UNESCO World Heritage · Cumbria

The Lakes, town by town.

Mountains, meres and market towns — your guide to discovering the Lake District through local businesses, events, and hidden gems.

81Towns & villages
591Local businesses
276Upcoming events

Choose your town

From Windermere’s bustle to Wasdale’s wildness — swipe through every valley and village.

Ambleside

Ambleside

A charming town at the northern end of Lake Windermere

Bassenthwaite

Bassenthwaite

Village and lake in the shadow of Skiddaw — osprey country...

Borrowdale

Borrowdale

The lush valley running south from Derwentwater toward Honis...

Bowness-on-Windermere

Bowness-on-Windermere

Popular tourist destination on the shores of Lake Windermere

Buttermere

Buttermere

Village between Buttermere and Crummock Water

Cartmel

Cartmel

Priory village of sticky toffee pudding, a racecourse and Mi...

Cockermouth

Cockermouth

Historic market town, birthplace of William Wordsworth

Coniston

Coniston

Village at the northern end of Coniston Water

Eskdale

Eskdale

Green western valley of the River Esk, Hardknott Pass and th...

Glenridding

Glenridding

Steamer village at the south-west of Ullswater, trailhead fo...

Grasmere

Grasmere

Village famous for its association with William Wordsworth

Haweswater

Haweswater

Remote eastern reservoir in a drowned valley, with High Stre...

Hawkshead

Hawkshead

Medieval market town with cobbled streets

Kendal

Kendal

The Auld Grey Town — limestone yards, castle hill and the ...

Keswick

Keswick

Market town surrounded by fells at the northern end of Derwe...

Langdale

Langdale

Great Langdale — the Pikes, Stickle Tarn, Dungeon Ghyll an...

Pooley Bridge

Pooley Bridge

Pretty bridge village at the north end of Ullswater, with sa...

Ravenglass

Ravenglass

Roman harbour village on the estuary, start of the Eskdale r...

Staveley

Staveley

Independent village of mills, breweries and bike trails in t...

Ullswater

Ullswater

Area around England's second largest lake

Wasdale

Wasdale

Home of Wastwater, Scafell Pike and England’s deepest lake...

Windermere

Windermere

Town near England's largest natural lake

Askham

Askham

Red-sandstone village on the Lowther estate, between Penrith...

Backbarrow

Backbarrow

River Leven village of mills and the old ironworks, south of...

Bampton

Bampton

Village at the foot of Haweswater, gateway to High Street an...

Boot

Boot

Upper Eskdale hamlet of packhorse bridges, Stanley Ghyll and...

Bootle

Bootle

Village under Black Combe on the south-west edge of the Nati...

Braithwaite

Braithwaite

Fell village west of Keswick, beneath Grisedale Pike and the...

Broughton-in-Furness

Broughton-in-Furness

Georgian square town at the edge of the Duddon, gateway to t...

Caldbeck

Caldbeck

Northern fell village of Howk gorge, Howk caves and John Pee...

Chapel Stile

Chapel Stile

Slate-village heart of Great Langdale, beneath the Langdale ...

Crosthwaite

Crosthwaite

Lyth Valley village of damson orchards, between Kendal and W...

Derwentwater

Derwentwater

The lake of islands south of Keswick, with launches, jetties...

Duddon Valley

Duddon Valley

Wordsworth’s beloved Dunnerdale — a wild southern valley...

Elterwater

Elterwater

Langdale village by a small lake, with the quarry and the wa...

Embleton

Embleton

Village in the Derwent valley between Cockermouth and Bassen...

Ennerdale

Ennerdale

The wildest western valley — rewilding forest, Pillar and ...

Ennerdale Bridge

Ennerdale Bridge

Village at the foot of Ennerdale Water, on the Coast to Coas...

Eskdale Green

Eskdale Green

Main village of Eskdale, with the Outward Bound centre and r...

Far Sawrey

Far Sawrey

Ferry-side twin to Near Sawrey, looking across Windermere to...

