The Lake District
we have not been to the Lake District before and are intending to in April for one week
Can you recommend whether to stay at one site or to stay at multiple sites to get the best feel of the lakes
we have electric bikes in our motorhome but would also need to use public transport as once sited we do not wish to drive around ?
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Keswick is a good base with very good but expensive bus services. If you are fortunate to have English senior citizen bus passes you will be able to explore quite a large area free of charge.
CCC has two sites in Keswick and two new to the club a little outside (served by a bus service).
I would recommend that you look at these and book asap. (If you are not already a CCC member you will save money at the sites by first joining.)
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We used to live and work near Ullswater and holidayed many times near Ravenglass - and loved those quieter outlying edges of the Lake District more than the central area.
But Dunelm is right - for a one week visit with a Motorhome then park it as near Keswick as you can - busy and touristy though it is - and use the bus services. And I would leave the bikes at home.
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Worth remembering that if you stay on a lakeside site (and I think I'd choose Keswick too for a first ever week) is to use the local boats/passenger ferries to explore places along the shore lines. A lovely relaxing way of travel and usually the sites provide discount tickets.
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It’s a big area. Like Scotland, you have to drive around mountains and Lakes, so journeys may be longer than you think. Very beautiful, lots to see and do. If you are using bikes to commute to places, rather than enjoying a cycle route, I would think again. Bus services are rural, don’t expect town and city services.
Take your wet weather gear is my top tip. And it will be chock full at Easter.
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What's in Keswick? Booths! (my favourite supermarket
) Derwentwater surrounded by some walkable hills like Catbells, an excellent Theatre by the Lake, a good museum, attractive parks, lots of independent shops. Lots of local walking, lake side, hills and river. Good pubs and eateries. A market. Good bus services in all directions. What's not to like. 
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It is an area where travel is slow due to smaller roads and lots of traffic.
For public transport use (as much as it pains me) then the CCC site at keswick would be the best, you then can get to most places from the nearby bus station.
Two good club sites, Troutbeck Head, good excellent site open to views but more suited to the northern and western fells and Ullswater and Grasmere. Buses from the A66 and at times from the site entrance but please check
Coniston park, not as open (good if you like trees) walk or cycle into Coniston along a non road path then public transport from there (or past the site).
There is the Kendal site as well. But only been there once and for me 'out' of the lakes
As said lots to do and all mountains can be walked up.
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Any good tourist suggestions for the OP?
For a real feel of the lakes I would take the Keswick rambler (bus) to Honister, get off and visit the slate mine and have a tour inside, then onto Buttermere then back?
Walk round Derwentwater?
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I can only assume that the OP is not someone who has climbed a lot of hills. I may be wrong but most people who do like hills and mountains will have visited the Lakes at some point in their life, so no big hills recommended. However, I would recommend taking the bus to Grasmere from Keswick and walk around Rydal Water to visit the NT cottage that Wordsworth once lived in. It's a flatish walk with lovely scenery and a bit of history at the end. If you are tired you can catch the bus from Ambleside back to Grasmere or even Keswick itself.
There's also the Pencil museum, Derwentwaters in Keswick. Make use of the ferries on the Lakes. You can travel the length of Windermere from Ambleside.
Everyone's suggestion of basing yourself in Keswick for a one week trip is a good one. If you are in the other club then you could try to split it between Keswick and their other site at Bowness, but both are very popular and may well already be booked up.
If you get the weather then, for us, there is no finer place to be, either here or abroad (but we like climbing them there hills).
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+1
Hope to get my 200th wainwright at Easter, perhaps mop up the last remaining 14 too
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We'll be there in May, wandering around the Northern Lakes from Borrowdale site. Haven't been up Haystacks or Glaramara for a few years so will have them on the to do list. Quite like some of the smaller ones too though. One of my favourite views is from Kings How looking down Derwentwater towards Blencathra and Skiddaw. There's a nice memorial on the top of Kings How.
