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<\/h5>\nDiscussing the attractions of the Lake District without mentioning Beatrix Potter is like talking about Stratford-upon-Avon and leaving out the Bard. The author spent her life here \u2013 her stunning home providing the backdrop, and the feathered and furry cast, for her much-loved children\u2019s books. Potter created most of her stories at Hill Top, a sweet little farmhouse near Sawrey that she left to The National Trust (along with swathes of the surrounding countryside) in her will. Her illustrations incorporated many of the cottage\u2019s real features, which you can still see today \u2013 so you might recognise Mrs Tiggy-Winkle\u2019s kitchen, Samuel Whiskers\u2019 carpet and even Ribby the pussy-cat\u2019s Coronation teapot, if you really know your Potter! Be warned, the house is popular \u2013 come off-season if you can (but note that it is closed November-February).<\/p>\n
Dove Cottage, now with a little museum next door, was where William Wordsworth lived with his family from 1799. In fact, the \u201chost of golden daffodils\u201d that inspired one of the English language\u2019s most famous poems grow in a wood by one of the nearby lakes. At the William Wordsworth Museum, you can see an entry from his sister Dorothy\u2019s journals recounting the glorious walk that inspired the poem. It\u2019s a magical read, recounting visits and expeditions, and chronicling daily life for the Wordsworth family. The cottage itself \u2013 a sweet little, whitewashed building with climbing roses \u2013 is filled with interesting mementoes from the poet\u2019s life, from his ice skates to his reading glasses. If that doesn\u2019t sate your appetite for Wordsworth, you can complete your education at Rydal Mount, where he lived from 1813 to his death in 1850. You can take a peek at the attic where he worked as Poet Laureate, and see portraits and first editions published at that time. Inspiring stuff.<\/p>\n
During the warmer months (March to October), you can travel across Coniston Water as the Victorians did, on a steam-powered gondola yacht. This is a lovely way to take in the jaw-dropping landscapes of the National Park \u2013 with large windows onto the spectacular scenery of the surrounding fells, all soundtracked by some fascinating commentary on local sites and history from the on-board crew.<\/p>\n
The Lake District was home not only to the UK\u2019s best-loved children\u2019s author and illustrator, and one of the world\u2019s most admired poets but also to John Ruskin. An eminent Victorian art critic and hugely influential social commentator, Ruskin lived in Brantwood, a beautiful mansion house overlooking Coniston Water, from 1871 until his death in 1900, amassing a fabulous art collection. He hoped the house and artworks would be available to public viewers after his death, though only the house remains today. But what a house it is! Much of Ruskin\u2019s original furniture, special wallpaper and some of his own drawings are presented to visitors, while the gardens have been restored to his tastes, set over 250 acres and running right up to a magnificent lakeside.<\/p>\n
Mining is central to the history of Cumbria and the Lake District. Honister has an original, now disused slate mine that has become one of the Lakes\u2019 most fascinating attractions. Here, you can tour the sometimes precarious routes taken by miners from the late 17th century in their day-to-day travails. And if you like to cast your sights up rather than down, this is brilliant climbing territory \u2013 Honister is home to the UK\u2019s first Via Ferrata (protected climbing route) and a dream for devotees of the piton and the carabiner \u2013 offering dramatic viewpoints of this stunning landscape.<\/p>\n
Derwentwater is an unforgettable sight and relatively unchanged since it was favoured by the Laureate of the Lakes, Beatrix Potter. Enjoy it under your own power \u2013 you can row yourself across the water in a handsome wooden boat by turning up at Nichol End Marine at any time of the year, weather-permitting. When you\u2019ve had your fill of messing about in boats, stop for a well-earned lunch in Keswick, a sweet little town at the edge of the lake.<\/p>\n
<\/h5>\nNothing can prepare you for the majesty of the quite simply enormous Windermere, the largest natural lake in England and unrivalled for its beauty. Be sure to take a boat trip, which will wind around the 18 islands of the lake \u2013 pack a picnic and prepare for your jaw to drop.<\/p>\n
The Lake District specialises in cosy pubs with roaring real fires \u2013 possibly because it\u2019s invariably a bit drizzly outside! Kirkstile Inn is an old Tudor pub and restaurant, nestled in the stunning fells in the heart of the northwest of the National Park. Its food is locally sourced, from tempting cheese boards to freshly caught lake trout, and its real ales are award-winning and home-brewed. Cheers!<\/p>\n
Take the seven stops from Ravenglass to Dalegarth on the quaint little steam line, the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, affectionately known to locals as \u2018Ratty\u2019. Locomotive enthusiasts and young Thomas the Tank Engine fans will revel in the nostalgic, tooting engine \u2013 and anyone with eyes will appreciate the spectacular surrounding scenery of the Scaffel mountain range.<\/p>\n
Classic productions such as Dial M for Murder<\/em> and Sheridan\u2019s timeless The Rivals make the handsome Theatre by the Lake in Keswick a reliable spot for an evening\u2019s entertainment. Don\u2019t neglect to book a table, too, at the in-house restaurant for your pre-show supper \u2013 the food is simple while the views over Derwentwater are extraordinary.<\/p>\n For more things to do when visiting the Lake District,\u00a0see the Lake District Tourist Guide