Rainy days in Cumbria
It rains a lot here, and that is what keeps the becks and waterfalls so full. When cloud is down on the tops, stay low: waterfalls are at their loudest after heavy rain, and woodland paths stay sheltered.
If you want to stay dry, the county has more museums, houses and galleries than people expect. Check opening times before you travel, as many keep shorter hours from November to March.
Walks that are better in the rain
Aira Force waterfall loop
Easy, 1.5 km, 50 m up, about 30 minutes
A short woodland loop on National Trust land above Ullswater to the foot and top of Aira Force, one of the Lakes' best known waterfalls.
Borrowdale valley loop: Seatoller, Rosthwaite and Stonethwaite
Easy, 7.6 km, 199 m up, about 2 hours
A low-level ramble through the heart of Borrowdale: Johnny Wood, the River Derwent, Rosthwaite and the quiet side valley to Stonethwaite.
Dunmallard Hill from Pooley Bridge
Easy, 2.1 km, 111 m up, about 30 minutes
A short woodland loop from Pooley Bridge over the wooded knoll at the foot of Ullswater, with the remains of an Iron Age fort on top.
Elterwater to Skelwith Force
Easy, 5.4 km, 36 m up, about 1 hour
A level riverside walk from Elterwater village, past the lake and through meadows to the falls at Skelwith Force. No stiles.
Loweswater and Holme Wood from Maggie's Bridge
Easy, 3.8 km, 5 m up, about 1 hour
A level, fully accessible walk along the quiet south shore of Loweswater into the oaks of Holme Wood. A Miles without Stiles route for all.
Orrest Head from Windermere station
Easy, 2.5 km, 108 m up, about 30 minutes
A short climb straight from Windermere station through woodland to Orrest Head, a 360 degree viewpoint over Windermere and the central fells.
Smardale Gill Viaduct from Smardale
Easy, 4.8 km, 34 m up, about 1 hour
A level walk along an old railway through a Cumbria Wildlife Trust reserve to the tall stone viaduct over Scandal Beck.
Tarn Hows circular walk
Easy, 3.0 km, 38 m up, about 30 minutes
An easy loop on a good path around Tarn Hows, the wooded tarn between Coniston and Hawkshead with the Langdale and Coniston fells behind.
Days out under a roof
Castlerigg Stone Circle
Heritage, Keswick
A 5,000-year-old stone circle set against a natural amphitheatre of fells. Free to visit, impossible to forget.
Hill Top - Beatrix Potter
Heritage, Near Sawrey, ££
Beatrix Potter's beloved farmhouse preserved exactly as she left it, with her garden still blooming. Pure Lake District charm.
Windermere Lake Cruises
Boat Trips, Windermere, ££
England's largest lake seen from the water is a different beast entirely. The full-length cruise from Ambleside to Lakeside is magnificent.
Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House
Cultural, Bowness, ££, dogs welcome
An Arts and Crafts holiday house above Windermere designed by M.H. Baillie Scott for a Manchester brewery owner, with original interiors, changing exhibitions, a tea room and gardens looking across the lake.
Grizedale Forest
Outdoor Adventure, Hawkshead, £, dogs welcome
Mountain biking, Go Ape, sculpture trails and walking routes through ancient woodland between Coniston and Windermere.
Honister Slate Mine
Adventure, Honister Pass, ££
England's last working slate mine offers underground tours, via ferrata and infinity bridge experiences high above Buttermere valley.
Lakes Aquarium
Family Attraction, Lakeside, ££
A journey from mountain stream to ocean floor at the southern tip of Windermere. The otter feeding is a highlight for all ages.
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Heritage Railway, Ravenglass, ££, dogs welcome
A narrow-gauge steam railway weaving seven miles through Eskdale. The journey is the destination on 'La'al Ratty'.
Rheged Centre
Culture & Food, Penrith, £, dogs welcome
A hillside-built cultural centre near Penrith from the family behind Tebay Services, with a gallery, cinema, shops and a cafe and deli championing Cumbrian producers.
The Rum Story
Museum, Whitehaven, ££
Whitehaven's rum trading past told across three floors of the Jefferson family's original 1785 shop and warehouses, from the Antiguan rainforest to Prohibition. Open daily, with a courtyard cafe on site.
Wordsworth Grasmere
Heritage, Grasmere, ££
Dove Cottage and the museum tell the story of England's greatest Romantic poet in the landscape that inspired him.