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Writer's pictureLeah Wimpenny

Cumbria County Guide

Updated: Jun 19, 2024

Cumbria 

Cumbria is a county in North West England.

Cumbria borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west.

Map of Cumbria







Constituent parts of the county of Cumbria.( Cumberland and West moorland & furness)

Coat of arms

 

 

Time zone

Currency  £

Year founded : 1 April 1974

Motto: AD MONTES OCULOS LEVAVI' - I shall lift up mine eyes unto the hills.

The interior of Cumbria contains large upland areas. The south-west contains the Lake District, a national park and UNESCO world heritage site which includes Scafell Pike,

England's highest mountain and Windermere, its longest and largest lake and the North Pennines lie along the county's eastern border.

 

Towns and cities to visit

Abbey town

 

 

Ambleside

 

 applby in Westmorland


 Barrow in furness


Bassenthwaite

Carlisle

 

Cartmel

Dent

Egremont

Grasmere

 

Keswick

Places to stay.

Bed and breakfast.

The Cranleigh Boutique.

Bank House Bed and Breakfast.

Hassness Country House, Buttermere.

Hotels

Cedar Manor

Roundthorn Country House

Armathwaite Hall Hotel and Spa

Unique places to stay.

Rose Castle

Augill Castle

Self Catering Camping Coaches at Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway.

The Treehouse at Another Place, The Lake

Askham Hall

Self-catering

Howgills Apartments - Number 10

The Mouse House

The Tranquil Otter

Camping

Camping at Wallsend, Bowness-on-Solway

Wallace Lane Farm Campsite

Waterside House Campsite

Glamping

Shepherd Huts at Another Place, The Lake.

Glamping at Garthwaite.

Wellington Farm Glamping Breaks.

Touring camp site

Touring & Camping at Waters Edge Caravan Park.

The Estate.

Low Moor Head Caravan Park.

Holiday homes

Flusco Wood. Holiday Lodges

Newby Bridge Country Caravan Park.

Lodges at Ullswater Heights.

Pet friendly rooms

Coniston Park Coppice Site - Camping Pods

The Lamplighter Restaurant with Rooms

Barn Croft

Places to stay with a Hot Tub.

The Coppermines Mountain Cottages, Coniston

Slater Bob's, Coppermines Valley, Coniston

Bush Nook Farmhouse

Family friendly

Long Valley Yurts - Windermere - Wither slack

Hill croft Park - Lodges

Cragg Cottage, Torver, near Coniston

 

Sport

Running 

Fell running is popular in this area and there are many clubs. Orienteering is popular also with a few clubs.

 

Football

Workington is home to a football like game known as Uppies and Downies a traditional version of football, with its origins in medieval football or an even earlier form. Barrow and Carlisle are the only professional football teams in the area.

Workington A.F.C. are a none league team and Barrow in the Conference North.

In the past there were American football teams in the area including Furness Phantoms and the Carlisle Kestrels.

Rugby 

Ruby union

Is popular with in the north of England with Furness RUFC & Hawcoat Park RUFC (South Cumbria), Workington RUFC (Workington Zebras), Whitehaven RUFC, Carlisle RUFC, Creighton RUFC, Aspatria RUFC, Wigton RUFC, Kendal RUFC, Kirby Lonsdale RUFC, Keswick RUFC, Cockermouth RUFC, Upper Eden RUFC and Penrith RUFC.

Rugby league 

Is popular in West Cumbria. Barrow, Whitehaven, and Workington play in the Rugby League

Championships. 

Bat and ball.

Cumbria has a county cricket team based in Carlisle.

Cumbria is home to the Cartmel Valley Lions, an amateur baseball team based in Cartmel.

Wrestling 

Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling, more commonly known just as Cumberland Wrestling, is an ancient and well-practiced tradition in the traditional English counties of Cumberland and Westmorland. .

Racing 

Cumbria Kart Racing Club is based at the Lakeland Circuit, Rowrah, between Cockermouth and Egremont

Lakeland Circuit. 

Things to do.

Visit the pencil museum in Keswick

Kendal Museum

Brantwood, Home of John Ruskin

Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's House

Hadrian's wall

Windermere

Cat bells Lakeland Walk

Food 

Grasmere Gingerbread

Sticky Toffee Pudding

 

Kendal Mint Cake

Cumberland Rum Nicky

Cumberland Sausage

Herdwick Hoggett

Morecambe Bay Shrimps

Lyth Valley Damsons

Cumbrian Craft Beers

Cumbrian Gin

Dialect 

Ÿ  Ackers -money

Ÿ  Any road - anyway

Ÿ  Badly - unwell

Ÿ  Bairden/Bairn - child

Ÿ  Bait - food.

