Three Shires Inn

Lake District Holidays in Langdale

Special guided walking holidays in the Lake District can be arranged for groups staying at the Three Shires Inn. These can include full dinner, bed and breakfast, packed lunches, a Lakeland film show and guided walks tailored to the requirements of your party. Please contact us for further details.

Photography Holidays Lake District

led by renowned Lake District author & photographer Bill Birkett

Itineraries on Bill's courses are weather dependant and vary depending on the time of year. Up to date itineraries can be found on Bill's website.

Monday: arrive late afternoon and join Bill Birkett for slide show/talk on the photography for his book 'A Year In The Life of Langdale'. Three course dinner with Bill.

Tuesday: Meet after breakfast - 10am to explore the lower reaches of Little Langdale returning for bar meal at around 1.30pm. Afternoon visit to the Cathedral Quarry and Slaters Bridge in Little Langdale. Critique of the days work on laptop from 5pm to 6pm. Dinner.

Wednesday: Meet after breakfast 10am to visit and circumnavigate Blea Tarn. Ascend Side Pike, eat sandwiches, and photograph the stunning vista, including Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and The Langdale Pikes, around the head of Great Langdale. Return to starting point via Solitary and the Echo Stone. Return mid afternoon. Critique of the days photography on laptop from 5pm to 6pm. Dinner.

Thursday: Meet after breakfast 10am and drive to the famous maple tree in the centre of Elterwater. Walk to Loughrigg Tarn and descend to Skelwith Bridge, lunch at Touchstone Gallery or sandwiches. Return via the River Brathay and Eltermere Lake. Participants photo competition from 5pm to 6pm - you decide which is the best image taken on the course - 1st prize receives signed copy of Bill Birkett's 'A Year In The Life of the Langdale Valleys'. Dinner.

Friday: Depart after breakfast.

Prices: Please contact us for the latest information.

Non participating partners are welcome to the evening film show (and breakfast/ dinner of course!) and may have use of our local country club with pool, gym, spa, beauty therapy facilities. We can offer directions to local attractions and places of interest around Ambleside and the rest of the Lake District.

The 4 night breaks will run from Monday afternoon to Friday morning. Prices are per person and include full breakfast, 3 course dinner and personal guiding and tutoring from renowned Lakeland photographer Bill Birkett. Prices are also inclusive of vat.

Please visit Bill's website to see examples of his work and for a more detailed itinerary of each course. www.billbirkett.co.uk.

Water Colour Painting Holidays with Tony Taylor

A sketching, walking and painting holiday with accommodation and tuition. Tony runs a number of similar courses in the northern Lake District, Norfolk and on his home island of Guernsey.

To receive more details or to make a reservation for one of Tony's courses at the Three Shires Inn please visit his website www.paintingbreaksguernsey.com.

2008 Dates

Our next watercolour course will be a 6 night course starting on Sunday 2nd November when the autumn colours are at their best. Please see Tony Taylor's website for further details.

Guided Walking in the Lake District

Guided walks in the Lake District can be tailor made to suit your group.

Typically run in conjunction with 5 nights accommodation, guided walking holidays at the Three Shires Inn are inclusive of dinner, bed and breakfast and packed lunches. There will be a film show of local interest one evening. There will be 4 guided walks within the Langdale area and each day you will be accompanied by an experienced guide who will be able to pass on much information of local interest. As the our Lakeland pub is situated in such a beautiful area with an infinite variety of walks from the doorstep, virtually all walks start from the Three Shires.

The following routes are examples of the walks we will take. Please be aware that although these are the areas we are using the routes may be modified depending on the weather conditions and the ability of the group.

1/ Lingmoor Fell & Great Langdale Loop; an uphill start from the hotel to Lingmoor summit where walkers are rewarded with panoramic views of Scafell & the Langdale Pikes round to Helvellyn and down to Windermere Lake. The route then follows the footpath down into the top of Great Langdale and along the valley on footpaths to Elterwater. Home to Little Langdale takes you up through the trees to the Ullet's Nest track which brings you back to the Three Shires.

2/ Elterwater/Loughrigg opportunities for interesting walks are endless around here. The route would follow the Ullet's Nest track over to Elterwater then along by the side of the River Brathey through to a footpath which takes you over to Loughrigg Tarn. A number of routes could be taken on Loughrigg Fell but we would walk down to Skelwith Bridge where afternoon teas are served at Touchstones Café overlooking the river. The route home would take in the footpaths through the fields & woods to Colwith and then by the waterfalls into Little Langdale.

3/ Tilberthwaite & High level route over Swirl How & Great Carrs A gentle start through to Tilberthwaite then up the ghyll over to Levers Water overlooking Coniston. A footpath then leads up to a pass and a rocky ascent to the top of Swirl How. Hard work is rewarded with views over the Duddon Valley & beyond to the coast by Ravenglass and round to all the main central Lakeland fell tops. It's views all the way back to the Three Shires as we follow the route round the back of Great Carrs and down Wet Side Edge above Wrynose Pass which leads back down to Slaters Bridge & home.

Room types: Please contact us for the latest prices and availability for our walking holidays.