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Cumbria, Visitor & Tourism Guide

World Heritage and Wordsworth, landscape and coast
Along with destinations such as Devon, The Highlands and London, this county is essential UK visiting.

In North West England. On the Scotland and England border. The Irish Sea to the west. Surrounded by Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland, Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders. Manchester and Liverpool to the south, Newcastle upon Tyne to the east.*

Mountains, lakes and two National Parks
The Lake District National Park is one of the UK’s most popular with about 8 million visits a year. However, covering well over 2000 square kilometres it’s the second largest Park in the UK (the Cairngorms National Park are nearly twice the size) so it’s relatively easy to find some peace and quiet away from the tourist hotspots. Wast Water is one of the UK's most famous views, Lake Windermere its most famous lakes. Striding Edge is perhaps England's finest ridge walk, Scafell Pike its highest mountain.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park pushes up into Cumbria around Sedbergh.

Natural Beauty
Clearly there’s a great deal more to the county than its National Park. In the north west you’ll find the Solway Coast AONB. In the south, on the Cumbria and Lancashire border, you’ll find the Arnside and Silverdale AONB. To the east is the North Pennines AONB.

The Howgill Fells run from the south east of Cumbria into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. If there, perhaps try Stonetrail Riding and Bike Hire.

UNESCO World Heritage
Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site, one of the UK’s most famous attractions, runs from Bowness-on-Solway on the east through Cumbria into Northumberland. Fortifications ran down the Cumbria coast, too, as far as Maryport.

Places in which to base yourself
Within the Lake District National Park, the obvious choices are Ambleside or Windermere, Ullswater or Keswick. Penrith, Cockermouth and Kendal are all on the fringes of the Park. Beyond its boundaries, head for Carlisle to the north or Barrow-in-Furness to the south.

Culture
Cumbria has attracted some of the UK’s most famous writers and artists. The poet Wordsworth (Dover Cottage near Grasmere) and the children’s writer Beatrix Potter (try Hill Top, the World of Beatrix Potter and the Beatrix Potter Gallery around Windermere) are the most famous but John Ruskin (Brantwood, near Coniston) lived and worked here, too.

History
If castles are your thing, head for Carlisle Castle or Muncaster Castle by the coast, Piel Castle by Barrow-in-Furness or the impressive Brougham Castle by Penrith. You could also try Penrith Castle and Kendal Castle. Visit Carlisle Cathedral and Conishead Priory by Ulverston. 15 minutes from the Scottish border is Lanercost Priory.

For country houses, visit Dalemain House and Gardens, Holker Hall and Gardens and Hutton-in-the-Forest House.

For prehistory, visit Casterton Stone Circle by Carnforth and by Keswick. There are dozens of others to discover.

Rain and water
On rainy days, try the Lakes Aquarium or The Dock Museum in Barrow-in-Furness, the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry by Kendal or The Bond Museum behind the delightfully named Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick.

Jump on a boat and explore the lakes. Ullswater Steamers and Windermere Lake Cruises are a couple of obvious attractions.

[Information provided by picturetheuk]

** A note on counties

External Links
www.golakes.co.uk
www.visitcumbria.com
en.wikipedia.org

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