The Lake District's most beautiful towns and villages
With plenty of adventure whether you be an outdoorsy type, foodie or bibliophile, the Lake District is the perfect spot for your next great getaway. With the area's picturesque hilltop villages and lovely harbours, there is no shortage on charm, too. We've rounded up the loveliest and most timeless towns, villages and hamlets for you to visit on your next Lake District holiday, so lace-up your climbing boots and get going!
Heading to the Lake District and in need of the perfect itinerary? May we suggest having a peek at our list of the best things to do, see and eat in the area. Should you need a place to stay, discover the best the Lake District has to offer with our list of inns, spa hotels and Airbnbs.
John Davidson Photos / Alamy Stock Photo1/8Windermere Village
About a half mile from the lake of the same name, Windermere Village is one of those quintessential English towns full of charm, beauty and history. Easily accessed by train (the town as it is today was built around the station), even those heading to the Lake District on a whim can pay a visit to the village. Full of Grade-II* listed homes, Windermere is perfect for the architectural buff; for royal history fanatics, the fireplaces in the Alice Howe and Boston Houses are said to be replicas of one found in Westminster Palace. After a morning of exploring, enjoy a warming cappuccino and just-right scone at one of the village's many cafés and bistros, including quaint Sugar & Spice and Brew Room Café, as well as at the more modern Homeground Coffee + Kitchen.
Andrew Ray / Alamy Stock Photo2/8Grasmere
Wordsmiths and bookworms alike will especially want to pay homage to this picturesque little village. Indeed, it was in Gasmere where William Wordsworth lived, describing the town as ‘the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.’ Super-fans can make the pilgrimage to the writer's former home, Dove Cottage, before heading to the teeny boutiques that line the main street. Grab a few crisp, fresh bakes at the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop and saunter past the town's galleries and shops to enjoy the treats at the foot of the nearby lake.
Kevin George / Alamy Stock Photo3/8Ambleside
Full of fabulous shops, restaurants and hotels, Ambleside is the perfect jumping off point for your Lake District trip. Walkers and climbers, too, will particularly enjoy Ambleside's easy access to some of the area's finest trails and rocky hills (do pay a visit to the Stock Ghyll Force, a spectacular 70-foot waterfall!). Sailors, too, will rejoice: beyond the public ferry and cruise services on offer, rowing and sailboats are available for rent (season permitting, of course). The Drunken Duck is the quirky pub with rooms that foodie ramblers long for, and once discovered, will dictate walking routes and itineraries forevermore. For supper, try the Lancashire cheese and chive soufflé and the pork collar with black pudding and walnut ketchup, followed by a Lake District classic: sticky toffee pudding.
AC Images / Alamy Stock Photo4/8Wasdale Head
A true hamlet amongst these Lake District towns and villages, Wasdale Head is as rural as it gets. Claiming to be the “home of the highest mountain, Scafell Pike, deepest lake, Wastwater, smallest church and biggest liar” in England, there is still quite the intrigue. Climbers and walkers will enjoy the views from the nearby mountaintops, swimmers will enjoy bracing morning swims and those seeking the perfect, secluded escape will want to book into the Wasdale Head Inn for a great pint, lovely sleep and even lovelier breakfast.
AKP Photos / Alamy Stock Photo5/8Keswick
Keswick is one of the rare villages that manages to have it all: at once bustling and full of life, Keswick is also ideal quaint escape. With the Keswick Jazz Festival happening every August (along with the town's ‘ode to the Cumbrian sausage’ events), late-summer is the time to visit, however, Keswick attracts quite the crowd; we'd recommend visiting in September, when the weather is still warm but the lakes a bit less busy.
PURPLE MARBLES CUMBRIA / Alamy Stock Photo6/8Cartmel
The oft-painted village of Cartmel is truly a jewel of the Lake District. Each street, cottage and vista is akin to a watercolour, soft light washing Cartmel's artisanal boutiques (including a fabulous cheesemonger) and cafés in warm, flickering sunshine. Stone inns and houses coalesce around a vast Norman Priory (worth a visit), making Cartmel the perfect visit for Walter Mitty-types who'd fancy themselves the detective in an Agatha Christie murder mystery. After a long jaunt around town, tuck into dessert at Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding – more delicious than you can possibly imagine.
David Lyons / Alamy Stock Photo7/8Hawkeshead
With its cobbled streets and wind-beaten white cottages, Hawkeshead emanates a true Ye Olde England energy. Supremely picturesque, too, it is difficult to remember that the town is indeed a real one and not a filmset. With a myriad independent shops full of lovely jumpers and pottery and cafés where teacakes and tiffins are menu highlights, it is a true destination for those in search of those wholesome days of yore. Worth visiting are the Beatrix Potter Gallery, whose namesake lovingly painted the Lake District with each brushstroke, as well as the local Grammar School, where William Wordsworth was once a pupil.
incamerastock / Alamy Stock Photo8/8Coniston
Once a smattering of cottages and farmhouses, Coniston is now a teeny village full of charm. Visit the Monk Coniston estate – once owned by Beatrix Potter and now managed by the National Trust; the climb to the estate is well-worth it for its sweeping views over the green valleys and deep blue lakes. After you've worked up a sufficient appetite strolling along the lakes and clambering up the village's steep hills, head to Coniston's most esteemed pub, The Old Man of Coniston, for an absolutely delightful (not to mention classic!) pub lunch.