Gosforth

Gosforth

West-coast village with the famous Viking cross, gateway to ...

Grange-in-Borrowdale

Grange-in-Borrowdale

Double-bridge village where Borrowdale opens onto Derwentwat...

Grange-over-Sands

Grange-over-Sands

Edwardian promenade town on Morecambe Bay, the southern rail...

Grizedale

Grizedale

Forest between Coniston and Hawkshead, known for sculpture t...

Haverthwaite

Haverthwaite

Home of the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway in the Leven val...

Howtown

Howtown

Steamer stop and walking hamlet on Ullswater’s eastern sho...

Ings

Ings

Small village between Staveley and Windermere on the old A59...

Kentmere

Kentmere

Quiet horseshoe valley of reservoirs and high ridges east of...

Lakeside

Lakeside

Southern steamer terminal on Windermere, with the lakeside r...

Lindale

Lindale

Village above Grange-over-Sands, on the old road into the so...

Lorton

Lorton

Twin villages of High and Low Lorton in a green vale between...

Loweswater

Loweswater

The quietest of the western lakes, with Mellbreak and a hand...

Martindale

Martindale

Remote deer-forest valley on Ullswater’s quiet eastern sid...

Matterdale

Matterdale

Upland valley above Ullswater, with Dockray and the Aira For...

Near Sawrey

Near Sawrey

Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top village, between Esthwaite Water...

Nether Wasdale

Nether Wasdale

Village at the foot of Wastwater, also known as Strands.

Newby Bridge

Newby Bridge

Historic bridge at the foot of Windermere, where river, road...

Newlands

Newlands

Quiet valley west of Keswick, linking Derwentwater to Butter...

Patterdale

Patterdale

Valley village next to Glenridding, on the Coast to Coast an...

Penrith

Penrith

Red-sandstone market town and rail hub, gateway to Ullswater...

Penruddock

Penruddock

Fell-edge village on the A66, between Penrith and Ullswater.

Portinscale

Portinscale

Lakeside village across the Derwent from Keswick, with quiet...

Rosthwaite

Rosthwaite

Quiet Borrowdale village of farms and walking inns, midway b...

Rydal

Rydal

Wordsworth’s later home at Rydal Mount, with Rydal Water a...

Santon Bridge

Santon Bridge

Bridge hamlet between Wasdale and Eskdale, famous for its in...

Satterthwaite

Satterthwaite

Forest village in Grizedale, on quiet lanes between Hawkshea...

Seathwaite

Seathwaite

Duddon-valley hamlet (not the Borrowdale one) beneath Harter...

Seatoller

Seatoller

Hamlet at the foot of Honister Pass, starting point for Seat...

Skelwith Bridge

Skelwith Bridge

Bridge hamlet between Ambleside and Langdale, home to Skelwi...

Stonethwaite

Stonethwaite

Tiny side-valley hamlet beneath Eagle Crag, beloved by walke...

Thirlmere

Thirlmere

Reservoir lake between Helvellyn and the central ridge, on t...

Threlkeld

Threlkeld

Village under Blencathra, with the old railway trail and min...

Torver

Torver

Small village on the west shore road, between Coniston and B...

Troutbeck

Troutbeck

Linear hillside village of farms and Townend, looking over W...

Troutbeck Bridge

Troutbeck Bridge

Roadside village between Windermere and Ambleside, at the fo...

Ulverston

Ulverston

Festival town of the Hoad Monument, Laurel & Hardy and the F...

Wasdale Head

Wasdale Head

Climbing hamlet under Great Gable, with the tiny church and ...

Waterhead

Waterhead

Steamer pier and lakeshore just south of Ambleside.

Watermillock

Watermillock

Scattered lakeside parish on Ullswater’s north-west shore.

Witherslack

Witherslack

Wooded limestone village between the Lyth Valley and Morecam...

Wray

Wray

Castle and lakeshore on Windermere’s quieter western side.

Places locals love

Sun Inn
Pubs & Wine Bars

Sun Inn

Ulverston

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