Lake Road, running between Waterhead and Ambleside, is lined with B&Bs , while there are other options on central Church Street and Compston Road. The cheapest rates are at Linda's B&B and Bunkhouse at Shirland, Compston Road (tel 015394/32999; no credit cards; under A?40), while another popular low-cost choice is 3 Cambridge Villas , Church St (tel 015394/32307; no credit cards; A?40-50). Mill Cottage on Rydal Road (tel 015394/34830; A?50-60), near Bridge House, is housed in a sixteenth-century mill building, with a riverside cafA© underneath. Or move up a notch to Compston House Hotel on Compston Road (tel 015394/32305, ; A?50-60), a traditional lakeland house with American-style themed rooms. One of the Lake District's best sited youth hostels is at Waterhead on the A591 (tel 015394/32304, ), a huge lakeside affair; while the nearest campsite is the Low Wray National Trust Campsite (tel 015394/32810; closed Nov-Easter) three miles south of town - hourly bus #505/506 passes within a mile.

Pippins , at 10 Lake Rd, is great for all-day breakfasts, burgers and night-time pizzas, while the Apple Pie on Rydal Road is the place for home-made pies. Zeffirelli's , Compston Road (tel 015394/33845), specializes in inexpensive vegetarian food, either in the daytime Garden CafA© or upstairs in the restaurant for pizzas and pasta. The Glass House (tel 015394/32137; closed Mon in winter), a renovated mill with waterwheel on Rydal Road, serves accomplished Mediterranean/Modern British cooking - coffee and light lunches are available, too.