Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Lake District has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
- Viewpoint
- Climb up Bowfell, a mountain in the Lakeland fells with commanding views of the Pennines to the east and the Isle of Man to the west. More experienced and armed with mint cake? Conquer England’s highest peak, the rugged 978‑metre Scafell Pike, at Wasdale.
- Arts and culture
- Book-lovers, head to Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage in Grasmere (+44 (0)1539 435544), and Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top, near Sawrey in Ambleside (+44 (0)1539 436269). Blackwell House in Bowness-on-Windermere (+44 (0)1539 446191) is a beautiful Arts and Crafts building with exhibitions and a lovely tearoom. John Ruskin’s home, Brantwood, on Coniston (+44 (0)1539 441396) is also worth investigating for current exhibitions and events. Abbot Hall in Kendal is a beautiful gallery with skilfully curated exhibitions; for more bustling arts events, go to the nearby Brewery Arts Centre (+44 (0)1539 725133).
- Something for nothing
- Go to Keswick and visit the Castlerigg Stone Circle, an inscrutable arrangement of 48 craggy stones, some of them almost three metres high, with beautiful views over to Skiddaw, Blencathra and Lonscale Fell. For leafy adventure, follow a trail through Grizedale Forest with views over Coniston Water, Windermere and Grizedale Valley (+44 (0)1229 860010).
- Shopping
- There are treasures to be had beyond the Beatrix Potter tea towels and Kendal mint cake – keep an eye out for little antiques shops. Booths (www.booths‑supermarkets.co.uk) is a small chain of delis specialising in delicious Cumbrian produce; there are outlets in Kirkby Lonsdale (+44 (0)15242 73443), Windermere (+44 (0)15394 46114) and Kendal (+44 (0)1539 742370).
- Daytripper
- On Cumbria’s fringe, the Western Yorkshire Dales stretch south and east, and are often far less busy than the lakes themselves. Get a soothing eyeful of soft‑edged gorges in the spectacular Mallerstang dale, just south of little‑visited town Kirkby Stephen. It’s also the site of the ruined Pendragon Castle, supposedly founded by King Arthur’s father – so let your imagination go gallivanting off into the sunset with those dashing knight/distressed damsel fantasies.
- Perfect Picnic
- With so much hamper‑compatible greenery about, it’s not hard to find an idyllic spot for reclined alfresco dining. Pre-order a picnic for two from Lakeland Picnic (+44 (0)1539 568410) or pick up supplies from Booths in Kirkby Lonsdale (+44 (0)1524 273443) and head to the Crook O’Lune river banks near Caton; you may have to walk a bit to find a quiet stretch – the area’s beauty is renowned.
- Walks
- Fill your boots with a pub lunch at the Fish Hotel in the village of Buttermere (+44 (0)1768 770253) before tackling the hike up to Scale Force, the Lake District’s highest waterfall (170 feet in total) the Lake District’s highest waterfall (170 feet in total), described by Wordsworth as ‘a fine chasm, with a lofty, though but slender, fall of water’.
- Road trip
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From Cartmel to Keswick via Lake Windermere.
An A-road amble through classic Cumbria, an essential destination for creative souls ever since Wordsworth wandered there. It’s also a paradise for gourmets, inspiring paeans to its sticky toffee pudding and top-drawer gastropubs. Our route north follows the shore of Lake Windermere – easy to drive, and hard not to love. read more…
- Children
- The little ones can have their own Swallows and Amazons‑style adventures with sailing lessons at Coniston Boating Centre (+44 (0)1539 441366; www.lake‑district.gov.uk). Kendal Museum (www.kendalmuseum.org.uk) has plenty of child‑friendly exhibits and organises a slew of activities during school holidays.
- Activities
- On sunny days, there’s no nicer way to cruise Windermere’s waters than aboard the 44‑foot luxury motor yacht Complicated Lady (+44 (0)7717 207583; www.complicatedlady.co.uk); charter her exclusively for two hours or more, from £200. Try rock‑climbing, abseiling or ghyll scrambling with expert guides from Climb365 (www.climb365.net), who set up shop in the Lake District for summer. Bigland Hall Equestrian centre at the southern tip of Lake Windermere offers hacks and trails to the lake, across the fells or down to Morecambe Bay (+44 (0)1539 530333; www.lakes-riding.co.uk). Hot‑air balloon trips along the Lune Valley from Wray Village are spectacular (+44 (0)870 420 7300; www.virginballoonflights.co.uk).
- And...
- The Pinter-scripted scenes in The French Lieutenant’s Woman were filmed in Ruskin’s house at Brantwood, and the rural adventure in Withnail and I was filmed around the Cumbrian towns of Penrith and Shap. 'We’ve gone on holiday by mistake…'
Diary
April St George's Day parade in Kirkby Lonsdale. June North West Food Lovers Festival at Westmorland County Showfield (+44 (0)1695 732734; www.foodloversfestival.co.uk) is the biggest foodie fest in the region. August Grasmere Sports & Show, including Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling, frantic hound trails and tug-of-war contests (+44 (0)1539 432127; grasmeresportsandshow.co.uk). September World Gurning Championships (we kid you not) at the Egremont Crab Fair & Sports in Egremont (+44 (0)1946 820693; www.egremontcrabfair.org.uk).
