Things to do in the Lake District
One of the best ways to see the Lake District is to tour around by car, and stop off at some of the most famous landmarks around the region. Take your time to discover the true beauty of the Lake District, and you will find plenty of things to do en route.
One of the best driving tours is around Skiddaw Slate country, taking in Skiddaw and Blencathra and also the Caldbeck and Uldale Fells, together with a string of attractive and fascinating villages. Start by taking the A591 out of Keswick, then turn left onto the old Penrith road and immediately right along a lane signposted to Castlerigg stone circle.
It is well worth stopping here not only to see the ancient stones but also to savour the panorama, including the bulk of Skiddaw, the serrated southern face of Blencathra, the north-western ramparts of the Helvellyn range and, across the Derwentwater basin, the summits of the Grasmoor group.
Return to the Penrith road (A66), which bypasses Threlkeld and Scales, two Norse settlements nestling at the foot of Blencathra, but turn left onto a minor road leading to the pleasant little village of Mungrisdale. The road now runs right at the base of the fells and as the hamlet of Bowscale is reached there is a delightful view of Carrock Fell, its summit crowned by one of the Lake District's few hillforts, to the left, and the low hills running down to the Eden valley to the right. On the way to Mosedale the road crosses slightly further downstream and shows the attractively arched predecessor to the present bridge. Next is the large village of Hesket Newmarket, once a would be market town and still with its market cross and enormous village green as reminders of the sheep and cattle fairs which died out in the nineteenth century.
Caldbeck and John Peel
Caldbeck, a large straggling village which is perhaps less self-conscious about its image than those knowing of its John Peel associations would expect, is the next destination. This was very much an industrial centre, with a quite large woollen mill close to the village centre and a bobbin mill destroyed by fire tucked away in the eerily atmospheric limestone gorge known as The Howk. West of Caldbeck the views open out markedly and there are fine opportunities for the landscape photographer, with the northern sentinels of the Lake District all clearly visible.
The road eventually swings round towards Ireby, another former market town which is a shadow of its former self, though here there is still a market square and Moot Hall to serve as a reminder of former times. Some distance to the west is the old church of Ireby, a largely Norman chapel which has long been disused. The farming hamlets of Ruthwaite and Orthwaite are next to be visited; close by here is Over Water, a low-level tarn in an area showing evidence of its glacial past, and to the southeast there is a tremendous view into Skiddaw Forest, that lonely and unfrequented moorland which provides a quiet Bank Holiday haven for walkers trying to escape the crowds.
Bassenthwaite and Keswick
Follow the minor road as it twists and turns around the moorland edge before reaching Bassenthwaite, a considerable village but some distance from Bassenthwaite Lake. It is also quite a way from the present village to Bassenthwaite old church, along a narrow lane close to the lake. The way back to Keswick now runs along the western flanks of Skiddaw, the summit of which is hidden behind outlying landscapes such as Carl Side and Dodd, the latter a little wooded fell with good forest trails and an excellent prospect southwards into the heart of the Lakeland mountains from its summit plateau.
Below Dodd is Mirehouse, open to the public, the former home of James Spedding, the author of The Life and Letters of Francis Baconj amongst his visitors was Tennyson, whose Idylls of the King was inspired by the lakeside views here. A final detour under the slopes of Skiddaw takes in the hamlets of Millbeck, once an important centre of the Keswick woollen industry but now best known as the starting point of a popular route to the summit of the mountain at whose foot it shelters and, a little further south, Applethwaite.
Things to do in Ullswater
Perhaps the best starting point for this tour is the village of Shap, conveniently located on the A6. Minor lanes lead quickly to Shap Abbey, a surprising survival in a deep wooded valley; the tower of the abbey church is particularly striking. On the way to Bampton a roadside lime-kiln serves as a reminder that this is Carboniferous Limestone country, while the place name of Bampton Grange indicates that the hamlet originated as an outlying farm of the nearby abbey. At Bampton, a quiet and unremarkable village, take the road to Haweswater and Mardale Head, passing through woodland before reaching the reservoir.
Haweswater assumed its present form in the 1930s to serve Manchester's needs but this necessitated the drowning of the hamlet of Mardale Green; the ghostly remains of the church, pub (the Dun Bull) and cottages can still be seen during times of drought. Here too are the first views of the magnificent array of mountains which ring the head of Haweswater.
