If you are a train lover like me and a massive fan of the Lake District, then to be offered a ‘car-free’ travel experience to its beautiful coastal area was simply too good to turn down.
So off I went from Liverpool Lime Street with my niece accompanying me to take Northern Rail to Grange-over-Sands in the South Lakes.
Having exclusively made the journey north to Cumbria by car, it was a completely different experience arriving by train, having changed trains at Preston in the direction of Barrow-in-Furness.
The closeness of the Irish Sea to the tracks as we passed along Carnforth (home of Brief Encounter!), Silverdale and Arnside was a glorious way to travel.
Getting off at Grange-over-Sands was incredible, turning off the platform to be faced with the top of Morecambe Bay and spectacular views.
We made our way to The Grange Hotel, a recently-refurbished four-star hotel that called to my love of Hercule Poirot, who I could easily picture being served a tipple with Captain Hastings before solving a murder.
The Art Deco style was spectacularly done and was a beautiful setting for going car-free, given that it’s no more than 100 yards from the railway station and a bus stop towards Barrow and Kendal.
We only had time to put our bags into reception before we were off out on our first trip to Backbarrow.
Booking a three-day ticket for all services through Stagecoach’s app, it was £28 for one adult, but every bus in the area under the North West 3-Day Explorer was available.
Taking our seats, we took in the magnificent countryside views on offer from the top deck of the bus, which became one of the staples of our visit, finding something new to see each time we made our way.
Backbarrow is around 17 minutes away on the winding roads as you head to the Lakeland Motor Museum, which incorporates the Donald Campbell exhibition, of water and land speed fame.
The vehicles on show at the museum ranged from some of the earliest cars, fire trucks and much more to classics of the 60s, 70s, 80s and even 90s.
The Campbell exhibition was made up of replicas of the land and water speed record attempt vehicles, and told the tales of how he and his father, Malcolm, achieved their fame.
A quick bite to eat at the on-site café and a view over the River Leven followed before we jumped back on the X6 bus to check in.
The rooms are beautifully decorated and the staff were willing to go above and beyond to support any queries we needed, with the speed at which new quarters were arranged most impressive.
In the evening, we ate in the hotel restaurant, opting for three courses (£43 per person) with Caprese salad for my niece and confit duck rillette for me as starters.
For mains, she opted for the butter-poached Basque chicken – superb – and I had the pistachio and green herb rack of lamb.
Mine came with wasabi pea puree, summer vegetable ragout, potato and parmesan terrine and spiced lamb jus.
For pudding, I had spiced roasted pineapple while my niece opted for sticky ginger, orange and date pudding.
Restaurant standard food in a hotel at such a competitive price – superb!
The next day, with a brilliant full English breakfast and buffet in our stomachs, we set off for Barrow for two completely different and equally brilliant exhibitions at the Dock Museum.
Jumping on the X6 again, it was an hour and 17 minutes to Barrow, taking in Ulverston and Dalton along the way.
If Stagecoach offered a ticket for just riding around on the top deck taking in the Lake District scenery, I would jump at that too.
The journey gave me some time to switch off, and despite arriving in the rain with a 10-minute walk to the museum, we were in very good spirits.
Entry to the Dock Museum is free with donations gladly taken, and, sitting opposite BAE’s submarine building sheds, it was a morning filled with outstanding history.
We were met by Sue, who gave us a tour of the museum, including the history of the town as an island, as steel producers and then ship builders.
She spoke with such passion about her hometown and its role in launching so many ships and submarines, but also how it grew from a tiny village to a centre of industry.
We also learned a fascinating Thomas the Tank Engine fact, plus Tommy the Pigeon and his Dickin Medal.
Dave had national treasure status, and the insight into his life was uplifting, overcoming incredible adversity with Lili and his best mate, Si King.
The exhibition shows his upbringing and days as a make-up artist and a bit of fun too, much like the man himself. Outstanding.
We were soon back on the X6 to head to Ulverston and Shed 1 Distillery, an award-winning operation based on the outskirts of the town famous as the birthplace of Stan Laurel.
Run by husband-and-wife team Zoe and Andrew Arnold-Bennett, it was an afternoon of gin tasting plus a tour of the distillery and great conversation.
Having met in South Korea when Andrew was on tour performing Shakespeare with the Globe Theatre, he and Zoe took turns to explain the five gins and one botanical vodka.
Named after their start-up operation in their back shed (the first one), the pair produced gin after gin for us to try, and, despite not being a spirits man, I was in heaven. Shed One is simply magnificent, and my personal favourite was Yia Yia.
Developed by Zoe with a former Masterchef winner, it was designed to be a taste of Greece and without being a ponce, it felt like it came from the Earth itself. I adored it.
We spent two hours talking about the drinks, their brilliant relationship, Andrew’s career and our lives – do whatever event they have on, you will love it.
Luckily the seats upstairs were so comfy, we could relax and head back.
We finished the night with food in the beautiful Grange-over-Sands before heading back home on via Northern, much happier.
For more, head to www.visitlakedistrict.com/plan-your-visit/travel/carfree
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