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Strangely enough I have never done the High Spy - Maiden Moor -Catbells ridge walk. Might get the bus to Honister then up Dale head (for the views) then over to High Spy and back to Keswick
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Thanks for all of your posts,yes we are cc members,I think we will book Keswick
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If you don't get in at Keswick, I would second Eurotraveller's comment about the site at Ravenglass. (Other comments on here are all very valid)
Although on the 'quieter' west side of the Lakes, it's still likely to be busy. Not sure about local transport (buses) in the area, but the site is right next to a rail station and 'Lal Ratty' will take you to Eskdale where you could cycle to Wast Water and the Nations' best view. Muncaster Castle is next door and worth the entrance money plus there are miles of beaches and walks on your doorstep and a couple of excellent pubs serving tasty meals.
This is God's country.....enjoy!
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As you can gather from the posts, Keswick is popular and the sites get booked up months ahead. If it's not possible to get a pitch and you don't mind a non facility site Borrowdale at the end of Derwentwater is another nice site, the bus stops outside (the one which does the lovely circular route via Keswick, Buttermere, Honister and Grange.) You can also walk along Derwentwater from the site and get one of the launches down to Keswick or to the various jetty stops.
Derwentwater launches LINK (nice little video clip.)
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We have stayed at several sites in the Lake District, but the only ones that do seem to cover all the requirements you mention are the C&CC sites at Keswick. The only other club one that might work is also C&CC and is Braitwaite Fold. None of this clubs sites that we have visited have had the range of public transport required.
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We've walked from the Ravenglass site to Muncaster Castle but it is not actually "next door" to the site.
It's not a problem walking there and back from the site for relatively fit people. According to google maps the distance is 1.3 miles each way and the suggested walking time is 28 minutes.
If you are a friend of Historic Houses Association entry to Muncaster is free.
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Another vote for Borrowdale (Low Manesty) min facility site, beautiful and easy to get to Keswick on the lake motor launches. We had red squirrels feeding right by our window. Lovely walks up Cat Bells and around Derwentwater.
Braithwaite Fold used to be a CC site, now C&CC one too much like a car park for our taste.
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As we will be at Borrowdale site we will probably climb up from there onto Cat Bells and do the Newlands Round, which would include High Spy and Dale Head but also takie in Hindscarth as well, coming back via Little Town. A nice 10 mile stroll, hopefully. Well, it was the last time we did it.
For the OP, splitting the visit between the 2 C&CC sites would make sense but there is also the CAMC site at Coniston where you could take in Ruskins house on the other side of the lake.
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the walk from Dale head to Hindscrath is a gentle stroll, might as well do Robinson as well then come down to Newlands church and Little town?
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If you're parking at Honister Hause it would make a nice walk. Would you want to walk up onto Maiden Moor from Little Town or walk along the valley and back up to to the foot of Dale Head? I'm not adding on Robinson to our itenarary. We may well decide it is a lovely day to simply walk over to Buttermere from the club site and catch the bus back.Last time we did that though we got caught short by a non forecasted thunder storm and had to make a quick descent off the hills.
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Private site, Skelwith Fold.
Go fully serviced, try and get on the pitches nearest the amazing facilities block.
Plenty of joint use off road gravel paths.
Wray Castle has again joint use gravel paths along the side of Lake Windermere.
Google the site.
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We have stayed on a small private site on the A66 about 6 miles from Keswick with fantastic views.
Threlkeld Hall Caravan site with Blencathra rising up behind.
All pitches are fully serviced and there is also a free shower and toilet if prefered.
We have stayed there a few times since it opened about 7 years ago.
Easy to get to and from with Threlkeld village having a couple of good pubs with the Salutation offering great burgers.
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For something a little different you could stay at the Dockary Meadow CC site. You then have access to the quieter, less frequented Western Fells, around Buttermere and Loweswater.
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very expensive, peak is £34 to £41 per pitch then add £3.70 for EHU and another £3.70 per awning, and £2 per dog.
That's approaching £50 per night, as people say club sites are expensive?
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It is a great location, probably the best around.
The service pitches are open plan, car park wouldn't be an unreasonable description.
But it's the only site I've been on that has had wild Deer walking past your window!
Going again in the not to distant future. One of our regular sites.
Is £350 a week expensive for a holiday?
I dont think so, probably may explain why the CAMC can keep putting up its prices.
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