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South Lake District

3 mins read
Yachts on Lake Windermere
Image Source: Vivienne Crow

Engage with the Beauty of Windermere

WithΒ Windermere, England’s longest natural lake, as its glittering centrepiece, the South Lake District provides a gently rolling introduction to the Lake District National Park. Apart from theΒ ConistonΒ area, the hills here are generally lower than further north, the scenery altogether more sedate.

South Lake District - Windermere Lake

Discover Kendal’s Vibrant Culture

KendalΒ forms the southern gateway to the National Park, probably the most vibrant town in Cumbria. Many people rush through it on their way to the Lakeland honeypots, but it’s worth lingering a while here, enjoying the cafΓ©-bar culture and visiting the museums, galleries and thriving arts centre. If you’re lucky, your visit might coincide with one of the many festivals hosted by the town every year, including theΒ Kendal Mountain FestivalΒ in November and theΒ Kendal Calling music festival, held every summer at the nearby Lowther Deer Park.

Kendal
Picturesque view of Stramongate Bridge, Kendal

Explore Bowness’s Lakeside Charms

Windermere is the big draw in the South Lakes, with the lakeside part ofΒ BownessΒ jam-packed with sightseers during the peak holiday season. And who can blame them? Take a stroll down by theΒ Windermere Lake Cruises’ piers and you’ll be treated to a glorious view along the lake to the high Lakeland fells – a magnificent backdrop! Better still, hop on a boat or hire a stand-up paddle board and enjoy it all from the calm serenity of the water. Other popular attractions include Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts House; theΒ Windermere Jetty boat museum; and, for younger visitors, the interactive displays inΒ The World of Beatrix Potter.

Bowness-on-Windermere - South Lake District
Bowness-on-Windermere seen from the lake’s wooded western shore

Traverse Hawkshead and Sawreys’ Rustic Villages

Across the lake, there are the appealing villages ofΒ HawksheadΒ andΒ the Sawreys, another place of pilgrimage for fans of the children’s author, farmer and conservationist Beatrix Potter. Her former home, Hill Top, looks pretty much as it did when she left it to the National Trust in 1943. This is also where you’ll findΒ Grizedale, Lakeland’s single largest forest – a sprawling area of conifer plantations and mixed woodland that’s popular with serious, adrenaline-fuelled mountain bikers as well as families looking for an off-road cycling adventure.

The church at Hawshead - South Lake District
The church at Hawkshead

Coniston Water’s Blue Expanse and Adventures

Further west again, you come to another sparkling expanse of blue – Coniston Water. As on Windermere, cruises are available or you can hire a sailing dinghy from Coniston village and follow in the wake of Swallows and Amazons, the children’s adventure story set on and around the lake. The mountains that loom imperiously over its shores are a walkers’ paradise and include the popularΒ Old Man of Coniston, easily reached in just a few hours from the village at its foot.

Coniston Old man from Coniston Water with the Gondola