Luxury holidays in Cumbria

When to go

June, July and August will have the balmiest days (relatively speaking – you’re still in England), but that’s when the Gore-Tex gaggles will flock to the most popular lake locations. Spring and autumn are your best bets for wandering lonely as a cloud.

Getting there

• Planes

  Both Manchester and Liverpool airports are less than 90 minutes’ drive from the southern reaches of Cumbria. Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are a couple of hours from Carlisle, in the north of Cumbria.

• Trains

  Oxenholme, Penrith or Carlisle are the train stations to aim for, accessible from London, Glasgow, Manchester, Edinburgh or Birmingham.