Local Area

The nearest pub, the Manor House in Oxen Park, is about 2.5 miles by road, the Eagles Head in Satterthwaite is about 3 miles by road, the White Hart Inn at Bouth is about 4 miles and the takeaway fish and chip shop at Greenodd is about 5.5 miles.

The beautiful village of Hawkshead contains numerous pubs, cafes and gift shops including village fudge and relish shops. On the way to Hawkshead you will pass through Grizedale Forest (4.5 miles) which has sculptures, hiking trails and mountain bike tracks, in addition to over 3 km of zip-wires at the Go Ape centre.

If you don’t want to use the car then there is an almost endless number of public footpaths direct from Syke Barn, from pleasant stream-side strolls, to higher fell walks offering rewarding panoramic views to the high central fells in the north and the sea towards Morecambe to the south. The grave of Arthur Ransome, author of Swallows and Amazons is in the local churchyard just down Syke lane.

On a walk from Syke Barn through Rusland Moss Reserve you may be able to see deer, various other wildlife and during the breeding season Ospreys have nested in the last few years in one of the trees visible from the path, a pair of binoculars would enhance the viewing.

The valley is a popular destination for cyclists who enjoy road and off road cycling, including those at Grizedale forest.

The National Trust Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve near Roanhead has sand dunes and sandy beaches and can be found 16 miles away to the south west on the way to Barrow-in-Furness.

Ambleside lies approximately 12 miles to the north and has many places to eat and drink, three cinemas and plenty of shops. A further five miles brings you to the lovely village of Grasmere, famous for (amongst other things) William Wordsworth who lived there for a number of years, locally made gingerbread and the adjacent lake which gives the village its name.

From the Ambleside/Grasmere area you have access to the higher fells of Fairfield and Helvellyn (the third highest peak in England) along with many others.

For those looking for further walking and climbing the Great Langdale valley is around 17 miles to the north west, boasting the Langdale Pikes, Crinkle Crags, Side Pike and a multitude of others, a real mecca for climbing and walking. There are also three pubs/bars at the end of the valley with parking (some pay and display) which all serve food.

The village of Coniston is 10 miles to the west (via Hawkshead). Here a popular walk is the Old Man of Coniston with many surrounding fells. A short walk from the village gets you to the shores of Coniston Water, famous for the water speed record attempts by Sir Malcolm Campbell and later his son Donald, who met his demise attempting to break the record in 1967 in his Bluebird K7 craft. His grave can be found in one of the churchyards in the village.

Windermere Lake Cruises offer trips on the lake, the nearest  point to embark is Lakeside Pier at the southern end of the lake, this is about 4.5 miles to the south east.