Workshop location and travel:

EPEW will be held at the Lodore Falls Hotel, Borrowdale, near the town of Keswick, in the Lake District National Park in the county of Cumbria. This is a stunningly beautiful place on the shores of a lake (Derwentwater) and surrounded by mountains. If you have time, I thoroughly recommend extending your stay here and exploring further.

All the workshop presentations and accommodation will be provided in the hotel and all meals (except the night before the workshop) are included in the registration (see registration details). The hotel is an ideal base for short walks to explore the area, even if it is only to visit the waterfall just behind the hotel or down to the lake in front, so bring some suitable footwear with you. There's also a swimming pool, gym and spa in the hotel. The nearest shops are in Keswick, which is a short bus or taxi ride away. There you will also find a number of fine pubs, fish and chip shops and bike hire, although combining all three in one outing might not be a great idea!

The Lake District is the most beautiful area of England, but it is not well served by public transport. By far the easiest way to get to the workshop location is to get a taxi from Penrith train station, which lies on the main west coast line (London to Glasgow). Coming from overseas the easiest option is to fly to Manchester Airport, from where there are direct trains to Penrith (and some which involve a change at Preston). The train from Manchester Airport to Penrith takes around 2 hours. If you cannot get a flight to Manchester, then the best alternatives would be Birmingham International (which also has direct trains to Penrith from the airport), Glasgow or Edinburgh (both of which require transport to get to the train station, Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Haymarket respectively, from where you can get trains to Penrith). Another option would be to fly to Newcastle, Metro to Newcastle Central train station and train to Carlisle and then Penrith (there are also some buses from Carlisle to Keswick). Less desirable alternatives are Gatwick or Heathrow, both of which require journeys to reach London Euston train station and hence trains to Penrith (about 3 hours from Euston).

There are several taxi firms in Penrith and there are taxis waiting to meet most trains, but it is far more reliable to book in advance. As many people will be doing the same journey, it would be best if people let me know what time you expect to arrive in Penrith and I will book enough taxis for everyone arriving at that time. It takes about 30 minutes from the taxi to the hotel by taxi and should cost around £35 if you pre-book. If you'd rather arrange your own taxi then there is a list of local taxi firms below. Any problems or queries then just drop me an email. If several people are arriving on the same train, then a taxi is the best option. Alternatively, you can get a bus from Penrith train station (the bus stop is in the station car park) direct to Keswick. This is a much cheaper option if you are travelling alone. The bus number is X50 (direction Workington) and leaves at 07.06, 08.06, 08.21 and then every hour to 20.21, then 20.41 and 23.06. From Keswick Bus Station it is 3 miles to the Lodore Falls Hotel; there are some buses (direction Seatoller), or taxi, or phone me and I can pick you up.

Useful links

 

This page is maintained by Nigel Thomas.