Stunning views and some of England's finest scenery provide a backdrop to the wide choice of attractions and things to do in the Lake District. Take a trip around Cumbria and indulge yourself in quality food and drink from cosy Lake District pubs and inns to more formal restaurants. For the more adventurous there are plenty of outdoor activities on offer from walking and cycling to rock climbing and abseiling. If you prefer an amble around the shops and art galleries there is plenty to keep you entertained, with art exhibitions on throughout the year.
The Lake District visitor attraction located just 15 minutes from Tebay Services. An international award winning day out, Rheged is Europe's largest grass covered building, designed to resemble a Lakeland hill. They now show 3D films at Rheged. Following a massive upgrade of our digital cinema system - Rheged can now bring you the biggest and best large format films in amazing 3D. 5 films daily on the biggest cinema screen for miles around. There are also ten rather special shops which reflect the unique nature of the region, its craft people and producers, offering a choice not often found on many high streets. As well as a Tourist Information Centre. For families, there are indoor and outdoor play areas, pottery and painting workshops and, if you are feeling hungry a selection of cafes offering fresh food with a distinct Cumbrian flavour. An all weather, day out with free entry and ample free parking. Open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day Just two minutes from the M6, (J40) at Penrith. Visit rheged.com for more information about our Cumbria - the Lake District visitor attraction, or call 01768 868000
Nr Ullswater, Cumbria. Tel: 017684 83561 http://www.rookinhouse.co.uk/ Pony trekking and horse riding lessons, go-karting, quad biking, assault course, human bowling, paint balling, clay pigeon shooting, archery, bait fishing and if thats not enough you can always learn to drive a JCB or have a ride in an amphibious army truck. They provide all necessary safety and protective gear.
Trotters World of Animals, Coalbeck Farm, Bassenthwaite. Tel: 017687 76239 http://www.trottersworld.com/ Home to hundreds of animals including birds of prey, reptiles and endangered species. A great deal is under cover so rain need not spoil your visit. Plenty to do including gift shop, childrens play areas, flying displays and demonstations.
The Old School, Orton Tel: 01539 624781 http://www.kennedyschocolates.co.uk/ Kennedys have been making fine handmade chocolates in their small 'factory' (more of a kitchen than a factory!) in the picturesque Cumbrian village of Orton since 1991. You can browse the extensively stocked chocolate and gift shop, enjoy refreshments in the coffee house and also watch skilled chocolatiers at work. Their website also has online ordering!!
The Pier House, Glenridding Tel: 017684 82229 http://www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk/ M.Y. Raven and M.Y. Lady of the Lake are two 19th Century steamers, now converted to oil, cruising on Ullswater, the most beautiful of the English Lakes. M.V. Lady Dorothy is their smaller sister. Ullswater, in the Lake District National Park, is 8 miles long, running from Glenridding in the heart of the mountains to Pooley Bridge where the River Eamont flows out of the Lake. A cruise on the lake is the best way to enjoy the varied and spectacular scenery of the district, 363 days a year. (please check for wheelchair accessibility)
Honister Pass, Borrowdale. Tel: 017687 77230 www.honister-slate-mine.co.uk/ Set in the Heart of Lakeland, Honister Slate Mines have for centuries, produced the beautiful green stone which it is famous throughout the world. A fully guided tour into the mine itself is available several times a day detailing the history and spectacular features of the mine. Free parking, refreshments, gift shop and disabled access to the visitor centre.
Penrith. Tel: 017684 84449 http://www.hutton-in-the-forest.co.uk/ Hutton-in-the-Forest is a beautiful historic house on the north eastern edge of the Lake District. It is the home of Lord and Lady Inglewood and their children and has belonged to the family since 1605. The house was originally a medieval stronghold and the Pele Tower still survives. Both the outside and the inside show a wide range of architectural and decorative styles from the 17th century to the present day. Gardens - The beautiful Walled Garden, built in the 1730s, is a wonderful setting for a large collection of herbaceous plants. The topiary terraces round the house, which were originally laid out in the 17th century, are the foundations for an extensive Victorian woodland garden. The fine specimen trees and the 17th century Dovecote form part of the Woodland Walk. (several areas wheelchair accessible)
Melmerby, Nr Penrith. Tel: 01768 881811 http://www.village-bakery.com/ Since 1976 The Village Bakery Melmerby has been making high quality organic food such as organic bread and organic cakes using artisan methods and wood-fired ovens. Their aim is to make delicious food that contributes to positive health. Their hands-on bakery courses lead novices, enthusiasts and culinary professionals alike to journey to the heart of our most basic food. Their award-winning organic restaurant is famous for its imaginative home cooking. Take a ride along the celebrated A686 Pennine route and call in for breakfast, coffee, lunch or tea.
Dove Cottage, Grasmere. Tel: 015394 35544 http://www.wordsworth.org.uk/ The Wordsworth Trust exists to be a living memorial to the life and poetry of William Wordsworth and his contemporaries, serving, in the words of the first Trustees, 'lovers of English poetry from all over the world'. Its focus is Dove Cottage and the hamlet of Town End, Grasmere, a place and a landscape at the centre of the English Lake District where the poet lived from 1799 to 1808. The Wordsworth Trust was founded in 1891 to secure Dove Cottage. The Trustees have built an award-winning museum, opened in 1981, which together with the Wordsworth Library houses what is one of the greatest collections of manuscripts, books and paintings relating to British Romanticism.
www.lakedistrictfishing.net/ The Lake District & Eden Valley offers a vast and varied amount of fishing. This site has details of where to fish, bait shops, where to buy permits etc.
