The Lake District: Your Travel Guide

The Lake District in northern England is beloved for its mountains and lakes – the two are a perfect balance to each other. Home to England’s highest mountains, 214 Wainwrights (as outlined in A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells), and 16 major lakes, the Lake District sits within the county of Cumbria in northwest England. The Lakes, as it is frequently known, is England’s largest national park and among the first established in 1951. Millions of visitors explore the park yearly to enjoy the 2,362 sq km/912 sq miles of mountains, lakes, forests, rivers, and charming villages.

Where is the Lake District?

The Lake District National Park, located in the county of Cumbria, is in the northwest of England. Often simply called ‘The Lakes’, this area is the most visited national park in the UK, and it is easy to understand why. The stunning national park is renowned for picturesque lakes, rugged fells, and quaint villages.

The Lake District lies south of the Scottish border, west of the Pennines, and north of major cities like Manchester and Leeds. Its ease of access, combined with the region’s unique beauty, has made it a popular destination for both locals and tourists seeking natural beauty and outdoor adventures.

Living History

Like all of the UK’s national parks, the Lake District is also a place where people work and live. Around 41,000 people have the privilege of calling this beautiful place home. The history of the Lake District is ancient; it predates human history by millions of years. Over 400 million years ago, the movement of tectonic plates created volcanoes and mountains. Two million years ago, glaciers carved out valleys and created the deep lakes visitors enjoy today. Today’s landscape is the remnants of these changes and movements, shaped more recently by humans and farming.

Read on to learn more about the history of this ancient and dramatic land and about things to do during your visit to the Lakes District.

Buttermere, Lake District

The Lake District houses 16 lakes. Strangely, only Bassenthwaite Lake, in the north, is called a lake. The others are meres or waters. ‘Mere’ is the Old English word for lake or sea. An additional 76 bodies of water are in the Lake District, but only 16 are considered the main lakes that define the area. Each lake, mere, or water has unique features, and all are worth time and exploration. Like the spokes on a bicycle, these ribbons of water flow out from the central mountain massif.

The 16 lakes of the Lake District are:

• Bassenthwaite Lake
• Brotherswater
• Buttermere
• Coniston Water
• Crummock Water
• Derwentwater
• Ennerdale Water
• Esthwaite Water

• Grasmere
• Haweswater
• Loweswater
• Rydal Water
• Thirlmere
• Ullswater
• Wastwater
• Windermere

Learn More about the Lakes of Lakeland

There are over 3,000 km/1,900 miles of rights of way amid the attractive landscape of the Lake District. The trails are an interlaced system of paths and tracks linking mountain passes, summits, lakeshores, forests, villages, and other low-lying areas. The Lake District is a veritable playground for both the most ardent hikers and more relaxed visitors.

Reaching for the Sky

There are six mountains over 900 m/2,953 ft in the Lake District. Although smaller than their cousins over the border in Scotland, these mountains can still pack a punch. Care must be taken wherever you explore in the Lake District, considering fitness level, experience, and equipment.

On a clear summer’s day, the feeling of being on top of the world can be immense. However, the hillside can be disorientating on a foggy and windswept day. If in any doubt, employing a qualified Mountain Leader or enjoying a lower-level adventure would be a more enjoyable and safer option.

The Coast to Coast

England’s Coast to Coast

Are you looking for a longer hike? The iconic Coast to Coast trail begins at St Bees, on the coast of the Irish Sea, slightly to the west of the Lake District National Park. Published by fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright in 1973, his long distance trail is a popular route, spanning northern England and crossing three national parks, including the Lake District. The coast to coast route is a real gem and one to be savoured at that.

When visibility is clear, the views are spectacular, and each of the five days in The Lake District, although long and challenging, are unique.

The Cumbria Way

The Cumbria Way

Another multi-day trip, the Cumbria Way, starts from the market town of Ulverston. The route heads north through the Lake District, crossing the Coast to Coast trail in Borrowdale. The Cumbria Way leaves the lakes near Caldbeck before finishing in the city of Carlisle.

Both end points are predominantly lower-level walking. However, particular care should be taken on the more remote middle section between Langdale and Borrowdale. Care should also be taken around the Skiddaw area.

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Hike the Coast to Coast

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Along with fell walking, there are many other activities to enjoy in the Lake District. Mountain biking, paddle activities, and wild swimming are increasing in popularity. After all, the Lake District is considered the birthplace of climbing and mountaineering in England. Read on to discover some of our favourite things to do in the Lake District.

Visit a Forest

The woodland areas of the national park appeal to many visitors. Grizedale and Whinlatter Forests, managed by Forestry England, are among the most popular outdoor places to visit.

