Hints and Tips Blog (June 2021) - Visit Lake District

Sitting exactly halfway down the UK’s western coastline, the beautiful Morecambe Bay serves as a perfect destination for those looking for a coastal experience to match the stunning scenery of The Lake District.

Rainy days are a fact of life, but that doesn’t mean they should stop us from getting out of the house! Cumbria is full of great indoor attractions which are fun, exciting, educational – and also make great shelter spots! Here are a few suggestions to turn even the wettest of days into the most fun of days!

Spanning the north eastern corner of the Lake District, the northern tip of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the western side of the Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a visit to Eden is easy by road or rail – and well-worth it. With the town of Penrith serving as Eden’s gateway to access all of these beautiful areas of the district, the area is also served by the West Coast Main Line railway, in addition to key roads including the M6, A6 and the A66. Here are just a few of our inspirational top tips of how to make the most of your time while you’re here:

It’s no surprise that The Lake District, Cumbria, is popular with dog-walkers, with the likes of Scafell Pike and Windermere attracting two-legged and four-legged visitors from far and wide to experience our world class landscape. But with a little preparation, you’ll find there’s an abundance of walks in lesser-known areas which offer stunning scenery and plenty of open space for you and your companion to enjoy.

Despite stretching for more than 100 miles, Cumbria’s west coast often slips below the radar for people planning a visit.

From the border with Scotland in the north, down to Morecambe Bay in the south (which has its very own blog that you can read) this blog focuses on the stretch from the Solway Firth down to Millom.

From family attractions to wide open spaces, here’s our handy guide to enjoying ten exciting places to visit during a trip along Cumbria’s west coast – where the Lake District meets the sea.

City life is perhaps not something you’d usually associate with the edge of the Lake District, but every great county has a great city – and Cumbria is no exception. Despite being a modern city boasting everything you’d expect in the 21^st century, Carlisle has sat very close to England’s border for the last 2,000 years – and if walls could talk, Hadrian’s Wall would have a few tales to tell…

From long walks that take several days to complete, to short tours that last for around an hour, the sheer choice of walks in Cumbria are limitless. Some routes are well-known around the world, while others are local secrets. Here are ten of our ideas to get you started, along with suggestions of convenient places near each route to lay your head.

While part of the Yorkshire Dales falling inside the Cumbria boundary sounds a little confusing, we’re not complaining – and neither will you when you pay this magnificent corner of our county a visit!

Here’s some inspiration to get you started in the Cumbrian corner of The Yorkshire Dales:

It’s a little-known fact that the world-famous Lake District National Park only covers around a third of the total area of Cumbria.

At 2,600 square miles, 1,700 of those are in fact, outside of the Lake District boundary. With a coastline that long, must-see beaches aren’t in short supply. So, from sandcastle-building to rock-pooling, and swimming and sunset walks, here’s our handy guide to enjoying ten beaches along the glorious Cumbrian coast.

Given that it doesn’t serve as a traditional thoroughfare, the south-east stretch of coastline which sits beyond the market town of Ulverston and runs along the Furness Peninsula is undoubtedly one of Cumbria’s most hidden gems. 

The Eden Valley area of Cumbria is shrouded in myth and legend. The dramatic landscape is dotted with castles, ruins and ghostly whispers on the wind.

If these hills could talk, they would have some stories to tell. The biggest mystery of all is why is the Eden Valley home to an extraordinary large number of stone circles?

Kirkby Stephen and its surrounding countryside offers a feeling of pleasant isolation, thanks to its rugged, off the beaten track feel.

Offering a true insight into the rural Cumbrian way of life, get here by car or by travelling to the small town itself on the Settle to Carlisle Railway.

You may be surprised to learn that the market town of Brampton, while surrounded by seemingly endless stretches of lush green fields, is remarkably east to find – thanks to its convenient road links – and even an airport.

Cumbria’s most north westerly quarter is perhaps the most undiscovered part of the county, being tucked between the city of Carlisle to the east, the coastline of the Irish Sea to the west - and across the watery expanse of the Solway Firth, Southern Scotland to the north.

2021 is Cumbria's Year of the Coast. In late summer of 2020 Cornwall based photographer Sam Scales spent 9 days travelling through Copeland as part of a shoot to capture the beauty of the Lake District Coast. His body of photographs, which were commissioned as part of the Deep Time arts programme, provide a stunning showcase of this lesser-known part of the National Park, from its ancient standing stones to the post -industrial landscapes of Whitehaven.

Time to stretch your legs. Ambleside is home to countless walks of varying abilities, allowing everyone to take in the iconic views of The Lake District.

Summer here in the Lake District, Cumbria is a truly spectacular time to visit. Rediscover the destination and explore new things to see and do, reconnect with loved ones and make new memories or recharge in the outdoors with fresh air and wide-open spaces.

For our blog, we thought we would ask one of our four-legged guests to take the lead. Unsurprisingly, he bounced at the opportunity to tell you all about his recent trip to Ullswater. We’ll let him introduce himself.