Nature in the Lake District

07.05.2021.

Guest post from GapBeetle..

England is my dream with the fabulous London, charming villages and soft landscape. Lake Disctrict would surely be included and thanks to my instagram friends GapBeetle I’m very glad to find out more and take you to this journey.

Whenever we want to immerse ourselves in nature, the Lake District, in the north west of the UK, is our number one choice.  

This phenomenal National Park is home to 16 lakes, 214 fells (hills) and 197 tarns (small mountain lakes), 28,500 hectares of forest and 26 miles of coastline. You can: hike, climb, swim, sail, paddle board, cycle, ride, star gaze or just picnic in the breathtaking scenery.  

Here’s our top 5 ways to interact with nature:

1. Wild swimming – we love swimming half way up a mountain or in a trout filled river. The views and isolation are unbeatable. You can swim in so many places in the Lake District – the larger lakes, the smaller mountain tarns, the rivers and even the sea. The water will never be warm, but it will always be invigorating. Take care if you’re not used to cold water swimming and if you are going to a remote place. It’s impossible to pick one spot, but one of our favourite locations is Brother’s Water which is easily accessible from the main road. It has clean, clear water and spectacular mountain views. For more on wild swimming in the Lakes click here. 

2. Climb a fell – the mountains in the Lake District are called fells. The three highest are Scafell Pike, Helvellyn and Skiddaw. Most of the fells are amazing to climb, but some take a day or several hours for a return trip. Go prepared, as people do get lost and accidents can happen. 

The best first time fell remains Cat Bells, this steep, dramatic hill is easily accessible and has beautiful views over Derwent Water, Borrowdale and Keswick. It’s 445 metres high and you can combine the climb with a boat trip on Derwent Water by using one of the three jetties below: Hawes End, High Brandelhow or Low Brandelhow. 

3. Go on a river walk – the rivers and becks (smaller rivers) in the Lakes are clear and inviting. Walking along any one of them will be peaceful and give you an instant nature fix. Our favourite walk is along the bottom of Borrowdale following the River Derwent from Rosthwaite to Stockley Bridge (which has a bright turquoise plunge pool for a wild swim before you return). A more accessible, flatter walk is along the gently, running River Rothay between Grasmere and Rydal Water. This takes in two picture perfect lakes, but it is less wild and much busier. 

4. Visit a stone circle – the Lake District has some spectacular, ancient stone circles: Castlerigg, Cockpit, Swinside and several at Burnside. Our favourite is Castlerigg just outside the town of Keswick. It’s incredibly atmospheric, surrounded by mountains and dramatic views. The main Neolithic circle has 38 stones, some are 3 metres high and it’s one of Britain’s earliest stone circles at about 5000 years old. 

5. Get out on the water – if you want to sit back and relax you can go on a lake cruise on three of the larger lakes – Windermere, Ullswater and Derwent Water. All are beautiful, but the views from the last two are the best. Or if you’re more active, like us, you can have a go at kayaking and paddle boarding. Our favourite lake for both is Derwent Water. Again, it’s easily accessible and has islands, hidden bays, numerous streams and a river mouth. In the past we’ve seen otters and kingfishers near the shores. 

Tip – the Lake District gets very busy during school holiday and in the Summer. To avoid the crowds, stay away from the southern and central Lakes and head north or east and you can easily avoid the crowds.

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