Lake District

The Lake District: Where to Go and What to Skip

The Lake District National Park is 2,362 square kilometres of Cumbrian hills, tarns, and lake valleys in northwest England, designated a World Heritage Site in 2017. In peak summer it is one of the most visited places in England. The roads around Windermere on a July Saturday are borderline gridlocked, parking in Ambleside requires patience and cash, and the cafes in Grasmere have queues out the door. If you cannot go in April, September, or October, go anyway - just accept that you will share the place with a lot of people.

The most useful base

Keswick is the best base for the northern lakes and has the most useful infrastructure: multiple outdoor gear shops (Cotswold Outdoor, local independents), a good range of accommodation, the Pencil Museum (better than it sounds), and a market on Thursdays and Saturdays. It sits at the head of Derwentwater with direct access to Borrowdale and the Newlands Valley.

Ambleside works better for the central fells and Langdale. It is slightly fussier (more tearooms, fewer gear shops) but the position is excellent for Scafell Pike, the Langdale Pikes, and Coniston.

What to hike

Scafell Pike (978m) is England’s highest summit. The standard route from Wasdale Head is 8km round trip with about 900m of climbing on clear paths. It takes 4-6 hours depending on fitness and pace. The summit in August looks like a train station concourse. In October on a weekday, it is dramatically different.

Catbells above Derwentwater is the Lake District’s most famous short walk: 3km round trip from the Hawse End car park, 451m summit, and excellent views over the lake. It can be done in under 2 hours, which is why it is excellent for children and anyone who wants a high-impact view without a full day commitment.

Helm Crag above Grasmere (the distinctive rocky summit visible from the A591) is a 5km loop from the village with enough scrambling to feel like proper fell walking.

Where to eat

L’Enclume in Cartmel is Simon Rogan’s two-Michelin-star restaurant, the most acclaimed in the north of England, with a 20-course tasting menu at around GBP 250 per person. Worth planning a trip around if fine dining is your interest. Cartmel is 15 minutes south of Windermere.

For everyday eating: Hole in t’Wall on Lowther Street in Keswick is reputedly the oldest pub in town (pre-1700), serves real ales, and does bar food at reasonable prices. In Ambleside, Sheila’s Cottage on The Slack does traditional Cumbrian food (Herdwick lamb, local Cumberland sausage) at GBP 12-18 for a main.

The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop in the churchyard of St Oswald’s sells a recipe that has been the same since 1854. A piece costs about GBP 1. It is worth buying.

Where to stay

The Gilpin Hotel near Windermere is the luxury benchmark: spa suites, excellent food, GBP 400-600 per night. The Derwentwater Independent Hostel outside Keswick is at the other end - dormitories from GBP 22-28 per night, bunk beds, communal kitchen, and direct access to lakeside paths. Both have loyal customers.

For families, self-catering cottages are the best value and widely available through Cumbrian Cottages and similar agencies.

Driving is essentially required for anything beyond the core tourist towns. The Mountain Goat minibus service covers some routes, but services are limited.