Beyond the hotel the Old Corpse Road over Mardale Common to Swindale and Shap, once used to carry Mardale's dead but now a quiet walkers' route, leaves on the left, whilst straight ahead, above the jutting wooded promontory of The Rigg, can be seen the narrowing ridge of Rough Crag and Long Stile, the best way to the top of High Street. To its left is the deep corrie containing the unseen Blea Water, deepest of the district's tams, and further left still is Harter Fell, its craggy northern buttresses jutting proudly between two famous packhorse routes, over Gatescarth Pass to Longsleddale and over Nan Bield Pass to Kentmere.
Lake District walks
If you prefer to drive and walk around the Lake District, you can park your car at one of the many public car parks and enjoy a hike around Windermere, Brampton, Keswick or any region of the Lake District. Lake District walks range from easy to difficult, so there are great routes for every age and fitness level.
Brampton the Lake District
Return to Bampton and take the surprisingly wide road north to Helton. A very worthwhile detour to the left here leads up to Heltonhead and the open common land of Moor Divock, a prehistoric hive of activity and studded with ancient survivals, including a stone circle (The Cockpit) later used as a sighting point by Roman road builders, cairn circles and standing stones. There is also a very fine prospect across Ullswater to the Helvellyn range from the common.
North of Helton is Askham, an excellent example of a green village, with the Lowther Castle estate beyond the River Lowther to the right. The ruined Lowther Castle, lavishly rebuilt in the nineteenth century but now only a facade, and the curious church of St Michael standing beside the site of a medieval village deserted when the Lowthers decided to create a spectacularly landscaped park, produces scenery of an unexpected and slightly disturbing kind. At Lowther Newtown, slightly to the east, is the seventeenth century replacement for the village.
The route now lies along a narrow lane to Celleron where the Roman High Street is crossed and Pooley Bridge at the foot of Ullswater. Turn left before the church here and take the equally narrow road (on which parking is subject to severe restrictions) which runs along the east side of the lake, with marvellous views of the Helvellyn foothills and the boating activity on Ullswater itself, to Howtown, where boats leave for Glenridding Pier and Pooley Bridge.
Horse riding in the Lake District
If you are looking for sporty things to do in the Lake District, there are plenty of horse riding centres to choose from. Horse riding in Winderemere is particularly popular, and beginners and experienced riders can explore the Lake District fells on horseback, and enjoy some of the best landscapes in the region.
Driving to Pooley Bridge
The road runs on to Martindale, a delightful spot with two churches (the older one a typically simple dale chapel) and a variety of walks, from quiet treks through virtually unknown valleys such as Bannerdale and Boredale, to the very short and quite popular stroll through rocky knolls to the low summit of Hallin Fell, with the reward of further excellent views of the lake.
There is no through route for cars from Martindale, so return to Pooley Bridge and take the main road along the western side of Ullswater, perhaps pausing at one of the many parking places but certainly stopping at the medieval deer park of Gowbarrow Park, where a splendid path follows the Aira Beck upstream to that most excellent of waterfalls, Aira Force.
Above the waterfall the fellside, with little crags interspersed among the bracken and fine views along Ullswater to the mountains around the head of the lake, is a place to linger, while down below the battlemented folly of Lyulf's Tower, a late eighteenth-century hunting lodge, adds further variety to the scene. The main road (A592) continues to hug the shore of the lake as far as the former mining village of Glenridding, then leaves Ullswater behind on its way to Patterdale and, along a quiet side road, Hartsop.
This is a classic Lakeland hamlet of little cottages, a number of them with exterior spinning galleries, though few of the farms are still worked and most are occupied as second homes. Just beyond the village is the attractive tarn of Brothers Water, while the side valleys of Dovedale and Deepdale, each of them ending in remote coves surrounded by considerable crags, lie across the main valley as it approaches the Kirkstone Pass.
Troutbeck the Lake District
To the south of the pass, a narrow defile between scree-laden slopes, a side road runs down into the tourist trap of Ambleside, but the main road leads on towards Troutbeck, a spectacularly pretty series of linked hamlets with attractive statesman farms (the most notable of them Town End, now owned by the National Trust) and wide views across the Trout Beck valley to the green, shapely III Bell range of fells.
Turn left onto the A591, skirt the town of Windermere and, at the mill village of Staveley , turn left again to follow a series of country lanes past the entrances to the pleasant eastern dales of Kentmere and Longsleddale to the A6, which forms the National Park boundary for most of the return journey to Shap.
