Young hikers on Striding Edge and Helvellyn in the Lake District national park - stock photo

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Cumbria & the Lakes

'No part of the country is more distinguished by its sublimity', mused the grand old bard of the lakes, William Wordsworth, and a couple of centuries on, his words still ring true. For natural splendour, nowhere in England can compare to the Lake District. For centuries, poets, painters and perambulators alike have been flocking here in search of inspiration and escape, and it's still the nation's favourite place to revel in the majesty of the English landscape.

Best Things to Do

Attractions

Must-see attractions

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    Hill Top

    The Lake District

    Two miles south of Hawkshead, in the tiny village of Near Sawrey, this idyllic farmhouse was purchased in 1905 by Beatrix Potter and was used as…

  • Holker Hall country house & Summer Garden near Cartmel, Cumbria, England; Shutterstock ID 707297809; full: digital; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; your: Barbara Di Castro 707297809

    Holker Hall

    Cumbria & the Lakes

    Three miles east of Cartmel on the B5278, Holker Hall has been the family seat of the Cavendish family for nigh on four centuries. Though parts of it date…

  • Autumn scene at Rydal Mount, house and garden of the English Victorian poet William Wordsworth from 1813 to his death in 1850. It is in Rydal village near Ambleside in the English Lake District, Cumbria, UK. 1281836015 fells

    Rydal Mount

    The Lake District

    The poet William Wordsworth's most famous residence in the Lake District is undoubtedly Dove Cottage, but he actually spent a great deal more time at…

  • Grasmere, Lake District, UK - June 2017: Dove Cottage - picturesque home of the poet William Wordsworth. 690001708

    Dove Cottage & The Wordsworth Museum

    The Lake District

    On the edge of Grasmere, this tiny, creeper-clad cottage (formerly a pub called the Dove & Olive Bough) was famously inhabited by William Wordsworth…

  • View of Carlisle Castle, Cumbria. England, 11th century.

    Carlisle Castle

    Cumbria & the Lakes

    Carlisle's brooding, rust-red castle lurks on the north side of the city. Founded around a Celtic and Roman stronghold, the castle's Norman keep was added…

  • Windermere & the Islands

    Windermere & the Islands

    The Lake District

    Windermere gets its name from the old Norse, Vinandr mere (Vinandr's lake; so 'Lake Windermere' is actually tautologous). Encompassing 5.7 sq miles…

  • Wordsworth House

    Wordsworth House

    The Lake District

    The poet William Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770 at this handsome Georgian house at the end of Main St. Built around 1745, the house has been…

  • Lowther Estate

    Lowther Estate

    Cumbria & the Lakes

    This sprawling country estate once belonged to one of the Lake District's most venerable families and is currently undergoing a huge, multimillion-pound…

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Young hikers on Striding Edge and Helvellyn in the Lake District national park - stock photo

Hiking

Wild walks, crumbling castles, Michelin-starred restaurants and more of Cumbria’s best experiences

Jul 25, 2022 • 7 min read

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