Ghyll Pond

A small lake just outside Kendal that most tourists completely miss. That's partly the appeal. Ghyll Pond sits quietly off the beaten track, the sort of spot where you might see a heron if you're patient, or at minimum a few ducks going about their business. The walk in takes maybe ten minutes from the car park, and the water itself is ringed by trees - nothing dramatic, but genuinely peaceful. You won't find a café or visitor centre. There's no admission fee because there's barely any infrastructure. It's the kind of place you'd bring if you're basing yourself at Windermere Camping and Caravanning Club Site or Kendal Camping and Caravanning Club Site and want to break up the day without another major attraction. Families with young kids will probably only manage twenty minutes before boredom sets in, unless you make it a proper walk and explore the surrounding paths. Walkers and bird watchers will find it more rewarding - especially early morning in spring. The real value here is as a counterpoint to the madness of Windermere itself, just a few miles away. If you're tired of crowds and tarted-up lakeside villages, Ghyll Pond reminds you why people come to the Lakes in the first place. Go when the light's decent - on a grey day it's rather forgettable.