Ÿ  Bar - pound sterling

Ÿ  Barie - good

Ÿ  Bewer - girlfriends

Ÿ  Bowk - vomit

Boyo - brother

Ÿ  Cailo - money

Ÿ  Chaff - to steal

Ÿ  Claggy - dirty

Ÿ  Clarty - dirty

Ÿ  Clegg - horsefly

Ÿ  Deek - look

Ÿ  Dial - face!

Ÿ  Dike - hedge

Ÿ  Dish - face

Ÿ  Dook - swim

Ÿ  Dookers - swimming trunks

Ÿ  Fettle - condition

Ÿ  Foily - smelly

Ÿ  Gammy - rotten

Ÿ  Ganzee - jacket

Ÿ  Hesta - have you?

Ÿ  Hoy - throw

Ÿ  Is it wat - no, it isn’t

Ÿ  Jewkle - dog

Ÿ  Kayeled - Drunk

Kecks - Trousers

Ÿ  Ladgeful - Embarrassing

Ÿ  Lowie - money

Ÿ  Mind - remember

Ÿ  Moy - mouth

Ÿ  Netty - toilet

Ÿ  Nix - nothing

Ÿ  Nowt - nothing

Ÿ  Parney - water

Ÿ  Ragde - bad/of poor quality

Ÿ  Scop - throw

Ÿ  Scran - food

Ÿ  Shan - embarrass

Ÿ  Shant - embarrassed

Ÿ  Smart - good looking

Ÿ  Spawney - lucky

Ÿ  Telt - told

Ÿ  Thrang - busy

Ÿ  Vanya/Vanyae - almost

Ÿ  Waffy - unsteady

Ÿ  Weez - who is?

Welt - hit

Ÿ  Yal watter - heavy rain

Ÿ  Yan - one

Ÿ  Yatter - talk

Ÿ  Yam - home

Ÿ  Zoff - it’s off

 

 

Famous people

Sir Chris Bonington, climber, and explorer

Stan Laurel, Ulverston born film comedian.

Beatrix Potter, writer of children's tales and farmer

Donald Campbell, world record breaker

Postman Pat, animated creation of John Cunliffe

John Ruskin, poet, writer and conservationist

William Wordsworth, writer and Poet Laureate

Fletcher Christian, of the Bounty mutiny

Thomas Henry Ismay, founder of the White

Star Line

Sir John Barrow, explorer and first Sea Lord who helped discover Antarctica.

Alfred Wainwright, author and fell walker.

Catherine Parr, Kendal born last wife of Henry VIII

Melvyn Bragg, Wigton born writer and presenter.

Jonathan Swift, writer of Gulliver’s Travels purportedly born in Whitehaven.

Viscount William Whitelaw, Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister

The emperor Hadrian, wall builder

Stella Rimmington, former director of MI5, raised in Barrow.

John Dalton, noted scientist and father of the Atomic Theory

Arthur Ransome, writer of Swallows and Amazons

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Poet, writer, Keswick resident and first recorded solo

rock climb.

Anna Ford, Cumbrian born newsreader

How to get here.

By Rail

From Glasgow avanti west coast and Trans Pennie Express run services

1hr 10m to Carlisle and 2 hours to Lancaster.                              

From Edinburgh

There are daily services with trans Pennie express and avanti west Coast 1hr 15m to Carlisle and 2 hr 10m to Lancaster.

Scots rail connects Stranraer to Glasgow and there are daily services with Trans Pennie Express and avanti west coast. Journey takes 4hr to Carlisle and 4 hours 55m to Lancaster.

Avanti west coast provide services from Newcastle daily and Northern Rail. Provide services daily. The journey takes approximately 1hr 30minutes.

Northern Rail run hourly services from the Squires Gate Railway Station to Preston (lasting approximately 30m), from which the Avanti West Coast Main Line services can be used to travel onward to the Cumbria Hubs. Alternatively, First Trans Pennine Express also run hourly services to Preston from Blackpool North Railway Station, which take approximately 25m in duration.

Regular services from Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan Northwestern Railway Station (via Northern Rail) or Warrington Bank Quay Railway Station (via First Trans Pennine Express), from which the Avanti West Coast Main Line services can be used to travel onward to the Cumbria Hubs.  Rail journeys from Liverpool to Wigan and Warrington take between 30minutes and 50minutes.

