Lake District England

The Lake District’s Problem Is That Everyone Knows the Same Part of It

The central valley around Windermere and Grasmere receives most of the 15 million annual visitors. Summer weekend parking there is a genuine ordeal. Accommodation costs more than the surrounding non-park area and books out months ahead. These problems dissolve when you move to the western lakes – Wastwater, Ennerdale Water, Buttermere – which have a fraction of the visitor density, better walking, and more immediate mountain scenery. The approach from Wasdale Head to Scafell Pike (England’s highest point at 978m) is far more interesting than the standard Borrowdale route, even if both end at the same summit.

The Lake District National Park covers 2,362 square kilometres in Cumbria. It has 16 lakes, the highest summit in England, and one of the most concentrated walking landscapes in Britain.

Walking

The Wainwright guide series – 214 fells in seven volumes, written between 1952 and 1966 by Alfred Wainwright, a Blackburn borough treasurer who spent weekends and holidays in Cumbria – describes each fell as a hand-drawn route guide with obsessive detail. Completing all 214 is a common goal for regular visitors. The best single fell for a first-timer who wants serious views is Helvellyn (950m): the Striding Edge approach from Patterdale gives a narrow ridge walk above a 300m drop on each side, technically straightforward in dry weather but not trivial.

The Lakes

Windermere at 17km is England’s largest natural lake. Windermere Lake Cruises runs north-south connecting Bowness, Ambleside, and Lakeside; a day rover ticket (about GBP 20) is the easiest way to move between central settlements without driving narrow roads. Ullswater is less crowded and equally attractive; the Ullswater Steamer runs from Glenridding to Pooley Bridge.

Eating

L’Enclume in Cartmel (Simon Rogan’s flagship, around GBP 235 per person for the tasting menu) is the most lauded restaurant in the north of England – book months ahead for weekends. The Drunken Duck Inn at Barngates is a farmhouse pub serving fell-farmed Herdwick lamb at GBP 20 to 30 per main course, still requiring a booking for dinner but considerably more accessible. For a cheaper option that is specifically worth timing a Keswick visit around: Fellpack’s Herdwick lamb roll for about GBP 7.

Staying

Keswick at the northern end of the park is the better base for accessing the northern fells and the west without the central congestion. Ambleside suits walkers focusing on Langdale. YHA hostels in Grasmere, Langdale, and Wasdale Head are the practical option for solo and budget travellers and put you directly at the best walking terrain.

Trains from Manchester take about two hours to Windermere. From London, change at Oxenholme, about 3.5 hours total. Weekend trains during school holidays fill up; book in advance.