The Lake District

The Lake District is known throughout the world as one of the most beautiful and stunning places on earth.

The Vikings came to The Lake District in about 910 AD and had no problems settling in the mountainous regions, clearing the ground to make it liveable and workable. We can still see the vast change they made to The Lake District, as their names are still used today-a valley is a dale from the Norse dal, and a mountain is a fell from fjeld. As such mountain or hill walking is known here as fell walking.

The first fell walker in the region was Captain Joseph Budworth who walked the fells in 1792, setting a trend that continues today. He realised that the fells were there to explore, as well as view.

The railway engineers never succeeded in penetrating the high fells, the unlike the roads builders, there are still a few high mountain passes to "frighten the wits" out of unsuspecting motorists. The railway had to content themselves with branch lines into Windermere, Coniston, Lakeside and Boot in Eskdale.

Windermere and Bowness in the south of the Lake District have a wealth of attractions for the tourist. The beautiful scenery surrounding Lake Windermere can be viewed on board the regular cruises from Bowness on Windermere and Ambleside. For those who prefer to view their boats on dry land Windermere has a Steamboat Museum, which charts the history of the launches, which have sailed on Lake Windermere for many years. The children's authoress and artist Beatrix Potter was a resident of the Lake District and the Old Laundry in Bowness houses the World of Beatrix Potter attraction.

Ambleside and Grasmere are in the heart of Wordsworth's Lake District and visitors can stop off at Rydal Mount and Dove Cottage for a guided tour of the houses he lived in whilst writing his most famous works, Wordsworth House in Cockermouth is also worth a visit. Ambleside and Grasmere are home to a number of specialty shops and Hayes, one of Cumbria's top garden centres, is well worth a visit.

Keswick nestling at the foot of Skiddaw, one of the oldest mountains in Europe, boasts spectacular scenery and access to Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite. Derwentwater has regular Lake Cruises and Bassenthwaite is open to water sports enthusiasts. The Cumberland Pencil Museum on the site of the first pencil factory in the world details the history of pencil making in Cumbria and is home to the largest pencil in the world. The Cars of the Stars Museum is a collection of famous vehicles from TV and film and includes the Batmobile and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Shopping in Keswick should include a visit to George Fisher's for outdoor clothing, Mayson's for unusual jewellery and gifts and Old Friar's for an enormous range of confectionery.

Whitehaven, Workington and Maryport on the West coast of Cumbria combine sea views with a number of attractions for visitors to the area. Maryport Aquaria and the Senhouse Roman Museum in Maryport are within 5 minutes drive of each other and are both worthy of a visit. The Beacon in Whitehaven is situated on the harbour and has spectacular sea views. Whitehaven also has a variety of shops and a lively selection of bars and nightclubs. Visitors to Cockermouth can take in a tour of the local Jennings brewery and gift shop; spend time in the Toy and Model Museum. Motor enthusiasts can indulge themselves at the Cockermouth Motor Museum, which is conveniently located next to the Brewery. There are a number of attractions along the West Coast, which pass through beautiful unspoiled countryside. Muncaster Castle near Ravenglass has an Owl Conservation Centre and tours of the castle are available to visitors. The Eskdale and Ravenglass miniature railway - affectionately known as 'La'al Ratty' to locals covers a 7-mile stretch of Eskdale from the roman village of Ravenglass to Dalegarth. Sellafield Visitors Centre is one of the most visited attractions in Cumbria and offers a fascinating insight into the nuclear industry in Britain.

Barrow, Millom and Ulverston are located in the far south of Cumbria. Barrow, on the tip of the Furness Peninsula has a thriving shopping area and the Dock Museum, which explores the history of Barrow as a port. Ulverston is the birthplace of Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy fame and fans will not be disappointed by the Museum in his honour which houses a large collection of memorabilia. Also in Ulverston is Heron Glass, which have factory shops and guided tours. The Colony Candle and Gift Centre situated in Lindal in Furness between Barrow and Ulverston has a fully operational candle factory, which visitors can view, a gift shop and an excellent tearoom serving home cooked food. Dalton-in-Furness is the 'ancient capital' of Furness. The main attraction being the wild life animal conservation park

Accommodation is never a problem in the county. It is possible to organise a walking or driving tour, moving from place to place with as little as a rucksack with a few necessities. Farmhouses, hostels, campsites, B&B's, and hotels can all be used in such a tour.

Sport also plays a major part in The Lake District life and we have a rich supply of top quality golfers, cyclists rugby league and union clubs as well as professional and semi-professional football teams in Carlisle United, Barrow AFC and Workington Reds.

Cumbria is a friendly county with a host of attractions to suit all ages and tastes - we hope you enjoy your stay.

Source: http://www.cumbria-online.co.uk/

Carnforth

Situated in the north of the County of Lancashire,

This beautiful area combines superb countryside and coast with a rich and fascinating history. It is widely believed Carnforth derived its name from its position by the ford crossing the River Keer. Settled by invading Danes, many of the place names in the surrounding district suggest Scandinavian origin. A range of specialist shops, newly refurbished War Memorial Square and pubs and restaurants make Carnforth the ideal base for a tour of the area and a gateway to the Lake District. Although mentioned in the Doomsday Book, the town only began to develop with the coming of the railway, canal and the decision to smelt iron ore. One of the main attraction until recently was 'Steamtown' where the famous steam engines could be seen, including the Flying Scotsman. The towns railway station was used during the filming of the classic 1945 Noel Coward film Brief Encounter starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard.

Some useful links

http://www.cumbria-the-lake-district.co.uk/

http://www.edgeguide.co.uk/cumbria/history.html

http://www.touruk.co.uk/lancs

http://www.petholidays.com/England/North-West.asp [Places that take in pets, please contact them for more information, or contact the local Tourist Information Office]