Lake District Towns, Villages and Districts
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Ambleside
Ambleside is an ideal centre from which to explore the Lake District. Situated on the shore of the northern tip of Lake Windermere, the largest of the lakes, it is on the main route through the area to Keswick....Barrow in Furness
The Furness peninsula was originally in the Lancashire portion of the Lake District. It juts out into Morecambe Bay and contains the large industrial town of Barrow-in-Furness, which grew to its...Bowness on Windermere
The bay, in which Bowness is situated, commands one of the prettiest views of Lake Windermere. It has a lovely promenade along the shores of the lake and offers views of the islands and...Carlisle
Carlisle lies on the very edge of the Lake District and is England’s most northerly city today. This has not always been the case as there was a time when Carlisle was in Scotland; this is why it is not featured in...Cockermouth
Cockermouth stands at the meeting place of the River Derwent and the River Cocker. This interesting market town is a great centre from which to explore the Lake District. William Wordsworth was born here in...Coniston
At the foot of Coniston Old Man, the 2635 feet high fell classified as the seventh highest mountain in England, lies the charming village of Coniston. The side of the fell bear the scars of past copper mining and...Egremont
Egremont is located near the foot of Uldale Valley and Dent Fell, the town’s layout has remained little changed in almost 1000 years of history, and is known as the Centre of the Western Lakes.Pre-dating the Norman...Grange-over-Sands
Grange-over-Sands is one of the loveliest spots on this stretch of Irish Sea coastline and lies within several miles of Lake Windermere. It is situated on the Cartmel peninsula in Morecambe Bay and...Hawkshead
Hawkshead is a picturesque old village on Esthwaite Water, set midway between Ambleside and Coniston. William Wordsworth lodged in the village and attended the Grammar School here between 1778 and 1783. The old...Kendal
Kendal is one of the main gateways to the Lake District. It is situated in the valley of the River Kent and surrounded by hills. This was once the chief town of Westmorland, a county long swallowed up by Cumbria. Kendal...Keswick
If there is one centre around which the Lake District revolves, this is Keswick. It is within easy reach of most other places in the area and there are lots of lovely walks around the town. It is surrounded by such...Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen lies at the head of the River Eden which meanders along its Market Street, and is the highest town on this particular waterway. Distant from large towns and population centres the town of...Maryport
Located on the Cumbrian coast to the north of the Lake District is Maryport. The southernmost town on the Solway Firth and its origins date back over 2000 years when the Roman fort Alauna was established as a...Penrith
The second gateway to the Lakes, after Kendal, Penrith, is the entrance from the north and an ideal place from which to explore the more northerly lakes and fells. It is an old town, believed to have been originally...Ulverston
Ulverston is a town on the Furness peninsula, on the edge of the Lake District. The name of the town is said to be derived from that of Ulph, a Saxon landowner. It became the property of the monks of Furness Abbey...Whitehaven
Whitehaven is situated on the west coast of Cumbria. In the mid 18th Century Whitehaven was the third largest port in Britain, after London and Bristol. The town is mainly Georgian and was built by the Lowther...Windermere
One of the most wonderful sights of my life was approaching Windermere early one morning, when the lake was shrouded in mist and the islands seemed to be floating on clouds. There are many places not far from...