This year, Cumbria Tourism have created the very first EV guide to The Lakes, and we were tasked with the job to see how easy it is to do in an electric vehicle.
The car of choice is Hyundai's flagship EV, the Ioniq 6 - join us as we spend two days exploring The Cumbria EV Trail, experiencing all it has to offer, and more!
And we're off... We headed northbound to Junction 36 of the M6 - which is the starting point for the trail - took the junction and headed towards Windermere. We checked out the EV Chargers at Stavely Mill Yard (of which there are 4!) or if you need to pick up some shopping, Booths in Windermere have four Instavolt rapid chargers you can use. After our brief reconnoitre through Staveley, we carried on towards The Windermere Jetty Museum.
The museum offers heritage boat rides, tours and events, and they have a cafe and gift shop too!
Next, we headed towards Bowness, passed by the busy streets and shops before heading down to board The Mallard and cross the waters aboard Windermere Ferry.
We passed by Claife Viewing Station on our way to Wray Castle. It's easy to see why Beatrix Potter fell in love with the place when she stayed there in 1882! Wray Castle offers great views of The Lake District, and there are many magnificent trees and plants to be seen in the gardens and grounds.
We then headed over to Ambleside, popping into The Lake District Visitor Centre at Brockhole, and if you need to charge your EV, there are four 7kW chargers there. Once in Ambleside, why not check out Windermere Lake Cruises? It's a great way to see The Lake District from a different perspective.
Leaving Ambleside, we set our sights towards Grasmere - a picturesque village with lots to offer, from fine dining to quirky tearooms. It's no wonder Wordsworth fell in love with the area, living at Rydal Mount from 1813 to 1850.
It was time to head to our hotel for the evening, The Royal Oak Hotel in Borrowdale. Having undergone a recent £1,000,000.00 refurbishment, it was a warm and welcome respite. The rooms were comfy and tranquil, and the food was superb. Nothing was too much trouble for Ann and her team, and they even have a 7kW EV Charger in the rear car park.
Please take a look at the Green Car Guide Lake District EV Trail review: https://www.greencarguide.co.uk/features/lake-district-ev-trail/
Due to the location of our hotel, the next morning we headed over to Honister. There's a lot to see and do at Honister, including the Via Ferrata. One of only two Iron Paths in the U.K. (Or Iron Way - depending if you look at the Italian or Latin definition) you have the choice of The Classic or The Xtreme! If that's not what you're looking for, why not try some canyoning or cliff camping? Honister Slate Mine is England's oldest operating slate mine, producing Westmorland Green Slate. You can see how things are done on a mine tour, and purchase some slate in their gift shop.
It was now time to head into Keswick, and our first stop was Booths for some goodies. They also have four Instavolt rapid chargers there, so if you're running low, you'll be back on the road in no time. If you are staying in Keswick, why not head over to the Derwent Pencil Museum, or take in a movie at The Alhambra Cinema?
Moving on, we made our way to Whinlatter Forest - a favourite mountain biking destination of Ben's. You can take the Zog trail, or Go Ape there too. Next, was Castlerigg Stone Circle, one of the oldest Henge's in the country. The views from there are breathtaking.
After a quick stop for some ice cream, it was time to head over to Dalemain Mansion and gardens. The history of the place is fascinating, and they are hosts to the World Marmalade Festivals and Awards. Check out their marmalade ginger cake for a zingy afternoon tea!
If you are running low on charge, don't worry - Glenridding car park is not far, and it has a 7kW charger. We headed over to The Rheged Heritage Centre next - it's the place to go for creative classes, catching the latest independent cinema releases, or even relaxing in the cafe there.
The last stop on The EV Trail os Lowther Castle in Penrith. where you can spend a grand day out. Adventure playground, abandoned ruins and beautiful gardens are just part of the attraction here - come and see if for yourself.
If it's time for you to head home, you can hop back onto the M6, as Junction 40 is not far from here. We're sure you will be back for more adventures in The Lake District!
NGMW