Places to see in the Lake District

Most of the places to visit in the Lake District can be explored on foot or by car, and wherever you are staying in the lakes, you will not be far away from some of the best attractions and most fascinating towns and villages.

Tilberthwaite GhylI

Just under 1 mile north of Coniston, a road turns off to High and Low Tilberthwaite. Tilberthwaite Ghyll is a steep sided gorge near Low Tilberthwaite. Wooden bridges have been built to allow access to the gorge. There are paths at both sides above the gorge. On the fellside higher up the valley are a number of old copper mines and shafts. The Ghyll is reached from a large car park along a path sign-posted The Gill. The path passes through a disused slate quarry and there are fine views over the Fairfield range of mountains.

Torver village

A small roadside village between Coniston and Broughton-in-Furness with a good view of Coniston Old Man. A track leads to the summit from the village giving fine views of Dow Crag on the way, but Coniston is the more popular starting place for the ascent. A mile to the southwest a picturesque cul-de-sac road leads on to Broughton Fell, offering some fine views of Coniston Water and the surrounding district.

Duddon Valley the Lake District

The River Duddon runs out to sea between Millom and Barrow-in-Furness as a wide estuary. This estuary gives little indication of the quiet peaceful valley along which the river tumbles for the greater part of its length. From Duddon Bridge the road along the east bank gives the best views.

The hamlet of Ulpha

A quiet peaceful hamlet where the river is crossed by an old stone bridge. The valley was immortalised by Wordsworth in a series of 34 sonnets. The church is one of the small simple churches with which the Lake District abounds. A spectacular unfenced mountain road from Ulpha climbs over Birker Fell to Eskdale Green, offering fine views of the Scafell group of mountains.

Post office/shop, filling station (between Ulpha and Seathwaite). Served by postal bus service. Angling: Licences from post office. Seathwaite. The area around Seathwaite is one of the finest stretches of river and woodland scenery in the Lakes. The village is associated with Wonderful Walker of whom Wordsworth wrote in his sonnets. The Rev. Robert Walker was curate of Seathwaite from 1735 to 1802. His stipend in 1735 was £5 a year; it never exceeded £50. His wife possessed £40 when he married her. He educated his children, was charitable throughout his life, and died aged 92 leaving £2,000 in savings. The stone which he used when clipping sheep can be seen near the church entrance. His grave can be seen in the churchyard. The church is not the one where Robert Walker preached; an attempt was made by Ruskin and others to preserve the church as a memorial, but the present stone church occupies the same site.

The road along the Duddon Valley continues to Wrynose Bottom and to the source of the river Duddon above the Three Shires Stone on Wrynose Pass. A scenic route the whole way.

The Valley of Eskdale

This valley has the attraction of being served by one of the quaintest railways in Britain. At the head of the valley the road climbs over Hardknott Pass. On the northern side of the road is Hardknott Castle, a Roman fort which guarded the route from Ravenglass over the pass into the interior. There is a good view of Scafell Pike from the site.

Boot village

This is the first village down the valley. It is served by the small Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, and is the finest way to see the valley. The line was originally a 3 foot gauge mineral railway for transporting iron ore out of the valley. It was opened to goods traffic in 1875 and the following year for passengers. Despite the railway company going broke in 1877 the line continued in use until 1913. In 1915 two model engineers leased the track and converted it to 15 inch gauge. They provided an all year round service carrying mail, goods and passengers. In 1960 the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway came up for sale and was bought by a preservation society. The society has since added a third engine to the two original model engines.

Dalegarth station is about 200 yards from the village of Boot. From the station a nature trail is waymarked to Stanley Ghyll Waterfall. The fall is set in a wooded setting and drops 60 feet into a rock pool. It is one of the finest sights of western Lakeland.

The Eskdale Mill at Boot has been restored by Cumbria County Council and is open to the public. The corn mill has two 12-foot diameter overshot waterwheels to drive the machinery, and these are fed by a mill race from Whillan Beck. The ground floor of the mill is largely composed of disused millstones.

Eskdale Green

A small straggling village near the entrance to Eskdale. There are two railway stations on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway serving the village Irton Road and Eskdale Green stations. Inns: George IV Inn, Bower House. Post office/shop, basket maker, garage. Bank on Tuesdays. Minibus service to Ambleside and Gosforth.

Ravenglass village

The village is situated at the estuaries of the rivers Esk, Mite and Irt. It was at one time an important Roman port and to the south of the village are the remains of a Roman fort. The wide main street leads down to the estuary which once made Ravenglass one of the most important ports on the Cumberland coast.

The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway terminus is situated near the British Rail station. At one time the ore brought down the Esk valley was transferred on to the main line for further shipment. To the north of the village is a gull sanctuary which can only be visited by special permission. A mile to the east of Ravenglass is Muncaster Castle which is open to visitors.

The castle is 600 years old and is the seat of the Pennington family. Henry VI stayed here after his defeat at the Battle of Hexham. The king gave the family a shallow green bowl, stating that the family would prosper as long as the bowl remained unbroken. The bowl is known as the Luck of Muncaster. The castle has a fine collection of furniture, porcelain and pictures on display and the gardens contain rhododendrons and azaleas and a bird garden and flamingo pool. On the outskirts of the village, near the main road, is Muncaster Mill. The oatmeal mill has been restored and is open to the public.

Lake District hotels

Wherever you decide to stay in the Lake District, you will find plenty of spa hotels, boutique hotels, luxury hotels, guest houses and B&B accommodation throughout the region. Prices range from low to high, and there are plenty of places offering excellent accommodation near Windermere, Bowness and Grasmere.

Santon Bridge

The village is situated around the bridge which spans the river Irt. Southwest is Irton Church, built where a crusader was buried. In the churchyard is a fine sandstone cross nearly 10 feet high. It probably dates from the tenth century. Inside the church is a marble to Skeffington Ludwig who led an expedition of polar exploration in 1773. Under his command was a midshipman called Horatio Nelson.

Nether Wasdale

The village is situated around the green at the entrance to Wasdale. Looking up the valley is one of the finest views in Lakeland. In the foreground is Wastwater, while the three peaks of Yewbarrow, Great Gable and Lingmell rise to the skies behind the lake. To the right of Lingmell is Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain.

The sight which attracts the visitor's eyes when he first visits Wasdale is the screes on the opposite side of the lake. They tumble down from near the summit of Illgill Head to the lake's shore. On a dull day the valley feels distinctly eerie. On a fine sunny day it becomes one of the most scenic valleys in the Lake District.

Wasdale Head

The drive from Nether Wasdale to Wasdale Head is one of the finest in England. You are heading towards the mountains which tower above the hamlet. Behind the Wastwater Hotel is a picturesque packhorse bridge over Mosedale Beck. The hamlet is a climbing and walking centre. The bridge immediately above the lake is the start of the path which leads to the summit of Scafell Pike, 3,210 feet. The path passes above Lingmell Gill and to Lingmell Col where a path to the right leads to the summit. There is a superb view from the top.

The quaint church sheltering among the trees at Wasdale Head is well worth a visit. In a window, on the right, is an etched pane of glass showing Napes Needle, a rock pinnacle on nearby Great Gable. Underneath are written the words, I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my strength. Which seems so appropriate in a church surrounded by hills.

Where to stay in the Lake District

If you want to be close to the major Lake District attractions, including the Beatrix Potter Attraction and the Lakes Aquarium at Bowness, check out the Windermere and Bowness hotels, or take a trip to Ambleside or Coniston for a wide choice of romantic hotels, B&B accommodation and guest houses to suit all budgets.