a range of luxury tours within the Lake District. We only allow 6 people to give you a more relaxed and personal tour, from Beatrix Potter to high mountain passes and majestic scenery. Why not see if we have a tour for you. After all “It’s your journey

Lakes Tours

Specialising in bus tours around the English Lake District with friendly and informative local drivers who also act as guides for your trip. They provide you with a commentary as you progress around the lakes and countryside. Minibuses are comfortable and spacious with plenty of legroom and excellent visibility from all windows. Groups are limited to 11 people per trip providing maximum enjoyment for all concerned.

Manchester Airport

Where the world comes to the North-West - so check out their website for all the current information.

The Mountain Goat

Offering a variety of full-day and half-day guided mini-coach tours, this is an ideal way to explore the spectacular scenery of the Lake District. They operate daily throughout the year and their tours include lake cruises, steam train journeys and cultural, historic and literary attractions. There are frequent stops to allow you to take photographs and do short walks, and guests are picked-up from the hotel. The vehicles are small enough to go 'off the beaten track' and visit those special places not accessible by larger coaches and buses. They all have large panoramic windows to give everyone o good view, comfortable seats with headrests and seatbelts and the PA system enables you to hear a drivers commentary as you travel.

Windermere-Bowness Shuttle & Windermere Cross Lakes Shuttle

These are 'hop on and off' services - either Windermere - Bowness, or the Cross Lakes Shuttle to Hilltop, Hawkshead, Grizedale and Coniston.

The AA Travel Planner

Search for a route using street or postcode, town, city or place of interest with the option of getting driving directions and a detailed map of your journey.

Stagecoach
The main bus company in Cumbria providing comprehensive networks between the cities, towns and villages.

Windermere Lake Cruises

Forget the car and spend a day cruising around on Windermere Lake. With a wide range of sailings and trips to choose from - either a quick trip around the islands on the lake, or a full day spent getting on and off to explore various points around the lake, it's a great way to enjoy the scenery.

Tourist Information

Ambleside - the Jewel in South Lakeland's Crown

This is a complete guide to the community of Ambleside with local, business and tourist information, Lakes Parish Council news, accommodation, restaurant, services and shopping guide

Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter was born 1866 into very rich family, her father was a lawyer/barrister. As a child she was very lonely as she had few friends since she did not go to school but was taught at home privately by a governess. She kept pet animals, cats, mice, and hedgehogs. She also had several rabbits; her favourite was called Benjamin H Bouncer or Bounce for short and her naughty rabbit was called Peter........

Enjoy England

The official website for breaks and days out in England

Go Lakes

This is the official Cumbria Tourism website and has a fantastic choice of exciting attractions to visit and plenty of Cumbrian events

Golf Course Guide

The Golf Today directory contains information about over 2000 golf courses, clubs and other golfing facilities throughout England.

Lake District National Park

This is England's largest National Park which includes Scafell Pike - its highest mountain, Wastwater - its deepest lake, and thriving communities like Keswick and Bowness-on-Windermere.

Visit their website for information about this unique corner of England.

Lake District Tourist Guide

The Lake District is without doubt one of the most beautiful places in England with plenty to do all year round and for people of all age groups. This website offers a comprehensive guide for all tourism and leisure activities.

Multimap

Find your way to Rothay Manor using Multimaps excellent directions - from your home address or anywhere!

Tourist Information from South Lakeland District Council

Here you will find information on plenty of things to see and do in South Lakeland, whatever the weather!  There's something for everyone - ranging from outdoor music and cultural festivals, extreme sports and activities to historic houses and gardens, tranquil lake cruises and award winning museums and art galleries. Have a look and plan your break before you come.

Striding Edge

A photo diary of Lake District Fell Walks

The Westmorland Gazette

Find out what's happening in the area from the pages of our local paper, together with details of 'What's On'.

UK Tourist Information - Monuments

Find out about prehistoric monuments such as those at Castlerigg, Keswick

Visit Cumbria

A guide to the many attractions and places of interest in the county including historic buildings, lakes, preserved railways, churches, the National Trust, walks, towns and villages, hundreds of aerial photographs, and famous people connected with Cumbria.

Weather Forecast

Check out the 5 day forecast for Ambleside on the BBC Weatherline

Best Loved Hotels Exceptional Hotels and Places to stay in the UK and Ireland

Fine Individual Hotels A selection of independant, individually owned hotels through out the country

Good Hotel Guide       Click on the symbol to see our review for 2008.

   
Infotel
Information and bookings for hotels.   

Johansens Johansens annually inspect our recommended hotels spas and meetings venues... whether your stay is for leisure or business you can be confident that our exacting standards have been met

The Paddy Burt Collection of Places to Stay       The Paddy Burt Collection of places to stay and eat is a website inspired by Paddy’s very popular weekly column, Room Service which ran from 1990 until August 2008 in the Daily Telegraph. All the hotels you will see here have previously been featured in a newspaper or magazine where a journalist has written about what it was like to stay and eat there.

