Your Essential Travel Guide To The Lake District

Take our Ijmuiden to Newcastle ferry crossing and it’s just a two-hour drive to the Lake District once you arrive. Or, you can experience the charms of southern England as you make your way north to the Lakes when you take our Dieppe to Newhaven, or Dunkirk or Calais to Dover ferries.

If you’re looking to experience the rugged isolation the Lake District can offer its visitors, then look no further than a stay at the iconic Wasdale Head Inn. Overlooked by the highest peaks in the Lake District, including Scafell Pike, Scafell and Great Gable, the inn is miles from the nearest village and apart from the tiny St Olaf’s church, is alone in its very own valley.

The inn itself has many charms, with open fires, a slate-floored fell-walkers bar and walls filled with mountaineering gear and old photos of climbers long past. The perfect place to rest your feet after a busy day of hiking.

Image credit: Cumbria Tourism

Lake Windermere is the largest lake in England, and arguably its most famous and popular. Visitors to this impressive body of water can find a whole host of activities, places to visit and things to do, both on and around the lake.

Coniston Water is the third largest lake in the Lake District and sits around half a mile from the village of Coniston. At around five miles long and half a mile wide, the lake provides the perfect destination for those looking for a chilly dip, or for a spot of sailing, as boats can be hired from the Coniston Boating Centre on the shore.

Popular nearby villages include Ambleside, a bustling town of outdoor equipment shops, bookshops, gift shops, cafes and restaurants; Bowness-on-Windermere, where you can shop, dine, eat an ice cream and watch the steamers arriving and departing from Bowness Bay; and Lakeside, which is at the southern foot of Windermere and hosts the Lakes Aquarium and one end of the Haverthwaite Steam Railway.