Things To Do & Places of Interest

If you want a break from driving, it isn’t necessary to use the car at all during your stay as there are many fine walks leading directly from the village. Some paths take you up on to Orton Scar, the limestone plateau from which you can see vistas of the Lake District Fells, the North Pennines and the Howgills. Less taxing are numerous delightful well signposted walks through the fields around the village. There is a good selection of information about local walks in the Barn.

However, a short drive will take you into the Howgills, a little frequented but superb expanse of hills, or to the nearby North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty if you want to extend your walking opportunities.

Further afield, but still within easy driving range, are the two magnificent National Parks of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.

Many nearby towns and villages are well worth a visit. Appleby is a superb example of a Cumbrian market town: during the summer it hosts both the famous Horse Fair and the excellent Jazz Festival.

Kendal is handy for shopping and also has a thriving cultural life - the Abbot Hall Art Gallery and the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry and the Brewery Arts Centre offer a wide range of exhibitions and other events.

There are a wide variety of National Trust and English Heritage properties in the vicinity. Acorn Bank, with its plantings of local flora, is fascinating - you can buy plants from the Garden Centre there. Sizergh has a magnificent castle and grounds; Blackwell, an extraordinary Arts and Crafts house overlooking Lake Windermere, is definitely worth a visit. Also of interest are Leven's Hall and Lowther Castle.

For a more hands-on experience, contact local craftsman Robert Willan who leads occasional short courses on dry stone walling in the village.