Tel:07887 764987 www.inspiringcycling.co.uk Enjoy Cumbria's superb scenery on two wheels. Our fleet of hybrid bikes are perfect for exploring the rolling back roads and country lanes of Cumbria. The bikes are all 2013 models and in exellent condition, with Shimano components and fast rolling 700c tyres. All bikes are fitted with mudguards, pannier racks and bottle holders. We provide a helmet, lock, pump, tools and spare tube with each bike. Pannier bags can also be provided.
Ravenglass, West Cumbria. Tel: 01229 717 614 http://www.muncaster.co.uk/ Muncaster Castle, World Owl Centre, gardens and Maze. Visitor Attraction of the Year. Muncaster Castle, home to the Pennington family for 800 years, is a genuine treasure trove of art and antiques. But Muncaster's wild history reveals a flipside to life in a stately home. The castle evolved from the Pele Tower, built to repel marauding Scots. Those who stay here say it is haunted by ghosts, including the legendary Tom Fool. Muncaster is also headquarters of the World Owl Trust, you will find one of the largest collections of these thrilling birds in existence. There are also buzzards, kestrels and red kites and a daily flying display on the Castle lawns. Explore the designated paths and walks. Try the awe inspiring Wild Walk or the fascinating Sino-Himalayan Trail. Walking boots or stout footwear recommended. All beneath the grandeur of Scafell Pike, England's tallest peak. Imagine being a meadowvole - just two and a half inches tall - living in meadowland, where dangers lurk at every turn. It's no picnic. But down at the MeadowVole Maze the secret world of wildlife makes for a wild experience. Here, where the grass is seven feet tall, you'll find what life is like for these tiny creatures. (most areas wheelchair accessible)
Lakeside, Newby Bridge, Cumbria. Tel: 015395 30153 http://www.aquariumofthelakes.co.uk/ Set on the shore of Lake Windermere, the award-winning Aquarium of the Lakes takes you on an amazing voyage of discovery. Enjoy close encounters with hundreds of amazing creatures including trout, eels, pike, perch, giant crabs, rays and many more. More than 30 spectacular, naturally-themed habitats bring the natural history of the Lake District vividly to life. Come face to face with playful otters in their riverbank home, enjoy the ultimate underwater thrill as you stroll along a recreated section of Windermere's lake-bed surrounded by surrounded by gigantic carp and the amazing diving ducks, and meet the Aquarium's most popular residents - inquisitive rays and British sharks in the Morecambe Bay display. (wheelchair accessible)
The Old Laundry, Bowness. Tel: 015394 88444 www.hop-skip-jump.com/ In an indoor re-creation of the Lakeland countryside, discover the world of Beatrix Potter - complete with sights, sounds and even smells. Also onsite - gift shop and tea rooms.
Cark-in-Cartmel, Nr Grange-over-Sands Tel: 015395 58328 http://www.holker-hall.co.uk/ Holker Hall, never sold throughout its 400 year history, is the family home of Lord and Lady Cavendish. It is a delightful family home with fine displays of antique furniture and art. The gardens are winners of Christies/HHA Garden of the Year in 1991, and voted &lhquot;amongst the best in the world&rhquot; by the Good Gardens Guide, 1996. The grounds cover 25 acres of formal and woodland gardens, with majestic water features including the limestone cascade. The Lakeland Motor Museum, winner of Cumbria Tourist Board's Attraction of the Year 2000, and the English Tourism Council's Best Small Visitor Attraction, houses an extensive and fascinating collection extending to some 20,000 exhibits, including cars, motorcycles, tractors, bicycles, pedal cars and engines plus perhaps the largest display of automobilia on public display within the UK - pure nostalgia, certain to provide a thoroughly enjoyable &lhquot;motoring memories&rhquot; experience. (most areas wheelchair accessible)
Clifton, Nr Penrith, CA10 2HD Tel: 01931 712720 http://www.abbottlodgejerseyicecream.co.uk/ Abbott Lodge, near Penrith, Cumbria is a working dairy farm set in spectacular scenery midway between the Eden Valley and the Northern Lake District. The farm produces over 40 flavours of high quality homemade Jersey ice cream.
Penrith, CA10 2HH Tel: 01931 712192 http://www.lowthercastle.org/ There are no keep off the grass rules here. Lowther is a magical place for discovery and letting imaginations loose. Magnificent Castle and Gardens hidden away for 70 years. The sandstone remains of a romantic Castle. 130 acres of once grand Gardens undergoing loving restoration. Woods to wander. Wildlie to keep an eye open for. Incredible views of lakeland fells. Lowther is unique, slightly eccentric and special. We want you to explore, follow your nose, take away your own memories. Nobody ever gets lost because the magnificent Castle turrets are visible from everywhere. Lowther has a chequered past that came to an end in 1937 when it was abandoned and closed down. Ten years ago it very nearly fell down... Now it's save. But we shan't be rewinding the clock, restoring to what might have been. Lowtherr is made of many layers and that's the challenge. Finding new layers for Lowther to reinvent its future.
Askham, CA10 2PF Tel: 01931 712348 http://www.askhamhall.co.uk/ Visit the kitchen garden cafe, enjoy morning coffee, light lunch, afternoon tea infront of our log burning stove. Visit the gardens, colourful terraces, herbaceous borders, formal lawns, kitchen gardens, woodlands, meadows and ponds.
20-21 Victoria Road, CA11 8HP Tel: 01768 864211 http://www.johnnorris.co.uk/ John Norris has been supplying quality fishing equipment, tackle and country clothing from all the top brands for over 35, years
Melkinthorpe, CA10 2DR Tel: 01931 712404 http://www.larchcottage.co.uk/
