Literary Walking in the Lake District

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Jerry Ouderkirk, 27/09/2023

We thoroughly enjoyed our hike in the Lake District. The initial briefing with Ian Jones particularly helpful- delightful man. Looking forward to another trip in the future

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Rosemary Morris, 22/09/2023

Overall we enjoyed our trip despite a couple of days of very wet weather. It is the Lake District after all. The forestry work on the way to the Far Sawrey ferry cut off the route and we had to detour through the bushes and walk along very muddy. Again not something Headwater has control over.

However, the cafe at the Yew Tree Farm hasn’t been a cafe for about 10 years

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Colleen Hawthorne, 22/09/2023

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Mr De Maria, 01/09/2022

It did what it said on the tin. Easy walks of suitable distance and effort. saw all literary locations but we did need to do our own route to see Beatrix Potter's house which was a meaningful ommision from the itinerary.

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Mr Ekker, 07/07/2022

The itinerary notes were outstanding, truly impressed.

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Mrs KENT, 16/09/2021

All in all a fabulous holiday, my only criticism is that some of the notes were not very clear at times. Having said that I would definitely travel with you again.

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LOVELL, 10/09/2021

A wonderful opportunity to see the real lake district away from the roads and crowds. The walks and views were sublime and came with a glorious sense of isolation with the traditional countryside and sheep as a reminder of traditional farming through the centuries. Every walk gave way to such fabulous photo opportunities and we were blessed with warm september sunshine so we could see for miles.

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Mr ARMSTRONG, 08/09/2021

We've used Headwater many times in mainland Europe but this was our first experience in the UK - for obvious reasons this year! As always we found the experience second to none, really enjoyed the walking and the excellent choices of accommodation. The rep's briefing was really helpful and the maps, gradings and alternative walks all worked really well. Thank you!

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Ms SANDFORD, 05/09/2021

Had a lovely break and really enjoyed all the walks. My first time doing self-guided but no problems and easy to follow routes. Enjoyed house visits but logistics of booking them was quite challenging as had to pre-book specific time slots. Fortunately they were flexible and helpful when needed. Only real problem I had was that some places were closed on the day that I was due to visit which was disappointing. I found everyone very friendly and welcoming which was really nice when travelling alone. I was lucky to have very good weather which helped too!

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Ms VAN VELSEN, 06/08/2021

Excellent holiday - shame about the torrential rain for part of it!

All pick ups and transfers were smooth.

the accommodation was good/excellent.

The trip was described as leisurely but there were very rocky ascents and descents at times - I wish I had brought a stick.

We would have appreciated some notes as to the walk from Hawkshead to Hill Top Farm.

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Mr BLUNT, 16/07/2021

If you are looking for history, Wordsworth, Ruskin, Cunliffe as well as beautiful scenic lakes and fells this is for you. Staying in the beautiful Grasmere, Coniston with its lake and the world famous Bluebird cafe and finally to the quintessential village of Hawkshead. Taking a Gondola ride on Coniston, the peace and quiet of Grizedale forest and spectacular views towards Hawkshead. From start to finish this holiday offers all you need for a perfect weeks walking.

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Mr INGRAM, 10/07/2021

A well planned itinerary with good guidance and clear indication of walking difficulty. Highly recommended.

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Mrs SMITH, 08/07/2021

Although we had walked in the Lake District before, this holiday gave the opportunity to experience routes new to us and it certainly covered a wide variety of scenery. The standard of accommodation in each centre was excellent and we would like to make special mention of the staff at the Wordsworth Hotel and the Queen's Head who could not do enough for us despite having the extra work of coping with Covid procedures. Lakeland House being a B & B staffed only part-time was a different experience but we had been advised of this in advance and as a small building it did the best it could to be Covid secure and was certainly adequate for our needs. Thanks also to the staff at Headwater for helping us to have an enjoyable holiday after the disappointment of our Catalunya Activities week being cancelled last year.

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Mrs PORTMANN, 19/06/2021

We loved our time away - everything was arranged smoothly and all necessary information was received in good time. The walking instructions were superb and very thorough - we did not get lost once. The accommodation was very suitable for our needs.

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Mr Hall, 26/09/2020

A self guided walking holiday was a brand new venture for me

since I had always been on group guided walking holidays before. This new venture turned out to be a very enjoyable experience. The trip notes and maps that I was provided with to download onto my phone were very accurate. In fact I didn't have to refer to the OS maps that I was sent as well. The Lake District is a fantastic area to visit to start with on a first self guided walking trip, very pleasing. Hotels along the way were very good. I enjoyed the walking routes ,Grasmere to Coniston was my favourite. Overall I had a very enjoyable time and I would definitely do this self guiding experience again in the UK.

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Mr Goodwin, 16/08/2019

A lovely taste of different low level walks available in the area which makes us want to go back and do more on our own. Walking notes were excellent and easy to follow despite being discouraged from doing so and lack of confidence in them provided at the briefing. Given how often it rains and n the Lakes some walks are a little unsuitable after seriously heavy prolonged rain and alternatives would be useful. But all in all a great trip with delightful views and interesting history.

