What an amazing day we had today! We made our way to Pooley Bridge and went for a lovely walk around Ullswater Lake—something we missed in October due to the flooding. It’s a walk we really enjoy, so it was fantastic to finally get to do it again.

As soon as we reached the start of the lake, we came across a rope swing—it was great fun! And surprisingly, it held adults too, so we all had a go. There’s something so fun and freeing about swinging out over the water!

We managed to walk a bit further than we usually do and ended up at the campsite and farm area, where there was a food van. We grabbed some chips to complement our sandwiches and sat down to enjoy them. The boys were quick to spot the small park nearby, and they spent some time playing. However, there were a couple of incidents along the way: Lewis got whacked by a swing and went flying through the air (it was a bit of a shock, but he was fine), and then Alexander fell off the climbing wall, landing right under a swing. He stood up, cracked his head, but thankfully he was okay too! It was a little chaotic, but they both bounced back quickly.

Pro tip: We parked at the all-day parking in Pooley Bridge, which cost us £3.00. There’s also an alternative car park that costs £3 for up to 2 hours.

On the way back home, we stopped by the shops in Penrith for some ice creams, then decided to visit Brougham Castle, which is just a 5-minute drive from our chalet. It’s a lovely ruin, with flowers growing through the old walls. You can walk up to two levels of the castle for a fantastic view. It was a great little stop to round off the day.

By the time we got back, we were all absolutely shattered after a full day of adventures.

11008 steps walked—an excellent way to kick off the holiday!