Discover Cumbria

A great base from which to enjoy some of the best scenic drives in The Lake District would be Ambleside. Most of the valleys and roads in central Lakeland radiate from the village and it has an array of excellent accommodation.

Take the A591 north from Ambleside towards Grasmere. This route skims the shores of Rydal Water and affords superb views accross the water to Loughrigg Fell. In Autumn the colours of the turning leaves are spectacular. At Whitemoss Common it is possible to park your car and take a short walk to reach the shores of Grasmere Lake.

You may have noticed that there have for some time been roadworks overnight on the A591 between Keswick and Grasmere. The more observant amongst us will have also noticed that what is actually happening is the forestry commission are harvesting the trees along Thirlmere which is revealing the lake for the first time in my living memory.

It now means as you drive along the lake you can enjoy an uninterupted view of Thirlmere and the fellside beyond. I look forward to Autumn next year when the mountain side will look stunning. So lakeland does have a new view!

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The longest lake in The Lake District, over 20 miles, Windermere stretches from Waterhead - Ambleside in the North to Newby Bridge in the south. It is possible to cross Windermere by car ferry at Bowmess on Windermere, just a few minutes trip will save over an hour journey by road. Windermere attracts by far the greatest visitor numbers partly due to the diverse range of towns and villages adjacent to it's shores. The most popular and easy of which to reach is Bowness on Wimdermere.

Idyllic village set amongst some of the most quintisential lakeland scenery with the Langdale Pikes making an impressive backdrop. Home to one of my favourite pubs, The Brittania Inn, and an excellent base for exploring Langdale valley, Coniston and Ambleside without having to be amongst the crowds.

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Wasdale comprises some of the most dramatic lakeland scenery. Wasdale is situated on Cumbria's remote west coast in a hidden cormer of the Lake District.

Wastwater is Englands deepest lake surrounded by famous mountains - Scafell Pike(Englands highest mountain), Scafell and Great Gable.

One of the many reasons people come to Wasdale is as a destination having travelled over the Wrynose and Hardknott passes. The formidable route offers the non fell walker the opportunity of experiencing the very finest scenery availble anywhere in the UK.