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Mrs Papworth, 03/08/2019

Good value for money

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Mrs Hayashida, 28/07/2019

We generally enjoyed good walking without any major issues. Our initial transfer to the hotel was not booked but we had a very good follow up from your local representative and staff. Also, one of the hotels was trying to charge room cost directly to us, but eventually they understood.

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Mr Eccles, 05/07/2019

As a Literary Tour it was thoughtfully planned, apart from Day 6 when your Highlights suggests alternatives, but the walk sheet offers only a rather unneccesary trip to Wray Castle. Surely the walk to Beatrix Potter's High Top (returning via Moss Eccles Tarn) should have been the first choice. The National Trust is establishing an off-road path from Hawkeshead, which we took to Near Sawrey. And the extension to Day 7/Bowness was a downer. Being thrust into such a touristy place took us away from the empty countryside world of our walk.

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Mr Hodgson, 26/06/2019

A memorable trip in a wonderfully scenic location

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Mr Corby, 28/05/2019

Superb locations, superb hotels and even better food. We will certainly return.

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Ms Willoughby, 15/05/2019

Morgan did a wonderful job looking after us! And headwater was so well organised-we really loved our holiday Thankyou; will definitely travel again with you!

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Mr Daugherty, 01/05/2019

An interesting programme with generally good accommodation. Service at hotels mostly good except for overcharging at Grasmere.

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Mr Thomas, 01/08/2018

Great holiday , very relaxing , walks well written and organised , made our first trip to the Lake district memorable and we will be back.

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Mrs Stuart, 23/07/2018

An all-around enjoyable experience. Rep, Karen, was really welcoming, helpful and knowledgeable which was a great start. The Wordsworth Hotel was comfortable and spacious,with great facilities, food and service - a great start to our holiday. The Queens Head Inn was a great choice of accommodation and the room was perfect - a fabulous place to end our holiday as the upgrade was great. However The Lakeland was a disappointment as the room was supposed to be an upgrade but fell very short. No space or facilities. It was incredibly impersonal with poor service. The staff were more interested in their shop customers. We are still waiting on the toast!

The walks were well graded, with excellently detailed guidance notes. There was room for subjectivity at times but back up maps sorted that.

Transfers and parking was straightforward too.

Booking staff were very helpful, pleasant and patient. I would recommend Headwater Holidays as everything went so smoothly, the walks were most enjoyable with beautiful, not too remote routes that were also not too inhabited.

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Mr Ghosh, 16/07/2018

We spent a really good week in the Lake District walking from village to village. Having our luggage transported from place to place was a real luxury. We were a bit unsure about how our children would cope with the walking. But this proved to be no problem at all, and they were ahead of us most of the time. The one day that we hadn't done our studying of maps and walking instructions properly, we managed to get lost. So, do your homework before leaving the house! We all really loved the last stop on our trip: The Queen's Head Inn, Hawkshead. Great team running the place and the food was amazing! Would travel with Headwater again if we have the chance to do so.

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Mr Dawson, 02/07/2018

Headwater have always provided very, very detailed walking guides and we can always rely on those notes - never a tree, a gate, or a stone out of place!

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Mrs Cole, 25/06/2018

My friend and I booked our Literary Walking in the Lake District Holiday as a celebration of our 50th birthdays. From the moment I began inquiring via email to the moment we left on the train out of Windermere, we felt valued and respected. Our booking experience was great - Joanne answered all my questions clearly and patiently. Transfers from the train station went smoothly and our taxi drivers were great. Every accommodation was clean, comfortable and unique and all the food was wonderful. Our printed directions were amazingly detailed and accurate - we had no issues finding our way around and the maps were very helpful too. Karen Wigglesworth was very friendly and genuine. She gave us plenty of information and suggestions to make our holiday the best it could be. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would do it again in a heartbeat! If only we could book every year! We were also extraordinarily lucky with the weather - a heat wave the Lake District hadn't experienced in years! Beautiful scenery, uncrowded trails, varied terrain - it was all wonderful! Thank you for helping make our birthday celebration unforgettable!

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Ms Kiss, 10/06/2018

The countryside and views were like out of a fairytale. Sheep grazing on the hills, beautiful cottages along the way and fragrant woods to walk through. This holiday is for anyone who needs to slow down and forget modern life. The quality of the food and beer offered at various pubs along the way made it even better!

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Mrs Currie, 13/08/2017

Ideal location for walking. Beautiful scenery and excellent accommodation

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Mrs Burridge, 01/06/2017

Walking enabled us to see parts of the Lake District we would never have seen in a car and the literary connections gave much added interest.

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Mr Asteriades, 07/05/2017

Gentle walking in stunning countryside. We went in May which risked wet weather (we were very lucky to have great weather). The Lake District does get very busy in the summer, so we're very happy to have had a nice quiet holiday.

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Mrs Madeiros, 01/08/2016

we loved it. you make the right choices. you care for detail. you are committed and reliable. you do all the hard work. we just turned up and paid. great!