One of the best driving tours is around Skiddaw Slate country, taking in Skiddaw and Blencathra and also the Caldbeck and Uldale Fells, together with a string of attractive and fascinating villages. Start by taking the A591 out of Keswick, then turn left onto the old Penrith road and immediately right along a lane signposted to Castlerigg stone circle.
It is well worth stopping here not only to see the ancient stones but also to savour the panorama, including the bulk of Skiddaw, the serrated southern face of Blencathra, the north-western ramparts of the Helvellyn range and, across the Derwentwater basin, the summits of the Grasmoor group.
Return to the Penrith road (A66), which bypasses Threlkeld and Scales, two Norse settlements nestling at the foot of Blencathra, but turn left onto a minor road leading to the pleasant little village of Mungrisdale. The road now runs right at the base of the fells and as the hamlet of Bowscale is reached there is a delightful view of Carrock Fell, its summit crowned by one of the Lake District's few hillforts, to the left, and the low hills running down to the Eden valley to the right. On the way to Mosedale the road crosses slightly further downstream and shows the attractively arched predecessor to the present bridge. Next is the large village of Hesket Newmarket, once a would be market town and still with its market cross and enormous village green as reminders of the sheep and cattle fairs which died out in the nineteenth century.
Caldbeck and John Peel
Caldbeck, a large straggling village which is perhaps less self-conscious about its image than those knowing of its John Peel associations would expect, is the next destination. This was very much an industrial centre, with a quite large woollen mill close to the village centre and a bobbin mill destroyed by fire tucked away in the eerily atmospheric limestone gorge known as The Howk. West of Caldbeck the views open out markedly and there are fine opportunities for the landscape photographer, with the northern sentinels of the Lake District all clearly visible.
The road eventually swings round towards Ireby, another former market town which is a shadow of its former self, though here there is still a market square and Moot Hall to serve as a reminder of former times. Some distance to the west is the old church of Ireby, a largely Norman chapel which has long been disused. The farming hamlets of Ruthwaite and Orthwaite are next to be visited; close by here is Over Water, a low-level tarn in an area showing evidence of its glacial past, and to the southeast there is a tremendous view into Skiddaw Forest, that lonely and unfrequented moorland which provides a quiet Bank Holiday haven for walkers trying to escape the crowds.
Bassenthwaite and Keswick
Follow the minor road as it twists and turns around the moorland edge before reaching Bassenthwaite, a considerable village but some distance from Bassenthwaite Lake. It is also quite a way from the present village to Bassenthwaite old church, along a narrow lane close to the lake. The way back to Keswick now runs along the western flanks of Skiddaw, the summit of which is hidden behind outlying landscapes such as Carl Side and Dodd, the latter a little wooded fell with good forest trails and an excellent prospect southwards into the heart of the Lakeland mountains from its summit plateau.
Below Dodd is Mirehouse, open to the public, the former home of James Spedding, the author of The Life and Letters of Francis Baconj amongst his visitors was Tennyson, whose Idylls of the King was inspired by the lakeside views here. A final detour under the slopes of Skiddaw takes in the hamlets of Millbeck, once an important centre of the Keswick woollen industry but now best known as the starting point of a popular route to the summit of the mountain at whose foot it shelters and, a little further south, Applethwaite.
Things to do in Ullswater
Perhaps the best starting point for this tour is the village of Shap, conveniently located on the A6. Minor lanes lead quickly to Shap Abbey, a surprising survival in a deep wooded valley; the tower of the abbey church is particularly striking. On the way to Bampton a roadside lime-kiln serves as a reminder that this is Carboniferous Limestone country, while the place name of Bampton Grange indicates that the hamlet originated as an outlying farm of the nearby abbey. At Bampton, a quiet and unremarkable village, take the road to Haweswater and Mardale Head, passing through woodland before reaching the reservoir.
Haweswater assumed its present form in the 1930s to serve Manchester's needs but this necessitated the drowning of the hamlet of Mardale Green; the ghostly remains of the church, pub (the Dun Bull) and cottages can still be seen during times of drought. Here too are the first views of the magnificent array of mountains which ring the head of Haweswater.
