Lake District holidays conjure up images of sweeping hills, craggy peaks and glistening lakes. Book a Lake District hotel for landscapes that have inspired writers and artists for centuries.
Get your bearings
In the far northwest of England, the Lake District’s long coastline looks west onto the Irish Sea and north to Scotland. At its heart is
Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake and the most popular Lake District holiday spot. The tourist trail leads west to
Rydal Water, Grasmere and
Coniston Water -Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter country dotted with forests, stone cottages and country villages. To the west and north rise England’s highest peaks and passes, remote lakes and forest parks. Popular
Ullswater and
Derwentwater reach further north towards the bustling market towns of
Keswick and
Penrith.
Outdoor Adventure
Walkers flock to the Lake District to holiday outdoors among England’s highest peaks -
Scafell Pike, Scafell and Helvellyn. High on
Honister Pass novice climbers can traverse rock faces using harnesses and the purposely placed
via ferrata footholds. Water sport enthusiasts bob around on
Lake Windermere and
Derwentwater, where many of the Lake District’s hotels cluster. Cyclists tackle the steep, winding
Kirkstone Pass, and mountain bikers head deep into
Grizedale Forest for single track and muddy trails.
Family fun
Sit back and relax on a long leisurely steam-boat trip down
Ullswater and watch the scenic surroundings drift by. On
Lake Windermere boat trips are combined with tickets for the
Lakes Aquarium and the antique
Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. Children can meet lions face to face at the
South Lakes Animal Park and tawny owls at haunted
Muncaster Castle. In Keswick, the new
Bond Museum is a film-fan’s favourite, featuring cars, bikes and boats once driven by James Bond and the baddies.
Romantic ruins and writers
Part of the Hadrian’s Wall defences during Roman times, the Lake District is home to the ruined
Ambleside Roman Fort and
Maryport Roman Museum. Castlerigg Stone Circle is an even more ancient megalithic site, and
you can visit
Sizergh Castle, the ancestral home of the Strickland family since the Middle Ages. Bustling
Grasmere village is home to Wordsworth’s former house
Dove Cottage, where he wrote his most popular poems. Children’s writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter settled nearby at
Hill Top Farm, a
typical Lakeland cottage open to visitors in the village of Near Sawrey.
Herdwick lamb and homebrew
Michelin-starred restaurants
L’Enclume and
Sharrow
Bay provide fine dining opportunities, but you’ll find hearty meals of lamb or Cumberland sausage throughout the Lake District. You can buy
Hawkshead Relish pickles and chutneys at its store and find farm shops, like
Low Sizergh Barn, packed with local produce.
Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth offers a tour and tasting of its award-winning ales. Or you might prefer the
Black Bull Inn, where you can prop up the bar and sample the in-house micro-brewery beers.
