The Lake District & Cumbria

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Includes  Why Go? Windermere ‘No part of the country is more distinguished by its sub- & Around...... 584 limity’, mused the grand old bard of the lakes, William Ambleside...... 590 Wordsworth, and a couple of centuries on his words still ring Grasmere...... 593 true. In terms of natural splendour, nowhere in England can Hawkshead...... 595 compare to the Lake District. For centuries, poets, painters and perambulators alike have been flocking here in search Coniston ...... 597 of inspiration and escape, and it’s still the nation’s favourite Elterwater & place to revel in the majesty of the English landscape. Great Langdale. . . . 599 The main draw here is undoubtedly the Lake District Na- Keswick...... 604 tional Park – England’s largest, at 885 sq miles. Every bend Borrowdale...... 607 in the road reveals more eye-popping views: deep valleys, Buttermere...... 608 plunging passes, glittering lakes, whitewashed inns, barren Kendal ...... 611 hills. But it’s worth exploring beyond the national park’s boundaries too: the old towns of Carlisle, Kendal and Pen- Carlisle...... 614 rith are full of historical interest and Cumbria’s coast has a windswept charm all of its own.

Best Places to Eat When to Go ¨¨Lake Road Kitchen (p593) ¨¨The Lake District is the UK’s most popular national park; ¨¨L’Enclume (p613) visit in early spring and late autumn for the smallest crowds. ¨¨ ¨Öld Stamp House (p593) The weather is also notoriously fickle – showers can strike at any time of year, so bring wet-weather gear just in case. ¨¨Rogan & Company (p613) ¨¨Cumbria’s largest mountain festival is held in Keswick ¨ ¨Drunken Duck (p596) in mid-May, while the Beer Festival in June welcomes ale aficionados from across the globe. ¨Ämbleside’s traditional sports day on the last Saturday in Best Places to July features events such as hound trailing and Cumbrian Sleep wrestling; Grasmere’s annual sports day takes place on the ¨¨Forest Side (p594) August Bank Holiday. ¨¨Brimstone Hotel (p599) ¨Ïn November the world’s greatest liars congregate on Santon Bridge for their annual fibbing contest. ¨¨Daffodil Hotel (p594) ¨Äugill Castle (p616) ¨¨Wasdale Head Inn (p603) The Lake District & Cumbria Activities 581

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.uk) Sea Cycle Route Tyne to Whitehaven. Tyne bus X33 fromfrom Bowness to Grasmere, and the Cross LakesAmbleside to Ravenglass also There’s space for bikes. Experience) have the new bus 800 along Win summer-only Walking people, hiking is the main reason many For for a visit to the Lake District. All tourist offic dermere’s eastern shore, which can carry 12 dermere’s and in July times a day runs several It bikes. and June. in May August, plus on weekends standardthe for£1.50 plus fare bus pay You see www. more information For each bike. golakes.co.uk/travel/by-bus.aspx. 70-mile castle; and the 173-mile ter Forest Park (p605) are very 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 the rides, mountain-bike the hills. For of Grizedale Forest 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 in 1974. 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 in the Districtarrived settlers Neolithic 5000 BC. Thearound was subsequent region ly occupiedand Ro Vikings Celts, Angles, by the it marked the Dark Ages mans. During of Rheged. ancient kingdom centre of the wild the 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 Kendal. and Carlisle, Penrith castles at History co east across the northern Pennines to New east across the northern Pennines 10; Keswick and Carlisle; the 140-mile and Carlisle; the 140-mile Keswick