I worked out that in the past 15 years of travelling the world we’ve worked less than 5 years, now that’s the sort or work to travel ratio I like! So in 2023 we decided it was time to get a job again, ideally we’d of worked in Norway but the rules have changed since brexit so it’s back to England for us. Normally we work in a restaurant in our hometown but going back to the same place has begun to feel rather depressing, plus our friend who we normally rent a cheap room from has moved out the area which meant rent would take up a huge chunk of our payslip, so we decided to apply for some live-in jobs in national parks or wilder places in the UK. We had a few job offers in Scotland but some had bad shift patterns and we’d end up being passing ships while others were too far from the coast and we’ve spent enough time in Scotland to know that the further away you are from a sea-breeze the worse the midges are. Luckily we also got a job offer from the Lake District National Park in Northern England which offered 40 hour weeks with set daytime shifts so we’d finish at 4pm everyday and could spend our days off hiking and camping. We’ll be helping in a 5 star b&b, serving breakfast and cleaning the rooms. Rent is on site for £280 a month for the two of us and it includes basic breakfast and lunch…and there’s no commute to work, hooray.

After a lovely month back home seeing our family and meeting our new little niece we packed our backpacks and headed for the train station. We’d originally thought about buying a cheap car but it didn’t seem worth it to only use on our days off. There was a rail service all the way up to the Lakes and we could get buses around the area on our days off so we decided to make that work. First we had to travel to London and then go through the veins of the city on the tube to Euston. A guy came onboard with a speaker and was singing and dancing his way through the carriages. In very British style no one made eye-contact with him, unsure if he was on the crazy side or busking for money.

The train was lovely and comfortable with designated seats so the three hour journey flew by and before we knew it lush green hills were rolling out the window and drystone walls marked people’s pockets of lands. It was Spring so the hills were alive with tiny lambs who were wagging their tails as they suckled on their mum. The whole day’s travel took about 6 hours with three trains and one tube so we were very happy when our boss picked us up from the station.

She showed us where we’d be living which was an old stone bungalow next to the hotel, shared with three other staff members. It was rather old fashioned and with a hint of mould in the air but it was fine and because we were a couple we had two rooms and a private bathroom so one room became our bedroom and the other a lounge. Outside our window we spotted pheasants and little bunnies – I can see how the Lake District inspired Beatrix Potter to write the Peter Rabbit books. The gardens surrounding our property were a mix of wild meadows and manicured gardens filled with colourful flowers. Our communal kitchen and dining room were in a separate building and had the original carpet from the 70s which was bright red and looked like it belonged in an Austin Powers movie. We barely had time to rest before our first shift started at 7:30am the following morning.

I was provided a cleaning tunic which was ghastly and made me look like a cleaner in the 1950s but I’ve gotten used to wearing it now. Our first week flew by and our evenings off also slipped by. We did manage to take a stroll into the very popular village of Bowness on Windermere and were shocked at how busy it was with tourists, although our boss assured us it was nothing compared to the crowds that fill the place in summer.

Our first day off was pouring with rain but to be honest I think our tired bodies were grateful for a day relaxing. We were treated to a sunny second day though so we set off on a hike. We decided to catch the little car ferry across Windermere lake which cost just £1 per person. Onboard there were photos of the same service but back in the olden days with horse drawn carriages on the deck. We headed straight uphill towards the little village of Far Sawrey where we veered towards a tarn to enjoy a slice of cake and the flask of coffee that we’d brought along. It was a lovely spot with views of farmers fields as green as a golf course. We continued walking along a plateau area, passing another tarn but this one had a dramatic backdrop of the areas biggest peaks.

The trail led us past a variety of scenery from green fields rolling like sand dunes to dense forest where trees towered above us and the floor was riddled with giants that didn’t make it through the last storm. We did a nice loop trail which took us back along the shores of Windermere lake where we ate our cheese and cracker picnic on a gravel beach. Much to my surprise a couple of mandarin ducks swam past. I’ve seen photos of them online and they look like a normal duck but dressed up in flamboyant drag. They are absolutely beautiful and I couldn’t miss a photo of them so I clicked my zoom lens into place and ran along the shoreline parallel to them. They seemed shy so I went far ahead and waited silently, managing to get a few photos before they flew off.

Our plan for future days off is to take our tent into the hills and spend a couple nights wild camping. It’s going to be pretty exhausting after a 40 hour week so let’s see how that goes!