The Lake District in October is beautiful: copper bracken, misty fells and quieter lanes. It’s also wet. If you’ve booked a half-term break and the forecast is turning grey, don’t write the day off. Plenty of the best family memories in the Lakes are made indoors, with warm hands and a bit of mess.
A rainy day in Hawkshead can still be the bit of the holiday the kids talk about all the way home.
Make your own chocolate in Hawkshead
The Chocolate Factory is on Main Street, in the middle of the village. We run hands-on chocolate-making workshops for children and families every day in the school holidays, so half-term is a good time to come.
In a workshop:
- everyone pulls on an apron and a hairnet, and both are yours to keep
- you make three chocolate creations of your own with milk and white chocolate
- the kids choose their own toppings and decorations, and can go as wild as they like
- everything you make goes home with you, if it survives the car journey
Sessions last 30 to 40 minutes, so they fit around a lunch stop, or a walk if the rain eases. Workshops are £22 per person and suitable for ages 3 and up. Children can come on their own or with a grown-up joining in.
Holiday sessions can fill up, so book your workshop online to get the slot you want.
Design your bar before you arrive
Stuck in the holiday cottage on a wet morning? Try the “Save my bar” tool on our homepage. Pick milk or white chocolate, choose up to three toppings from jelly babies, jelly bears, mini marshmallows and Smarties, then give your bar a name. The kids get excited, and the topping arguments are settled before you leave the house.
Warm up in the café and sweet shop
After the workshop, dry off in our coffee shop while the kids admire what they’ve made. The sweet shop is good for a treat for the journey home, or a few early Christmas stocking fillers.
A Halloween treat
Halloween falls on Saturday 31 October this year, right in the middle of half-term for many families. If a soggy trick-or-treat round doesn’t appeal, come and make chocolate instead. You’ll go home with your own stash.
Make a day of it in Hawkshead
If the rain gives you a break, Hawkshead is a lovely village to explore, with narrow lanes, independent shops and plenty of places to eat. Close by are:
- Grizedale Forest, with forest trails and the Go Ape treetop course for burning off chocolate-fuelled energy
- Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s house at Near Sawrey, about two miles away
- Brantwood, John Ruskin’s former home on the shore of Coniston Water
Some attractions change their hours after October, so check opening times before you set off. For more ideas, see our guide to things to do in Hawkshead.
Questions
- What can you do in the Lake District when it's wet?
- Head indoors: make your own chocolate in Hawkshead, dry off in a café, or visit one of the indoor attractions around Windermere and Coniston. If the rain eases, the woodland trails at Grizedale Forest give you some shelter under the trees.
- Can you visit a chocolate factory in the UK?
- Yes. In the Lake District, The Chocolate Factory in Hawkshead lets children and adults make their own chocolate in a 30 to 40 minute workshop. Family workshops are £22 per person.
- Is Hawkshead worth visiting?
- Yes, especially with children. It's a compact village of narrow lanes and whitewashed cottages between Windermere and Coniston. Wordsworth went to school here, and the village has strong Beatrix Potter connections.
- Does it rain a lot in the Lake District?
- Yes, it's one of the wettest parts of England, so it's worth having an indoor plan ready for every trip, whatever the season.
- Is the chocolate workshop indoors?
- Yes, it all happens inside, so the weather doesn't matter.
- How long does a workshop take?
- About 30 to 40 minutes.
- What age is it for?
- Ages 3 and up. Children can come on their own or with a grown-up joining in.
- Do I need to book?
- We recommend booking online, especially in the school holidays when sessions fill up.
- Where do I park?
- There's no parking right outside, but Hawkshead's main car park is a short walk away. See how to find us.
Book your half-term workshop
Rain or shine, a chocolate workshop is one of the easiest ways to give the kids a highlight of the holiday. Book your family workshop and come and get messy with us in Hawkshead.