Karen Brown Guides have been helping travellers plan perfect trips for over 30 years

  Ambleside Holiday Cottages iknow-lakedistrict.co.uk        

Food & Wine Suppliers

Udale Speciality Foods,  Schola Green Lane, Morecambe  

A local catering butcher that has been sourcing Cumbrian Meat from Cumbrian Farms for many years and supplying the best Hotels, Restaurants and Pubs. Their produce is now available to customers outside the region over the internet.
                                                    

Lucy's Specialist Grocers, Compston Road, Ambleside 

A delicatessen specialising in produce from around Cumbria with the emphasis on individually created foods ranging from cheeses, bread and pastries to pickles, chutneys and puddings

The Cheese Larder, 24 Finkle Street, Kendal  

Established 1990 in Kendal as a specialist retailer of mainly British cheeses, the Cheese Larder was quickly seen by local hoteliers as an ideal supplier to help them obtain variety and quality. The company has now expanded to cover the whole of Cumbria, North Lancashire and West Yorkshire and offers both wholesale and retail sales to the rest of the UK through the Internet.

Farrer's Tea & Coffee Merchants, 13 Stricklandgate, Kendal

Farrer's is a well-known, traditional purveyor of excellent teas and coffees, just walk past the shop and smell for yourself - or treat yourself to a cup of tea or coffee and a cake in the their cafe. The building itself dates from the 17th century and is a grade 2 listed building, from where Liverpool Tea Merchant John Farrer started his business in 1819 - the building has now been immortalised by Liliput Lane.

Coniston Brewing Company Ltd, The Forge, Coniston     

Hidden away behind the Black Bull in Coniston is the Coniston Brewing Company. This outstanding brewery run by Ian Bradley is where Bluebird Bitter is made using only the finiest ingredients and water from high up in the fells surrounding Coniston.    

Hawkshead Brewery Ltd, Mill Yard, Staveley  

Hawkshead Brewery is a craft brewery, brewing traditional beer styles with a modern twist. They have been brewing since 2002, at first in a barn just outside the village of Hawkshead, and now in a new tailor-made brewery beside the River Kent, in Staveley. The new brewery is a 20 barrel (3,300 litre) plant, with a weekly capacity of 100 barrels, made for them by Moeschle in Southern Germany. Alongside the new brewery, and looking down into it, is The Beer Hall which is a showcase for Real Ale.

Majestic Wines, Blackhall Road, Kendal  

 Majestic Wine Warehouses is the UK's biggest retailer specialising in sales of wine by the mixed case. They sells wines and spirits with a minimum purchase of 12 bottles (any mix) and offer an extensive range of superb wines in large quantities, giving customers real choice and value.

Oddbins Uk Ltd, 31 Stricklandgate, Kendal  

Wine merchants  

MISCELLANEOUS

Better Photos

Better Photos runs digital photography and Photoshop courses for beginners and intermediate photographers. Most of our courses are run in and around the Lake District, where the scenery is beautiful and there are lots of opportunities to capture great images. It's the perfect place to learn about digital photography or photo editing.
We offer both personal tuition and group courses. Our mission is to help you take and make better photographs.

McCoy Wynne Professional Photography  -  Steve and Stephanie have been taking photos for Rothay Manor since 2007. They first came in 2006 after being selected by the North West Tourism Council to take a selection of photographs of all those shortlisted for the North West 'Small Hotel of the Year' Award in 2006. We were so impressed with the quality and variety of the shots they took that we invited them back to do more and whenever we need photos - they're our choice. They have recently been shortlisted for the Liverpool Art Prize 2009 and we wish them every success

The Lake District Tourism & Conservation Partnership

We are all aware that the beautiful landscape, wildlife and environment, are not ours but ours to look after...  The Tourism & Conservation Partnership is a 'not for profit' organisation that works with tourism and related businesses, encouraging both fundraising for landscape conservation, and the development of environmentally sustainable practices within the industry. They are totally reliant on members and donations.

Rothay Manor supports the 'Save our Red Squirrels' campaign, which has helped to set up a reserve at Thirlmere, just north of Grasmere, which has ideal conditions and terrain for red squirrels, as well as other reserves throughgout the north of England; as well as 'Our Men at the Top' who work full-time on the fells from March to November maintaining and repairing badly damaged paths. Donations can be made at Reception.

Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team

These volunteers cover part of the central Lake District, Britain's busiest mountain rescue area, and deal with up to 100 incidents per year. They are a self-funding dedicated team of 'professional volunteers' coming from all walks of life, who are united in their love of mountains and their wish to help fellow mountaineers in trouble.

SARDA - Search and Rescue Dog Association

Many people in Britain know little of their work and may never have heard of search dogs. Yet winter and summer, especially in areas like the Lake District that are popular with walkers at  all times of the year, search dogs and their handlers work searching for lost or injured people, as part of Search and Rescue Groups.

Each year an individual handler and dog costs in excess of £500 to finance as well as £400 coming from the handler's own pocket.

SARDA Lakes is totally self funded receiving no Government or lottery funding and therefore operates entirely on the generosity of the public through corporate sponsorship, Gift Aid and cash donations.

Dictionary

John Butler's Landscape Photography

Take a trip around the country and see shots of spectacular landscapes without leaving your chair!

Zinco Design Solutions
Designers and producers of this website - Imaginative and distinctive graphic solutions, adapting seamlessly across a variety of mediums, and bonding design excellence with client objectives. For more information, click the link above to visit our new website...