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One of the prettiest villages in all of Cumbria, Cartmel is a picture-postcard destination, with a delightful olde-worlde feel and a fine collection of inns, artisan shops and cute cottages. At the heart of the village is a beautiful 12th-century priory, which is only a few steps away from its ancient racecourse that still hosts one of England’s most famous racing festivals. And to top it all off there’s the world-famous sticky toffee pudding, sold here in enormous quantities and served in all of its restaurants, including the ones with Michelin stars.
Food & Drink
Cartmel is a foodie paradise, boasting some of the finest dining in the country. When you have 5-star food and service and a 16 course taster menu, of superb oysters and glorious venison, you certainly don’t rush! This is an experience to be savoured over a 4-hour period of pure heaven. This is when food becomes pure theatre and the most impeccable and luscious art. Vegans and vegetarians are given lots of delicious options to choose from, as are those looking for Gluten Free. And all this can be enjoyed with pretty views looking out over the village, or to Cartmel Priory.
The village is very fortunate to have three 4/5-star wheelchair accessible restaurants, offering excellent silver-service, friendly staff and roaring fires on a cold day. Some restaurants have a country house feel, where diners will be greeted personally by the owner, which is always a lovely touch. Local dishes are presented from succulent, local lamb to delicious Cartmel tart.
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Although fine dining is a wonderful way to spoil yourself, you might be looking for something a little lighter; local shrimps perhaps, an excellent homemade fruit pie or Cartmel’s own, sticky toffee pudding? Cartmel has an abundance of delightful cafes to try out with wonderful home-baked treats in a relaxed and cosy atmosphere. They’re family and dog friendly and often there’s popular extras, like free papers to read, book swap exchange and local gifts.
Some cafes have food shops downstairs offering local cheeses, beers, jams and potted shrimps to purchase and take home with you, while upstairs you can sit in a window seat overlooking the village square whilst sipping your coffee and sampling one of the many home-baked treats.
You can’t beat a good traditional pub though, complete with oak beams and roaring fires. Cartmel has three great quality pubs to choose from, where you’re guaranteed a good atmosphere with an excellent choice of local beers, wines and cocktails and an excellent choice of homemade dishes - pies being a favourite! Sunday lunch is very popular too and is often great value. In the warmer months you can sit in the Beer gardens, giving lovely views over the village and across the fields.
Culture & Heritage
Around 678 AD, the Cartmel peninsula was granted to St Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, by King Egfrith of Northumberland for the establishment of a monastery. An early church dedicated to St Cuthbert was built at Kirkhead near Allithwaite, although nothing now remains of the structure. It was not until 1189 that an enduring ecclesiastical presence was established with the founding of Cartmel Priory next to the River Eea (pronounced ‘Ay’).
Locals eked out a living with farming and fishing, with the monks lending a helping hand. Limestone was crushed and burned to produce quicklime for spreading on the fields to ‘sweeten’ the grass, woods provided coppice timber for agricultural implements and for charcoal burning, oats were grown, and the sea and rivers yielded good supplies of fish. The monks stored their grain at Grange (from the French word ‘graunge’ meaning ‘granary’) and may have had a small harbour here.
The famous Cartmel Races are said to date back to monastic times, as part of the Whitsuntide celebrations. The priory was at the heart of community life, until it was largely destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII in 1536. An appeal by the villagers to keep the church as a place of worship for the parish was granted, thus saving this impressive church (and the gatehouse) for posterity.
Up to the mid-19th century, the only viable link between the peninsula and the rest of the country was over the sands of Morecambe Bay at low tide. Individuals on foot or travelling by horse and cart would regularly make the perilous journey, fraught with danger from swift incoming tides, unsuspected quicksands or changing river currents. A guide appointed by the abbot of Cartmel Priory would conduct travellers from Kents Bank to Hest Bank near Bolton-le-Sands (9 miles/14.5 km).
Surrounding Areas
Flookburgh - Flookburgh, to the west, was once an important fishing and market garden centre. Fishermen still go out on a daily basis to fish for shrimps, cockles, mussels and flukes (flatfish); the latter earning the village its name.
Field Broughton - North of Cartmel is Field Broughton, a pastoral village that still has a well-preserved pinfold.
Meathop - Further east is the isolated hamlet of Meathop established around one of the first sanatoriums in the country.
Grange-over-Sands - Grange retains much elegance from its Edwardian heyday, with ornamental gardens, attractive shopping arcades and a sea-front promenade for relaxing walks.
Did you know?
Lakeland Miniature VillageThe talented Edward Robinson has created an impressive collection of miniature buildings hand-made out of local slate and set in naturalistic surroundings.- Priory Church of St Mary & St MichaelFounded in 1189 by Augustinian canons and threatened with destruction after the Dissolution of the Monasteries Act in 1536, the church survived to become the parish church.
- HampsfellThe limestone plateau of Hampsfell is one of the highest points on the Cartmel peninsula at 727 ft (221 m) high and commands extensive sea and fell views in all directions.
- Cartmel Village ShopFamed for its Sticky Toffee Pudding, the village shop is an all-year-round destination for food-lovers from far and wide.
- Holker HallThis family seat of the Cavendish family can be dated to the early 16th century.
- Cartmel Priory GatehouseBuilt in the early 14th century as the gateway to the priory precinct, the building has been variously used as a courthouse, grammar school for 200 years and latterly, as a shop.
