Things to do
Steamers and lake cruises, Beatrix Potter and Wordsworth, castles, railways and gardens. When the weather closes in, start with our rainy-day guide.
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.
Tours and tickets in the Lake District
Lake cruises, guided walks and day tours you can book ahead.
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