& THE 701 Penrith © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © Hawkshead Helvellyn ( p732 ) or ’s highest ) or England’s highest p732 ( Eskdale Scaféll Pike Helvellyn Coniston Water Wastwater OVER 900M: 5 5 OVER 900M: Bassenthwaite Lake NUMBER OF LAKE DISTRICT PEAKS „ Honister Slate Mine

Honis- Eskdale Drunken Drunken Bassen- Yanwath Gate Gate Yanwath AREA: 2629 SQ MILES 2629 SQ MILES AREA: „ ( p723 ) and ( p729 ) ( p720 ) ( p730 ) ( p725 ) Wastwater Gondola Scaféll Pike ( p718 ) or Penrith’s ) or Penrith’s p718 ( ( p741 ) ( p722 ) Lake thwaite yacht peak, Mine Slate ter brian cooking at Hawkshead’s Duck valleys of Inn

at Watching the wild ospreys aboard the steam Cruising Coniston Water Cum- Chowing down on some first-class Escaping the outside world in the remote Conquering William Wordsworth’s mountain, favourite Plumbing the gloomy depths of the POPULATION: 496,200 POPULATION:

„ „ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

With so much natural splendour on show, it’s hardly surprising that Cumbria and the Lake on show, it’s hardly surprising that Cumbria With so much natural splendour

„ say round these ’ere parts... say round these ’ere hearty plate of tattie hotpot, sausage or Herdwick lamb. Reet grand, as they’d sausage or Herdwick lamb. Reet grand, as hearty of tattie hotpot, Cumberland plate you can always take refuge in a solid old Lakeland inn for a pint of homebrewed ale and a ale in a solid old Lakeland inn for a pint of homebrewed you can always take refuge umbrian coast, or the bleakly beautiful moorland of eastern Cumbria. And if all else fails Cumbria. of eastern umbrian coast, or the bleakly beautiful moorland the lush and little-visited Eden Valley, the seaside ports and wind-battered sands of the sands of the ports the seaside and wind-battered Eden Valley, the lush and little-visited the busiest days it’s possible to find some solitude in the county’s lesser-known corners – in the county’s lesser-known the busiest days it’s possible to find some solitude and on summer weekends that cloudlike feeling can feel frustratingly elusive. But even on even But elusive. frustratingly can feel and on summer weekends that cloudlike feeling national park every year to explore its hilltop trails, literary landmarks and lakeside towns, its hilltop trails, literary year to explore national park every District is one of northern Over flock to the 14 million visitors England’s busiest corners. in 1951 and still the spiritual heartlandin 1951 and still the spiritual of English hiking. the heart national parks – the stunning LakeDistrict, founded one of England’s original of behind a spectacular string of razor crags, scree-strewn fells and sparkling tarns that form fells behind a spectacular string of razor crags, scree-strewn which carved out this landscape during the last ice age have long since melted, leaving which carved long since melted, ice age have out this landscape during the last smallest church, steepest road, highest town and loftiest peak in England. The great glaciers great peak in England. The road, highest town and loftiest smallest church, steepest the superlatives run dry – home to the nation’s longest and deepest lakes, run dry – as well as the the superlatives trammelled by the Yorkshire Dales and the grey rollers of the Irish Sea, it’s a place where Sea, it’s a place where rollers of the Irish Dales and the grey trammelled by the Yorkshire dumbfounding drama of Cumbria and the Lake and District. border, Wedged against the Scottish drama of Cumbria dumbfounding If it’s grandstand views you’re looking for, nowhere in England can measure up to the up to the looking England can measure in views you’re If it’s grandstand for, nowhere District Cumbria & the Lake Lake & the Cumbria CUMBRIA & THE LAKE DISTRICT from low-level rambles tofull-blownfrom low-level moun- reason District visit.Trailsrange foraLake For manypeople,hiking onthefells isthemain WALKING route totheNorthPennines and Newcastle. Whitehaven District en viathenorthernLake CycleRoute toSea Sea ofand theCumbriansection the140-mile Ulverston,between Keswick andCarlisle, mile around £15to£18 per day. showing traffic-free routes; bike hire at starts spread, and touristoffices stockacyclingmap lenging routes. Cycle-hire shopsare wide- (andlegs)of steel onthemorenerves chal- bikingonthefells, mountain butyou’llneed Cycling ispopularin Cumbria, especially CYCLING of CumberlandandWestmorland in 1974. of Cumbriawasformedfromtheolddistricts tional parksin1951,andthemoderncounty District becameoneof the nation’sfirst na- Potter). TheLake ing John RuskinandBeatrix taken upbyotherliterary luminariesinclud- its potential forindustrialresources (acause to champion thearea’s naturalbeautyabove William Wordsworthwere amongthefirst writers includingColeridge, deQuinceyand movement duringthe19thcentury,and Kendal. and Penrithand thestoutfortresses atCarlisle, fromborderraiders,to protect theinhabitants construction of distinctive regularly plundered thearea, promptingthe of Scottishraiders knownasBorderReivers EnglandandScotland.Bands frontier between thewild of Lands’, the start ‘TheDebatable Northumbria sometimeinthe 8th century. Galloway, andwasannexed byneighbouring much of modernCumbria,Dumfriesand kingdom of which Rheged, extended across the DarkAges marked thecentre of the Angles, VikingsandRomans,during region occupiedbyCelts, wassubsequently stone aroundStonethwaite andSeatoller. The ( like Castlerigg p727 ) andquarryingflint trict 5000years ago,buildingstonecircles arrivedThe earliestsettlers Dis- intheLake 702 Activities History Long-distance bikersLong-distance canfollowthe72- The area wasacentre fortheRomantic During theMiddleAges Cumbriamarked UBI H AEDSRC • Hsoy ••History CUMBRIA &THELAKEDISTRICT Cumbria Way Cumbria

