Best Western Hotels GB | Lake District Hotels

Book a Lake District hotel to enjoy the daffodil-strewn valleys that inspired Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter’s home and the watery landscape where Able Seaman Titty rode the swell.

Things to do in the Lake District

Outdoorsy types are in their spiritual home in the Lake District. Wander lonely as a cloud amongst Little Salkeld’s Long Meg and her Daughters, the mysterious stone circles said to be witches who dared to frolic on the Sabbath. The less mystical can have a go at wakeboarding at Port Haverigg. You can glide the lake on an Ullswater steamer or feast on the views up the highest mountain in England at Scafell Pike.

Lake District visitor tips

The Lake District gets crowded in summer so book your attractions in advance. The weather can change from sunny to downpour in minutes, so wear layers and pack a waterproof. When it does rain, there are loads of indoor attractions, like Wordsworth’s home at Dove Cottage in Grasmere and the World of Beatrix Potter at Bowness-on-Windermere. The Lake District’s winding lanes attract lots of people pootling along admiring the views, so don’t be in too much of a hurry.

Speed freaks zip over to Lake Coniston where Donald Campbell set his water speed record. You can take a cruise and hear this maverick’s amazing story. Sedater souls love glorious Victorian Holker Hall where menil fallow deer roam the grounds and you can stock up on shorthorn beef, venison and ewe’s milk cheese at the Food Hall. Pick through the ruins of the castle at Penrith and hear tales of how the English battled the Scots. Take in a show at one of the world’s most spectacular theatrical settings at Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake, overlooking Borrowdale and Derwentwater.

Eat, drink and shop in the Lake District

If you’re in a Lake District hotel near Ambleside, make a date with local chef extraordinaire Lucy. Lucy’s on a Plate and Lucy’s Specialist Grocers serve locally sourced dishes with a personal touch – the blackboard menu says farewell to departing holidaymakers and comments on the news of the day. You’ll get pizza and a movie at nearby Zeffirelli’s which has a cinema on site. With its Wordsworth connections, Grasmere feeds the hordes each summer on local dishes like game pie, organic beer-battered cod and Grasmere gingerbread. Shopping fans focus on the Lake District’s craft heritage and head to the pottery and clothes boutiques across the region. Farmers’ markets are common at weekends where Morecambe Bay shrimp, Herdwick lamb and Cartmel sticky toffee pudding draw the crowds.