The Lake District & Cumbria
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Includes Why Go? Windermere ‘No part of the country is more distinguished by its sub- & Around...... 582 limity’, mused the grand old bard of the lakes, William Ambleside Wordsworth, and a couple of centuries on his words still & Around...... 590 ring true. In terms of natural splendour, nowhere in Eng- Grasmere...... 594 land can compare to the Lake District. For centuries, poets, Hawkshead painters and perambulators alike have been flocking here & Around...... 595 in search of inspiration and escape, and it’s still the nation’s Coniston...... 597 favourite place to revel in the majesty of the English land- scape. Keswick...... 602 The main draw here is undoubtedly the Lake District Na- Borrowdale...... 605 tional Park – England’s largest, at 885 sq miles. Every bend Kendal...... 609 in the road reveals more eye-popping views: deep valleys, Carlisle...... 612 plunging passes, glittering lakes, whitewashed inns, barren hills. But it’s worth exploring beyond the national park’s boundaries too: the old towns of Carlisle, Kendal and Pen- rith are full of historical interest, and Cumbria’s coast has a windswept charm all of its own. Best Traditional Inns ¨¨Drunken Duck (p597) When to Go ¨¨Wasdale Head Inn (p601) ¨¨The Lake District is the UK’s most popular national ¨¨Pheasant Inn (p604) park; visit in early spring and late autumn for the fewest crowds. Its weather is also notoriously fickle – showers ¨¨Mortal Man (p590) can strike at any time of year, so bring wet-weather gear ¨¨Kirkstile Inn (p607) just in case. ¨¨Cumbria’s largest mountain festival is held in Keswick in mid-May, while the Beer Festival in June welcomes ale Best Beauty aficionados from across the globe. Spots ¨¨Ambleside’s traditional sports day on the last Saturday ¨¨Wasdale (p600) in July features events such as hound trailing and Cumbrian wrestling; Grasmere’s annual sports day takes ¨¨Tarn Hows (p596) place on the August Bank Holiday. ¨¨Great Langdale (p599) ¨¨In November, the world’s greatest liars congregate on ¨¨Buttermere (p607) Santon Bridge for their annual fibbing contest. ¨¨Derwentwater (p603) The Lake District & Cumbria Activities 579
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(waterfall) scrambling. Contact the (waterfall) Getting There & Away Around Getting 8 8 , Coast toCoast Packhorse from Seathwaite to the Solway Firth,the the Solway to from Seathwaite 0871 520-0124; 0871 Maps are essential: the Ordnance Sur are essential: Maps Long-distance pass through which trails Traffic can be heavy during peak season and here are round-the-lake ferry services on services on ferry round-the-lake are There National E ettle and Carlisle are particularly scenic. particularly are Carlisle and ettle % luggage to the next. from one destination 70-mile from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay in York Bay Hood’s from St Bees to Robin shire. Door-to-door baggage services such as ( Other Activities outdoor activities, for is a haven Cumbria including rock climbing, orienteering, horse fell (mountain) running and riding, archery, ghyll Holmescales Activity Centre dal) es and bookshops sell maps and guidebooks, maps sell bookshops es and Collins’ as such seven-volume ists prefer Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells (1955– 66) – part walking guides, part illustrated partartworks, with philosophical memoirs, painstakingly maps and text. hand-penned Landranger 1:25,000 vey’s pre hikers bodies, while some most official fer the Harvey Superwalker Cumbria include the 54-mile ble London V London Carlisle and Kendal. holiday weekends. Many Cumbrian towns use wickadventurecentre.co.uk; 8 Carlisle is on the main West Coast train line from E London 8 Traveline travel comprehensive provides northeast.info) from available are timetables Bus information. tourist offices. Windermere, Coniston Ullswater Water, and ferry a has also Windermere Derwentwater. (p service venture Centre venture Carlisle and the 191-mile Carlisle and the 191-mile rookinhouse.co.uk; 71777; 722147; get to the Lake District, you need to change at Oxenholme for Kendal and Windermere. T lines around the Cumbrian coast and between S Pathfinder Guides Pathfinder Survey’s Ordnance ------(NCN
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Cumbria Way , which begins in Whitehaven and cuts, which begins in Whitehaven www.reivers-route.co.uk) Activities Several local buses (including bus 599Several Long-distance touring routes include the The present-day county of Cumbria wasThe county present-day During the Middle Ages, Cumbria marked Ages, During the Middle Thea centre for the Ro area became
Sea Cycle Route Tyne to Whitehaven. Tyne bus X33 fromfrom Bowness to Grasmere, and the Cross Ambleside to Ravenglass for bikes. space Lakes Experience) have also the new summer-only bus 800 There’s eastern shore, which along Windermere’s can carry times a runs several It 12 bikes. August, and plus on weekends July in day the standard bus pay You and June. in May more infor For fare plus £1.50 for each bike. Keswick and Carlisle; the 140-mile Keswick Walking people, hiking is the main reason many For for a visit to the Lake District. All tourist offic mation see www.golakes.co.uk/travel/New- mation Bike-Bus.aspx. castle; and the 173-mile 70-mile 602) are very (p popular. Park ter Forest Cycling is a great way to explore the Lake Dis way is a great Cycling trict don’t mindyou and Cumbria, as long as short rides, the mountain-bike the hills. For Whinlat (p596) and Forest of Grizedale trails 2 Cycling scape from overdevelopment – a dream that – a dream scape from overdevelopment was achieved in 1951, when the Lake District was formed. Park National districtsformed from the neighbouring of 1974. in Cumberland and Westmorland mantic movement during the 19th mantic movement century, thanks to the Cumbrian-born poetlargely also championed who William Wordsworth, land the need to protect the Lake District’s Neolithic settlers arrived in the Lake District arrived settlers Neolithic 5000 BC. Thearound was subsequent region ly occupied Ro Vikings and Celts, Angles, by the marked the Dark Ages mans, and during of Rheged. ancient kingdom centre of the wildthe startthe Lands’, ‘Debatable the of England and Scotland. frontier between known as Border ReiversBands of raiders the the area, prompting regularly plundered construction of defensive pele and Kendal. Carlisle, Penrith castles at History co.uk) east across the northern Pennines to New east across the northern Pennines 10;