(www.cumbriawaycycleroute.co.uk) (C2C; www.c2c-guide.co.uk) pele towers, built from

.com) useful ifyoudon’twanttolugyourpackuseful way Cycling). (see 82 miles.Walkers alsoattempt theCumbria Yorkshire hike Dales, afive- toseven-day of Kirkby Stephen andShap enroute tothe ,through Grasmere, Patterdale, of passes 191miles.TheCumbriansection inNorthYorkshire,Hood’s Bay adistance toRobin cuts westtoeastfromStBees Coast Walk guides). walking byAlfreddetailed inhisclassic Wainwright mark major trailroutes (aswellasall214fells are specificallymadeforwalkers andclearly Harvey bodies.Butmanyhikersmost official prefer and accuracyare forreference used by which areseries, renowned fortheirclarity 1:25000 for theOrdnanceSurvey map publishers –traditionalistsgenerally opt Walkerslutely essential. have achoice of two fellsthe high –adecentqualitymapisabso- –especiallyifyou’rethe Lakes headinginto on anythingmore strollin thanalow-level Guide tothe LakelandFells hand-drawn, seven-volume set, Guides Fellranger guidebooks, includingtheCollins mapsand sell ascents;mosttouristoffices tain from both north and south. hourly Glasgow, withtrainsrunning roughly line fromLondon Euston–Manchester– ison themainVirgin West CoastCarlisle TRAIN Getting There&Away for the lowdown. Water and Coniston. especially aroundWindermere, Derwent and windsurfingare obviouslypopulartoo, ing andriver canyoning).Sailing,kayaking coasteer- scrambling(acrossbetween ghyll orienteering toquadbiking,fell runningand activities rangingfromrockclimbingand Cumbria isahaven foradrenalin-fuelled OTHER ACTIVITIES horse) Packhorse along thewholeroute. Contact Door-to-door baggage services canbeDoor-to-door baggage services alsodreamtWainwright upthe Check outwww.lakedistrictoutdoors.co.uk ortheYHA Shuttle Bus (see p704 ). , Sherpa Van , aswellAlfred classic Wainwright’s Superwalker

(www.golakes.co.uk/map/walks.asp) ( and Ordance Survey’s andOrdanceSurvey’s % 017683-71777; www.cumbria.com/pack

( % 020-8569 4101;www.sherpavan 1:25000 maps,which . Ifyou’re planning lonelyplanet.com Coast to A Pictorial A Pictorial Landranger Pathfinder Lakeland , which Coast to