 

Trans Pennine Express offer regular services from all Manchester stations to Grange-over- Sands, Ulverston, Barrow-in-Furness, Oxenholme, Kendal, Windermere, Penrith, and Carlisle.

From Leeds Station there are regular on Trans Pennine Express services journey takes approximately 2hours 40m.

From Hull First Trans Pennine Express provide hourly services to Leeds City Station lasting approximately 1hr, from which connections can then be made to Cumbria.

From Crewe West Coast Main Line and Virgin Trains run hourly services to the Cumbria Hubs. Journey times are approximately 1hour to Lancaster, 1hour 15minutes to Oxenholme, 1hour 35minutes to Penrith and 1hour 50minutes to Carlisle.

Birmingham International Railway Station is in the city centre and provides.

direct access via the Avanti West Coast hourly services to the Cumbria.

Half-hourly Greater Anglia trains run to London Liverpool Street to and from Norwich, taking approximately 1hour 50 mins. Greater Anglia also run a service to Stansted Airport, taking approximately 2 hours.

Arriva Train Wales runs regular services from Cardiff Central Railway Station to Crewe (journey approximately 2housr 50minutes), from which the Avanti West Coast Main Line can be accessed for onward travel to the Cumbria.

London Euston Railway Station provides direct rail routes via Avanti West Coast to Cumbria. Eurostar services now operate direct into London St Pancras International, which is a short distance away from London Euston where direct Virgin Trains services operate to

Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, and Carlisle daily.

Southeastern Trains run regular services to London St Pancras from Dover Priory Railway Station, lasting approximately 1hpur 50minutes. London Euston is either a short walk or Underground journey from London St Pancras, from which Avanti West Coast operates the main line service directly to Cumbria.

 

By Air 

London Heathrow is the main international airport in London. The London Underground Piccadilly line connects the airport terminals to central London. Change at Leicester Square onto the Northern line for Euston railway station.

London City Airport is located in East London and provides routes from other UK and European destinations into London. A

bus service connects the airport with the Docklands Light Railway, which operates routes through central London. Change at Bank onto the Northern line for Euston railway station.

Cardiff Airport providing connections to Newcastle, Isle of Anglesey, Jersey, Aberdeen and Edinburgh as well as a multitude of worldwide destinations. Hourly trains run to Cardiff Airport from Cardiff Central and Bridgend train stations.

Norwich International Airport provides links to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Guernsey, and Manchester as well as other international destinations. A Park and Ride service is available that runs regularly to the city centre.

Birmingham International Airport provides connections from over 110 worldwide destinations to the UK. A free 'Air-Rail Link' system runs to Birmingham International

Airport.

Humberside Airport provides connections from several European destinations. The Stagecoach 'Humber Flyer' operates Monday to Saturday between Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Humberside Airport, Barton, and Hull. The nearest railway station to the Airport is Barnaby, which is serviced by both First Trans Pennine Express and East Midlands Railway.

Leeds Bradford Airport provides access to the UK from many European destinations and several worldwide locations. Regular bus services connect Leeds City Railway Station with Leeds Bradford International Airport

 

 

Manchester Airport is an international airport providing access to the Northwest of the UK from a multitude of worldwide.

destinations. First Trans Pennine Express and Northern Rail provide 24/7 rail services to and from the airport. First Trans Pennine Express provide both direct and connecting routes (via Preston) to the Lake District.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport connecting over 50 European destinations with the Northwest of the UK. Arriva provides regular bus services to the airport from Liverpool City Centre. Liverpool South Parkway is the nearest railway station to the airport, and both Northern Rail and First Trans Pennine Express operate regular services to Warrington Central Railway Station. A short walk away is Warrington Bank Quay, from which the Virgin Trains West Coast Main Line services can be used to travel onward.

Newcastle International Airport provides.

easy access to the Lake District from many worldwide destinations.

Regular flights run between Edinburgh Airport and Manchester International Airport, approximately 1hour 10minutes in duration. First Trans Pennine Express offers a direct train service from Manchester Airport to Oxenholme taking approximately 1.5 hours.

Flights run most days from Glasgow Airport to Manchester International Airport, approximately 1 hour in duration. First Trans Pennine Express offers a direct train service from Manchester Airport to Oxenholme taking approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

By Road 

You can reach Cumbria from Glasgow by

M74/A74(M) which runs directly into the M6 at Carlisle.