With mountain bike hire, visitor facilities, and mile upon mile of waymarked paths and tracks, a day out in the woods is a real chance to rest and unwind. Turn up early to avoid the crowds or, better still, hop on a local bus to ease the ever-increasing transport burden upon the area.

No matter how tempting, remember that wild camping is technically only permitted anywhere in the Lake District with prior permission from the landowner. There are plenty of campsites across the national park to choose from if you can’t resist a night under canvas.

Appreciate the Wildlife

Like all outdoor spaces, the Lake District is a place to slow down and respect the wildlife around you. In spring, along with ground-nesting birds, the mating call of cuckoos, and the flash of a red squirrel’s tail, you can spot bounding deer and enjoy the peace and rejuvenating energy of mixed woodland thickets. Late summer into autumn is a great time to witness the pink and purple heather blanket that cloaks the hillsides.

Nesting on the shore of Bassenthwaite Lake since 2001, there is also a pair of returning ospreys. Visitors can see these fantastic birds from either the viewing station or remotely through a pre-placed camera.

Towns of the Lake District

Heading into town, the most popular places are the central Lakes areas of Ambleside, Grasmere, and Bowness on Windermere. Other busy areas are the biggest town in the national park, Keswick, and the nearby valley of Borrowdale.

With UNESCO status granted in 2017 and an increasing desire for wild outdoor experiences, many of the outlying villages are also experiencing increased visitor numbers. There is still plenty of opportunity to responsibly get off the beaten track to unearth hidden gems.

Honister Slate Mine, Lake District

Honister Slate Mine

High on the Honister Pass between Borrowdale and Buttermere is a working mine offering guided trips and a small yet absorbing information centre. Honister Slate Mine is also close to Hay Stacks – Wainwright’s favourite fell – and is on the Coast to Coast walking route.

Rheged

On the northern edge of the national park, this visitor centre offers a great space to look around, be entertained, and generally enjoy Lakeland-related pleasures. A giant cinema screen, modern gallery, and scrumptious café food all add to the experience at Rheged.

Dove Cottage, the Lake District

Dove Cottage

Dove Cottage in Grasmere was the first home of William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy after they returned as adults to the Lakes in 1799. Guided tours offer an insight into the poet’s life as he married, raised a family, and attracted the company of many other poets of the time.

Rydal Mount

Just a few miles away from Dove Cottage is the bigger house of Rydal Mount. Perched on a beautiful southerly aspect, this is where Wordsworth later moved his family to, wrote poetry, and died in 1850. The house, gardens, and small gift shop are all worth a visit.

Whisky

The Lakes Distillery

Near Bassenthwaite, this more recent but very pleasurable addition to the Lake District visitor scene offers guided tours and tastings of holistic whisky making. The Lakes Distillery also houses a delicious bistro.

Hill Top

Hill Top is a small and compact 17th century building near Hawkshead. The house was Beatrix Potter’s much-loved home, where she continued her inspiration as an author. Also well worth a visit is Yew Tree Farm Cottage (near Coniston), which she later owned. Take your boots for a tour around the farm or to help feed the Herdwick lambs.

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As the last ice age receded 10,000 years ago, and over thousands more years, Neolithic people moved through Europe and up into Britain.

Since then, Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings have all contributed to shaping England. With the influx of cultures, families, and armies, humans have shaped the natural Lakeland landscape more and more. From the tree-covered ranges thousands of years ago, settlers have fished, farmed, hunted, and cleared woodland.

Increasingly, people built the iconic dry stone walls crisscrossing the national park. Roads, houses, and farms divided up the land and added livestock.

Mining and Industry

There is evidence of quarrying and mining over the past 1,000 years, likely dating back to Roman times. Ironically, as industry in the area increased, the Lake District gained recognition for its beauty. The advent of the railway and, later, cars brought a steady flow of visitors to the area. Modern times also brought an increasing desire to protect and promote this unique landscape. This ethos of conservation and care continues today through the Lake District National Park Authority and the National Trust, among others.

The Lake District National Park

The Lake District was designated a national park in 1951. Yet there is a long history of this region being cared for by both locals and visitors. Humans and the landscape have been co-creating for many years – with farming, forestry, and mining particularly prevalent in the Cumbrian Fells. Leisure and tourism is the natural progression of such a beautiful and unique landscape. Leave No Trace is undoubtedly the best possible mindset, along with “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos”.

Lend a Hand

Picking up litter, closing gates (as you find them), sharing transport, re-using water bottles, being calm and quiet around wildlife, and supporting the work of local conservation charities all help.

Learn how to be a more responsible hiker below.

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