Beyond the hotel the Old Corpse Road over Mardale Common to Swindale and Shap, once used to carry Mardale's dead but now a quiet walkers' route, leaves on the left, whilst straight ahead, above the jutting wooded promontory of The Rigg, can be seen the narrowing ridge of Rough Crag and Long Stile, the best way to the top of High Street. To its left is the deep corrie containing the unseen Blea Water, deepest of the district's tams, and further left still is Harter Fell, its craggy northern buttresses jutting proudly between two famous packhorse routes, over Gatescarth Pass to Longsleddale and over Nan Bield Pass to Kentmere.
Lake District walks
If you prefer to drive and walk around the Lake District, you can park your car at one of the many public car parks and enjoy a hike around Windermere, Brampton, Keswick or any region of the Lake District. Lake District walks range from easy to difficult, so there are great routes for every age and fitness level.
Brampton the Lake District
Return to Bampton and take the surprisingly wide road north to Helton. A very worthwhile detour to the left here leads up to Heltonhead and the open common land of Moor Divock, a prehistoric hive of activity and studded with ancient survivals, including a stone circle (The Cockpit) later used as a sighting point by Roman road builders, cairn circles and standing stones. There is also a very fine prospect across Ullswater to the Helvellyn range from the common.
North of Helton is Askham, an excellent example of a green village, with the Lowther Castle estate beyond the River Lowther to the right. The ruined Lowther Castle, lavishly rebuilt in the nineteenth century but now only a facade, and the curious church of St Michael standing beside the site of a medieval village deserted when the Lowthers decided to create a spectacularly landscaped park, produces scenery of an unexpected and slightly disturbing kind. At Lowther Newtown, slightly to the east, is the seventeenth century replacement for the village.
The route now lies along a narrow lane to Celleron where the Roman High Street is crossed and Pooley Bridge at the foot of Ullswater. Turn left before the church here and take the equally narrow road (on which parking is subject to severe restrictions) which runs along the east side of the lake, with marvellous views of the Helvellyn foothills and the boating activity on Ullswater itself, to Howtown, where boats leave for Glenridding Pier and Pooley Bridge.
Horse riding in the Lake District
If you are looking for sporty things to do in the Lake District, there are plenty of horse riding centres to choose from. Horse riding in Winderemere is particularly popular, and beginners and experienced riders can explore the Lake District fells on horseback, and enjoy some of the best landscapes in the region.
Driving to Pooley Bridge
The road runs on to Martindale, a delightful spot with two churches (the older one a typically simple dale chapel) and a variety of walks, from quiet treks through virtually unknown valleys such as Bannerdale and Boredale, to the very short and quite popular stroll through rocky knolls to the low summit of Hallin Fell, with the reward of further excellent views of the lake.
There is no through route for cars from Martindale, so return to Pooley Bridge and take the main road along the western side of Ullswater, perhaps pausing at one of the many parking places but certainly stopping at the medieval deer park of Gowbarrow Park, where a splendid path follows the Aira Beck upstream to that most excellent of waterfalls, Aira Force.
Above the waterfall the fellside, with little crags interspersed among the bracken and fine views along Ullswater to the mountains around the head of the lake, is a place to linger, while down below the battlemented folly of Lyulf's Tower, a late eighteenth-century hunting lodge, adds further variety to the scene. The main road (A592) continues to hug the shore of the lake as far as the former mining village of Glenridding, then leaves Ullswater behind on its way to Patterdale and, along a quiet side road, Hartsop.
This is a classic Lakeland hamlet of little cottages, a number of them with exterior spinning galleries, though few of the farms are still worked and most are occupied as second homes. Just beyond the village is the attractive tarn of Brothers Water, while the side valleys of Dovedale and Deepdale, each of them ending in remote coves surrounded by considerable crags, lie across the main valley as it approaches the Kirkstone Pass.
Troutbeck the Lake District
To the south of the pass, a narrow defile between scree-laden slopes, a side road runs down into the tourist trap of Ambleside, but the main road leads on towards Troutbeck, a spectacularly pretty series of linked hamlets with attractive statesman farms (the most notable of them Town End, now owned by the National Trust) and wide views across the Trout Beck valley to the green, shapely III Bell range of fells.
Turn left onto the A591, skirt the town of Windermere and, at the mill village of Staveley , turn left again to follow a series of country lanes past the entrances to the pleasant eastern dales of Kentmere and Longsleddale to the A6, which forms the National Park boundary for most of the return journey to Shap.
Labels: Troutbeck the Lake District
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