Appleby: 2hours 4 minutes,

Barrow: 3hours 6minutes

Carlisle: 1hour 38minutes

Kendal 2hours 19minutes

Keswick: 2hours 8minutes

Penrith: 1hour 52minutes

Sedbergh: 2hours 18minutes

Silloth: 2hours 12minutes

Whitehaven: 2hours 33minutes

Windermere: 2hours 49minutes

Edinburgh 

The A702 connects Edinburgh to the A74(M), which then runs directly into the M6 at Carlisle.

Appleby: 2hours 42 minutes

Barrow: 3hours 44minutes

Carlisle: 2hours 4minutes

Kendal 2hours 53minutes

Keswick: 2hourd 44minutes

Penrith: 2hours 24minutes

Sedbergh: 2hours 56minutes

Silloth: 2hours 48minutes

Whitehaven: 2hours 56minutes

Windermere: 3hours 4minutes

Stranraer 

You can reach Cumbria from Stranraer by the A75 connects Stranraer to Dumfries and onward to the join the M6 at Gretna.

Appleby: 3hours 26 minutes

Barrow: 4hours 29minutes

Carlisle: 2hours 48minutes

Kendal 3hours 37minutes

Keswick: 3hours 29minutes

Penrith: 3hours 9minutes

Sedbergh: 3hours 40minutes

Silloth: 3hours 32minutes

Whitehaven: 3hours 40minutes

Windermere: 3hours 48minutes.

You can Reach Cumbria from Newcastle by A69 directly connects Newcastle with Carlisle, taking approximately 1hr 15m. From Carlisle, the M6 provides access to

Penrith.

Appleby: 1hours 42 minutes

Barrow: 3hours

Carlisle: 1hours 35minutes

Kendal 2hours 10mimutes

Keswick: 2hours 14minutes

Penrith: 1hour 55minutes

Sedbergh: 2hours 2minutes

Silloth: 2hours 21minutes

Whitehaven: 2hours 29minutes

Windermere: 2hours 21minutes

Blackpool 

The M55 runs from Blackpool through to the M6 J32 just north of Preston, and onward travel can then be made to Cumbria.

Appleby: 1hour 40 minutess

Barrow: 1hour 43minutes

Carlisle: 1hour 45minutes

Kendal 1hour 2minutes

Keswick: 1hour 48minutes

Penrith: 1hour 26minutes

Sedbergh: 1hour 9minutes

Silloth: 2hours 28minutes

Whitehaven: 2hours 24minutes

Windermere: 1hour 13minutes

Liverpool

The M62 runs from Liverpool across the country through to Hull. The M6 can be accessed at J21A near Warrington, and onward travel made to Cumbria.

Appleby: 2hours 14 minutes

Barrow: 2hours 17minutes

Carlisle: 2hours 19minutes

Kendal 1hour 36minutes

Keswick: 2hours 21minutes

Penrith: 2hours

Sedbergh: 1hours 43minutes

Silloth: 3hours 2minutes

Whitehaven: 2hours 58minutes

Windermere: 1 hour 46minutes.

Manchester 

You can reach Cumbria from Manchester by the M60 and M6.

Appleby: 2hours 6 minutes

Barrow: 2hour 9minutes

Carlisle: 2hours 11minutes

Kendal 1hour 28minutes

Keswick: 2hours 13minutes

Penrith: 1hour 52minutes

Sedbergh: 1hour 34minutes

Silloth: 2hours 53minutes

Whitehaven: 2hours 50minutes

Windermere: 1hour 38minutes

HULL

You can reach Cumbria from Hull by M62 running from Hull across the country through to Liverpool. The M6 can be accessed at J21A near Warrington, 

Appleby: 2hours 42 minutes

Barrow: 3hour 30minutes

Carlisle: 3hours 21minutes

Kendal 2hours 50minutes

Keswick: 3hours 22minutes

Penrith: 2hours 58minutes

Sedbergh: 2hours 52minutes

Silloth: 4hours 3minutes

Whitehaven: 3hours 59minutes

Windermere: 3hours

Leeds

You can get from Leeds to Cumbria by two routes to travel from Leeds to the Lake District. The M62 from Leeds passes north of Manchester and connects to the M6, from which the Cumbria Hubs can be accessed. For a more picturesque route, the A65 passes through Ottley, Skipton and Settle to then meet up with the M6 between Lancaster and Kendal

Appleby: 1hour 58 minutes

Barrow: 2hours 25minutes

Carlisle: 2hours 28minutes

Kendal 1hour 44minutes

Keswick: 2hours 30minutes

Penrith: 2hours 8minutes

Sedbergh: 1hour 45minutes

Silloth: 3hours 10minutes

Whitehaven: 3hours 6minutes

Windermere: 1hour 55minutes

 

You can get to Cumbria from Crewe by The M6 is 7 miles from Crewe and be accessed at Sandbach.