Highlights
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Towns & Villages
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Towns & Villages
Number of results: 35
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Address
Cumbria, Grange-over-Sands, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7PLTelephone
01539558328Grange-over-Sands
Join us as we kick start the festive season with handmade artisan gifts and of course plenty of food and drink with lively entertainment. It's the perfect day out for all the family.
Open 10.00am-4.00pm daily, advanced tickets are £6.50pp and…
Grange-over-Sands
Pine Lodges (sleep 4) with Sauna & spa bath. In a beautiful setting in the heart of a 5 acre wood, Woodlands Pine Lodges are ideal for a relaxing break. On site Restaurant & Bar. Friendly staff. Great Food. Great Value. A real hidden gem.
Grange-over-Sands
As a Blue Badge Tourist Guide for Cumbria and the Lake District I look forward to welcoming you onto one of my tours. Whether it is a walking tour of a village or town, a scenic country stroll, a visit to one of our amazing museums, attractions or…
Address
FSC Castle Head, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA9 5ENGrange-over-Sands
A Grade 2 listed manor building situated in a peaceful countryside location at the foot of the Lake District. We are a residential centre specialising in hosting large school and corporate groups, as well as summer camps and venue hire. Our…
Address
Cark in Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7PLTelephone
015395 58328Grange-over-Sands
A fascinating historic house where the elegance and loveliness of the Victorian era combine with the warmth and welcome of a much loved family home. The hall is set in 25 acres of romantic formal & woodland gardens and ancient parkland, with the…
Address
Cartmel Racecourse, Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6QFTelephone
015395 58328Grange-over-Sands
Set on over 300 acres of farm and parkland, this multi-functional venue offers an impressive but tranquil setting, with views over the countryside.
Address
Beck Side, Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7SPTelephone
015395 36043Grange-over-Sands
Wall Nook is located in lovely countryside just over a mile from the charming, foodie village of Cartmel.
Grange-over-Sands
As a Blue Badge Tourist Guide for Cumbria and the Lake District I look forward to welcoming you onto one of my tours. Whether it is a walking tour of a village or town, a scenic country stroll, a visit to one of our amazing museums, attractions or…
A Day’s Walk is a unique online food and drink shop and delivery service for self-catering holiday accommodation guests where all produce comes from local Lake District producers, farmers and businesses.
Address
Devonshire Square, Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6QDTelephone
01539 536261Grange-over-Sands
Cartmel Priory has been described as the medieval jewel among churches, making a lasting impression on the visitor, standing over the village and giving an idea of the way early priories must have dominated their surroundings.
Address
The Courtyard, Holker Hall, Cark-in-Cartmel, Cumbria, LA11 7PLTelephone
0845 838 6864Cark-in-Cartmel
Artisan Produce Shop dedicated to Lake District Producers. Everything stocked comes from a producer, grower or maker in Cumbria.
Address
Greenbank Farm, Aynsome Lane, Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7STGrange-over-Sands
Enjoy a unique experience and the first of it's kind in the UK and possibly the World!
For horse lovers of any age, spend time with one of our beautiful Friesian horses and share a self-catering stable for the night!
Address
Spring Bank Farm, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6HATelephone
015393 24635Grange-over-Sands
Spring Bank Cottage is peacefully situated in a lovely location in the countryside, yet only a few minutes by car or foot from the centre of Grange-Over-Sands. Probably the best views in the area can be enjoyed from the cottage.
Address
Station Square, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6EJTelephone
015395 33666Grange-over-Sands
The four-star Grange Hotel is ideally located on the southern fringe of the English Lakes, on the curve of Morecambe Bay. One of the premier Lake District hotels, we offer warm hospitality, excellent service, stylish and elegant grandeur.
Address
Grange, LA11 6LJThis gently undulating ride is surprisingly quiet bearing in mind its location within the boundaries of the Lake District National Park. A loop of the Winster valley beneath the wooded slopes of Whitbarrow Scar sets the scene for this ride
Address
Woodside, Charney Road, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6BPTelephone
0870 4425814Grange-over-Sands
Within the county of Cumbria the Lake District is a unique landscape of beautiful lakes and forests, set against a backdrop of mountains and fells that have inspired poets, writers and artists for centuries.
Address
Old Park Wood Holiday Park, Cark in Cartmel, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7PPGrange over Sands
A prestigious location, acres of tranquil, rural countryside and the very heart of the Lake District on its doorstep; Old Park Wood is an unrivalled private holiday park offering residents their very own luxurious, Cumbrian retreat.
Address
Black Horses Ltd, Greenbank Farm, Aynsome Lane, Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7STTelephone
+44 (0)15395 33781Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands
An exciting opportunity for Friesian lovers to get hands on experience of what it's like to ride and / or drive top quality Friesians in one of the most scenic parts of the country.
Address
Field Broughton, GRANGE-OVER-SANDS, Cumbria, LA11 6HRGRANGE-OVER-SANDS
St. Peter's is an outstanding example of the decorated style of architecture, with its warm red sandstone and distinctive shingled spire and clay tiled roof, an unusual feature in the Lake District.
Address
Grange-over-SandsThis is one of the easiest rides in the South Lakeland with the added bonus that if you time your trip right you can visit the ice cream factory at Holme Farm, just east of Grange.
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