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The Lake District in Cumbria, northwest England, is a compact region of fells, valleys and lakes protected as a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It inspired the Romantic poets, especially William Wordsworth, and later Beatrix Potter, who bought farms here and helped conserve the landscape. Stone walls, sheep farms and slate villages fill the valleys between the hills.
Windermere, England's largest natural lake, has boat services from Bowness, and the towns of Ambleside and Grasmere make good walking bases, with Wordsworth associations nearby. Beatrix Potter's farmhouse, Hill Top, sits near the village of Hawkshead. Coniston Water and the nearby Tarn Hows offer gentle lakeside strolls. Near Keswick, the ancient Castlerigg Stone Circle stands among the fells, and Derwent Water lies below Catbells, a popular short climb. The valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere feel wilder, Ullswater has steamers and the waterfall at Aira Force, and remote Wasdale leads to Scafell Pike, England's highest peak.
The region suits walkers of all levels, from lakeside paths to serious fell routes. Roads can be narrow and congested in summer and on holiday weekends. Rain is frequent year-round, so waterproof gear is worth packing.
WiserMap travel guideLake District England Fells Lakes and Beatrix PotterPlan a Lake District trip: Windermere, Grasmere, Hill Top, Keswick and Derwent Water, Buttermere, Ullswater and Wasdale, with tips on fells, transport and timin...Read the guide
Windermere is England's largest natural lake, and Bowness-on-Windermere is the busy lakeside town where most boat trips begin. Windermere Lake Cruises sail to Ambleside and Lakeside, and the Windermere Jetty Museum shows historic boats. Rowing boats can be hired. Go early, since Bowness gets crowded in summer.
Coniston Water is a quieter lake below the Old Man of Coniston, known for the steam yacht Gondola and for Donald Campbell's water speed records. John Ruskin's home Brantwood overlooks the east shore. Tarn Hows, nearby, is a lovely small tarn with an easy path of about 1.5 miles around it.
Derwent Water lies just south of Keswick, ringed by fells and wooded islands. The Keswick Launch circles the lake and stops at jetties around the shore. From Hawes End jetty, the climb up Catbells is a short, popular fell walk with big views, though the top has some easy scrambling. Combine the boat and walk.
Ullswater is a long, winding lake in the eastern fells, served by the Ullswater Steamers between Glenridding and Pooley Bridge. Aira Force on its north shore is a 20-meter waterfall in a wooded gorge with stone bridges, reached by short paths from a National Trust car park. Wordsworth's daffodils grew nearby.
Ambleside at the head of Windermere is a lively stone town with outdoor shops, cafes and the tiny Bridge House over Stock Beck. Grasmere, a few miles north, is a quiet village by its own lake, known for Grasmere Gingerbread and St Oswald's Church, where Wordsworth is buried. A footpath links the two.
Borrowdale is a green valley south of Derwent Water with the Bowder Stone and the hamlets of Rosthwaite and Seatoller. Over the Honister Pass lies Buttermere, a small lake with an easy level path all around it of about 4.5 miles. The Honister road is very steep and narrow, so drive with care.
Hill Top in Near Sawrey is the small farmhouse Beatrix Potter bought with income from Peter Rabbit, kept as she left it, with scenes that appear in her books. Nearby Hawkshead is a car-free village of white houses, with the Beatrix Potter Gallery and the old grammar school Wordsworth attended. Book Hill Top ahead.
Castlerigg Stone Circle is a ring of about 38 standing stones on a hilltop just east of Keswick, probably raised around 3000 BC. It has a dramatic setting with fells all around, including Blencathra and Skiddaw. Entry is free and open at all times. It is especially atmospheric early in the morning or at sunset.
Dove Cottage in Grasmere was the home of poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy from 1799 to 1808, where he wrote many of his best-known poems. Guided visits show the small rooms and cottage garden, and the museum next door holds manuscripts and paintings. It sits on the edge of Grasmere village.
Wasdale is a remote western valley with Wast Water, England's deepest lake, below steep scree slopes. From Wasdale Head the shortest route climbs Scafell Pike, at 978 meters the highest mountain in England, in about five to six hours round trip. Weather changes fast, so take a map and good gear.
Helvellyn, at 950 meters, is the third-highest mountain in England and one of the most popular climbs in the Lake District. The classic route from Glenridding crosses Striding Edge, a narrow rocky ridge that needs a head for heights. Easier paths reach the top from Thirlmere. Avoid the edges in wind or snow.
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a narrow-gauge heritage line running about seven miles from the coast at Ravenglass up into Eskdale, with small steam and diesel engines pulling open and covered carriages. At Dalegarth there are waterfall walks. It is great for children. Check the timetable before travelling.
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