The Lake District is one of the premiere holiday spots in the UK. So, on a trip there what should you do and what should you see – well these tips from Lakeland Cottage Holidays are a great start.
See A Whisky Distillery
The Lakes Distillery (lakesdistillery.co.uk) was the first distillery to open in the national park. It takes its water supply from the River Derwent. Opened in 2014, this distillery welcomes tourists to visit its premises by the Bassenthwaite Lake (which are nothing else but former cattle sheds and farms). The staff leading these tours are knowledgeable and entertaining, and they are going to tell you lots of stories about the copper whisky stills on site.
Outdoor Activities
The Lake District is the perfect spot to experience activities that are going to give you a good adrenaline boost. You can go for a canoeing session on Coniston, or experience rock climbing in the Langdales. Among other uncommon sports you can try in the Lake District there are zip-wiring, fell running and ghyll scrambling. If you’d rather watch others doing things, you can attend a local hound trailing event or a Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling competition. The whole area is home to various local shows, held particularly over the summer period.
Take A Road Trip Around The Lakes Or Even Farther Away
Driving around the lakes is a great experience, but once you’ve done it, you may become a little frustrated. Since there aren’t too many railways to enable you to travel without having to drive, you can choose to protect the environment by hiring a hybrid or electric car from the co-wheels car club (for more details, you can check out their website). They have six low emissions cars available for hire, all fitted with cycle racks. You can drive to the point where you’d park the car and keep going on the bicycle. You also have the option to hire a zero-emission Twizy vehicle in one of the eight locations in the lakes area.
William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and Hawkshead
Located across the lake, Hawkshead is a pretty village that has a tight connection to Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth. The Hill Top is the old cottage house of Beatrix Potter which inspired a great deal of the work. Wordsworth went to school in Hawkshead, and then moved a little to the north,to Grasmere, where he lived for several years. You can stop by his old house, Dove Cottage, where he wrote some of his best poems. While here, you may want to visit his grave in St Oswald’s Churchyard.
As you go north towards the middle of the park, you’ll witness a change in the scenery. Dramatic and wild, this area is the paradise of sheep, green valleys and impressive ridges. Amazingly enough, this rough terrain is scattered with villages and remote dwellings.
Have Some Walks And Enjoy The Great Outdoors
The Lake District is home to some of the best walking trails on the globe. There are so many opportunities, that you’re going to have a difficult time choosing where to walk first. Here are a few of the ones we like most:
Buttermere – the 5-mile circuit offers breathtaking views, due to the fact that the trail is surrounded by mountains. If you take this route, get to the 450m peak of Catbells, and don’t forget to take your camera. This is one of the best panoramic views in the region.
If you can spare one full day, you should go to Helvellyn, the third highest peak in England. You can climb to the top via Striding Edge, and then descend via Swirral Edge.
If you want to boast about climbing the highest peak in the country, head over to Scafell Pike. Although you need to be in good physical condition to do it, you don’t have to worry about the difficulty of the trail. Nonetheless, consider wearing proper waterproof boots and a vest. Hiking in flip-flops isn’t a good idea. When the weather is good, you can see Wastwater from the top of the mountain. You’ll be surprised to see that it looks like a tiny puddle when viewed from that height.
Lakeland offers many other ways of enjoying the great outdoors. you can go for mountain biking, climbing or ghyll scrambling (which is nothing else than gorge walking). While here, you should consider visiting the Honister Slate Mine, well-known for its via ferratas. You’ll experience using cables to climb steep cliffs and cling on for your precious life.