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Walks in the English Lake District
Time to dig out those hiking boots and find some good walks in the English Lake District, whether you are a Cumbrian local or planning a holiday in the Lake District.
Now the worst of winter is over and we are back to the usual dampness, walkers are starting to dust off their equipment and get out of the stuffy indoors and back to nature.
With this in mind I thought I would do some research to find good walks in the Lake District and Cumbria, for both beginners and experienced walkers new to the area.
Whether you are an experienced walker or climber, just having a stroll to get fresh air or starting a programme to improve your fitness, Cumbria can offer beautiful countryside in which to experience the great outdoors.
If you are visiting the Lakeland fells for the first time then please consider these 5 fell walking safety tips before you even leave home. Walking the fells is not a stroll in the local park, the weather is highly changeable and the fells are a lot higher than they look from your car but if you have the right equipment you will enjoy your day out in safety.
Inexperienced walkers & families – I would recommend you check out these:
The Keswick Launch provides information on local Lake District walks which have all been tried with children in tow, they have been rated for ease, time the walk takes and sights you will see along the way. The Keswick launch is a lakeland ferry that will drop you off at the start of the walk and pick you up at the end of the walk. It’s just great for beginners, families and holiday makers that just want a walk in the countryside with stunning views. For these walks you don’t need to go so far as to buy a map and compass but please read the safety tips, as you are still in the lakeland fells and the fog does tend to play now you see me now you don’t with the lakes.
You can also find some easy walks for families at lakes walks and again they offer a grading system to tell you which are best for beginners. There is also a link on the left of the page for readers walks, so if you try a walk not on the website why not submit your review to them and help others plan their walks.
The Ullswater website provides information about walking around Ullswater (scroll to the green text at the bottom). They don’t provide information abou the walks but if you find one you like just copy and paste the name into a search engine. I tried it with as that leads to a beautiful waterfall and found a website that offers two routes, one easy and one more difficult but it is a good site to compare local walks.
If you need help getting the kids away from the playstation then check out my how to get your children outdoors post.
Experienced Walkers & climbers – here are some websites that you may find useful for the Lake District.
You should check out John Dawson’s Lake District Walks, just choose the area you plan to visit and click the link. Here you will see a list of walks and links for more details, including route and photo links.
Stiriding Edge is an excellent website for Lake District walks, just scroll down to the map and click one of the seven coloured areas on the map. The page then shows a list of walks, the height of the fell and gives the GPS reference. Click the name of the walk and you will see beautiful photo’s of the views.
If you are looking for outdoor clothing specialists then check out Cotswold Outdoor, why do I love this site … they have a rock bottom offer section yippee.
Why not leave a comment, we would love to hear from you if you know any good walks in the Lake District.
June 24th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Informative post..keep them coming..bookmarked the blog already!
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Why not invest in one of the many hand held GPS systems available, I have seen loads of web sites that have Free routes to download so simply download the route and follow it. many have marked points of interest too and even pub guides
September 30th, 2009 at 11:23 am
I always worry about technology for walking Russ … maybe I’m just old fashioned but I know that a map will never lose it’s signal.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:10 am
Hey thanks for the tour…It sounds fantastic. Sally, I wouldn’t worry about the reliability of theGarmin unit…I have never had a problem with them. Just make sure the battery’s charged up if you take it out of the car.
Cheers!
Jay
Jay@buy255w´s last blog ..Do Follow Blog, Keyword Luv, & Comment Luv
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:32 pm
It’s not so much the battery life as the loss of signal that bothers me Jay.
November 30th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Thanks for the useful links. It’s always good to find new sites with info on routes, especially those away from the usual “honeypots”. I’m currently putting together a website for people who want to use walking as an everyday means to get excercise and while there’s loads of sites detailing weekend jaunts to the Lakes I’m having difficulty finding resources for the kind of walks that people can do every evening without having to travel by car (dog walking type of routes). I don’t suppose you know of any websites whose focus is the UK, but not necessarily hillwalking and/or hiking?
December 16th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Hi James, sorry to take so long to reply. Your best bet is to google “local walks+area name”. You will find lots of local groups in each area that put on various types of walks and park areas, rather than the real hikes.
February 20th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
The lake district is probably the most beautiful area of England. Some great walking to be had, aswell as mountain biking.
Dave@Bike Routes´s last blog ..Garburn Pass
July 11th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I’d definitely agree about the Lake District – a stunning place with ‘human-scale’ mountains. By that I mean – big enough to be spectacular, but small enough to walk up and down in a day!
I’ve only been there 3 times but I’ll certainly go back again when I can.
As for GPS vs map – take both! My GPS has been totally reliable, but any technology can go wrong so I always carry a paper map for backup – best of both worlds. It’s handy being able to get a very accurate grid reference to use on your map.
Colin@Womens Hiking Shoes´s last blog ..Just Saying Hello
July 27th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Hi great article I live in the Lakes (only recently) and wanted some good info to explore with my dog, thanks.
Juliette Morgan Anthony Hopkins´s last blog ..The Edge 1997 Movie Review
August 1st, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Hi Juliette, let me know if you want more information and I’ll send you good walks for your local area.
August 15th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Excellent advice for anyone not familiar with the area and wanting to get out into the countryside. We’ll post a link to this from our website as I think people will find it useful.
Tom@Keswick Hotels Fairy´s last blog ..Keswick Hotels Fairy Awards 2010
August 28th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Hi Sally
Just came back for another look – I live in the west (nr Cockermouth) and I’ve been walking along the beach at Maryport with my dog last few weeks (we love being near the water) and lovely views over to Dumfries & Galloway. Anything special about walks here you can recommend plse ? Going to Wastwater tomorrow.
September 7th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Hi Juliette
Gosh you’re about 14 miles from me then lol
As soon as I get time I will jot down some lovely walks in the area for you.