47 Best Sights in The Lake District, England

Vintage steam trains chug along on the 18-minute, 4-mile branch line between Lakeside and Haverthwaite, giving you a great view of Windermere's southern tip. You can add on a lake cruise for another perspective on the region's natural beauty. Departures from Lakeside coincide with ferry arrivals from Bowness and Ambleside. See the website for timetables; tickets can only be purchased from the station on the day of travel.

An Elizabethan house and the home of the Bagot family since 1590, Levens Hall is famous for its topiary garden, probably the most distinctive in the world. Laid out in 1694, the garden retains its original design, and the yew and beech hedges, cut into complex shapes that resemble enormous chess pieces, rise among a profusion of flowers. The house contains a stunning medieval hall with oak paneling, ornate plasterwork, Jacobean furniture, and Cordova goat-leather wallpaper. You can easily spend a couple of hours here admiring the place or getting lost in the living willow labyrinth. There's a play area for children. Levens Hall is 4 miles south of Kendal.

Set amid 130 acres of parkland and lovely gardens, Lowther Castle, built in 1806, fell into disrepair during the second half of the 20th century but still offers plenty to do. Its romantic ruined turrets can be seen from all over the grounds, which are carpeted with wildflowers, dotted with living willow sculptures, and filled with tree swings and other play areas for the kids. The gallery has ornate Italian plaster decoration, and the café is a fine spot for afternoon tea and cake. Walks in the grounds are glorious on a sunny day. The castle is 6 miles south of Penrith.

Two miles north of Coniston on the A593, just past Beatrix Potter's beautifully situated Yew Tree Farm, is a small National Trust parking lot that leads to paths through oak woods beside the tumbling stream of Tom Gill to Tarn Hows, a celebrated Lake District beauty spot. This man-made site was created when the gill was dammed in the mid-19th century. The paths are steep in places, but two waterfalls make it well worth the effort. Walking the circular route takes two to three hours.

The handsome 19th-century Moot Hall, with its one-handed clock, has served as both the town hall and the local prison. Now it houses an information center for the region. It's also the place to get fishing permits for Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite.

To escape the traffic and have a view of Windermere, set out on foot and follow the signs to the left of the Windermere Hotel to Orrest Head. The shady, uphill path winds through Elleray Wood, and after a 20-minute hike you arrive at a rocky little summit (784 feet) with a panoramic view that encompasses the Yorkshire fells, Morecambe Bay, and the Troutbeck Valley.

In a 16th-century building that served as a school from 1670 to the 1970s, this museum contains Stone Age axe heads, interesting fossils and minerals, and an informative film about Cumbria's Neolithic history. The Penrith Tourist Information Centre is here, too.

The evocative remains of this 15th-century redbrick castle stand high above a steep, now-dry moat. Home of the maligned Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III), who was responsible for keeping peace along the border, it was one of England's first lines of defense against the Scots. By the Civil War, the castle was in ruins, and the townsfolk used some of the fallen stones to build their houses. The ruins stand in a park, across from the town's train station.

Named for the Celtic kingdom of Cumbria, Rheged is a modern, grass-covered multipurpose cultural center with a gallery that hosts rotating art and photography exhibits, as well as a massive, large-screen cinema that often live streams theatrical performances and concerts as well as new releases. Shops showcase Cumbrian food, drink, and crafts, and three different cafés offer drinks and light meals. Rheged is 2 miles southwest of Penrith and 1 mile west of Junction 40 on the M6.

This repository of fascinating and thought-provoking manuscripts, personal items, and watercolors by John Ruskin illuminates his thinking and influence. There is also a focus on speedboat racer Donald Campbell, whose Bluebird K7, dragged up from Coniston Water, is on display. It will be fitted with an engine so it can run again on Coniston Water in 2026. Good local-interest exhibits include copper mining, geology, lace, and more. Upstairs, the Dawson Gallery occasionally hosts high-profile artists.

If there's one poet associated with the Lake District, it is Wordsworth, who made his home at Rydal Mount from 1813 until his death. Wordsworth and his family moved to these grand surroundings when he was nearing the height of his career, and his descendants still live here, surrounded by his furniture, his books, his barometer, and portraits. You can see the study in which he worked, his sister Dorothy's bedroom, and the 4½-acre garden, laid out by the poet himself, that gave him so much pleasure. Wordsworth's favorite footpath can be found on the hill past White Moss Common and the River Rothay. Spend an hour or two walking the paths and you may understand why the great poet composed most of his verse in the open air. A tearoom in the former saddlery provides cakes and drinks; in winter, it moves into the dining room.

England's highest mountain at 3,210 feet, Scafell (pronounced scar-fell) Pike is visible from Seatoller. One route up the mountain, for experienced walkers, is from the hamlet of Seathwaite, a mile south of Seatoller.

One of the Lake District's finest fortified houses has a 58-foot-tall tower that dates from 1340, more than 1,600 acres of grounds, and the national fern collection. Expanded in Elizabethan times, the castle includes outstanding oak-paneled interiors with intricately carved chimneypieces and oak furniture. The estate has ancient woodland, and there are good walks here. Sizergh is 3½ miles south of Kendal.

William Wordsworth, his wife Mary, his sister Dorothy, and four of the Wordsworths' children are buried in the churchyard of this historical church with a curious split interior on the River Rothay. The poet planted eight of the yew trees here, including the one under which he was interred. As you leave the churchyard, stop at the Gingerbread Shop, in a tiny cottage, for a special local treat.

No sights in Windermere or Bowness compete with that of Windermere itself. At 11 miles long, 1½ miles wide, and 220 feet deep, the lake is England's largest and stretches from Newby Bridge almost to Ambleside, filling a rocky gorge between thickly wooded hills. The cold waters are superb for fishing, especially for Windermere char, a rare lake trout. In summer, steamers and pleasure craft travel the lake, and a trip across the island-studded waters, particularly the round-trip from Bowness to Ambleside or down to Lakeside, is wonderful. Although the lake's marinas and piers have some charm, you can bypass the busier stretches of shoreline (in summer they can be packed solid) by walking beyond the boathouses. Here, from among the pine trees, are fine views across the lake. Windermere Lake Cruises offers a variety of excursions.

A touristy attraction aimed at kids interprets the author's 23 tales with three-dimensional scenes of Peter Rabbit, costumed characters, and more. Basic tickets are for the attraction, but you can add on a show or a tea party for an additional cost. You can also visit Potter's former home at Hill Top, in Near Sawrey near Hawkshead.

The historic Yew Tree Farm is probably the most famous building in the Lake District because it was once owned by Beatrix Potter, who experimented with farming and in particular raising Herwick sheep. The biopic of Potter's life, Miss Potter, starring Renée Zellweger, was filmed on location at the farm. The Herdwick Experience (book online in advance) introduces you to the farm's friendly flock of Herdwick sheep and explains their significance to the Cumbrian landscape.