Appleby: 2hours 5 minutes

Barrow: 2hours 19minutes

Carlisle: 2hours 21minutes

Kendal 1hours 40minutes

Keswick: 2hours 20minutes

Penrith: 2hours 6minutes

Sedbergh: 1hour 45minutes

Silloth: 2hours 50mminutes

Whitehaven: 3hours

Windermere: 2hours 6minutes

You can get from Birmingham to Cumbria by the M6.

Appleby: 3hours 19 minutes

Barrow: 3hours 22minutes

Carlisle: 3hours 23minutes

Kendal 2hours 41minutes

Keswick: 3hours 26minutes

Penrith: 3hours 4minutes

Sedbergh: 2hours 48minutes

Silloth: 4hours 6minutes

Whitehaven: 4hours 3minutes

Windermere: 2hours 51minutes

You can get from Norwich to Cumbria by the A1 via the A47.

Appleby: 5hours

Barrow: 5hours 43minute

Carlisle: 5hours 39minutes

Kendal 5hours 27minutes

Keswick: 5hours 37minutes

Penrith: 5hours 19minutes

Sedbergh: 5hours 22minutes

Silloth: 6hours 6minutes

Whitehaven: 6hour 16minutes

Windermere: 5hours 32minutes

 

You can get from Birmingham to Cumbria by the M6

Appleby: 3hours 19 minutes

Barrow: 3hours 22minutes

Carlisle: 3hours 23minutes

Kendal 2hours 41minutes

Keswick: 3hours 26minutes

Penrith: 3hours 4minutes

Sedbergh: 2hours 48minutes

Silloth: 4hours 6minutes

Whitehaven: 4hours 3minutes

Windermere: 2hours 51minutes

 

 

You can get from Cardiff to Cumbria by

The A48(M) connects Cardiff to the M4 which runs across the southern coast of Wales. The M5 is then joined at J20, which then merges with the M6 .

Appleby: 4hours 57 minutes

Barrow: 5hours

Carlisle: 5hours 2minutes

Kendal 4hours 19minutes

Keswick: 5hours 4minutes

Penrith: 4hours 42minutes

Sedbergh: 4hours 26minutes

Silloth: 5hours 44minutes

Whitehaven: 5hours 41minutes

Windermere: 4hours 29minutes

 

 

You can get from London to Cumbria  by The M1 leads directly out of London towards the North West. At J15 merge onto the M6.

Appleby: 5hours 19 minutes

Barrow: 5hours 25minutes

Carlisle: 5hours 26minutes

Kendal 4hours 44minutes

Keswick: 5hours 29minutes

Penrith: 5hours 7minutes

Sedbergh: 4hours 51minutes

Silloth: 6hours 9minutes

Whitehaven: 6hour 6minutes

Windermere: 4hours 54minutes

 

You can get from Dover to Cumbria by The A20/M20 connects dover with the M25 ring road around London.

Travelling anti-clockwise around the M25, the M1 leads away from London towards the Northwest. At J15 merge onto the M6.

Appleby: 6hours 14 minutes

Barrow: 6hours 25minutes

Carlisle: 6hours 27minutes

Kendal 5hours 44minutes

Keswick: 6hours 29minutes

Penrith: 6hours 8minutes

Sedbergh: 5hours 51minutes

Silloth: 7hours 9minutes

Whitehaven: 7hours 6minutes

Windermere: 5hours 54minutes

By Ferry

Both Stena Line and P&O Ferries operate services to Cairnryan Ferry Port from Belfast. takes approximately 2 hours. The nearest railway station is Stranraer, which is around four miles away from the port.

DFDS Seaways provides daily overnight ferry crossings from Ijmuiden, Holland to Newcastle’s Port of Tyne. A connecting bus service to Newcastle Central Railway Station runs every 20 minutes.

P&O Ferries provides daily crossings between Dublin and Liverpool. Stena Line also operate daily routes between Liverpool and Belfast. The nearest railway station is Birkenhead Hamilton Square, which is a 15-minute walk from the ferry terminal.

P&O Ferries provide daily overnight services to Hull Ferry Port from Rotterdam and Zeebrugge. Hull Ferry Port is located close to the town centre and is accessible by regular bus services.

P&O Ferries, A Ferry and DFDS run daily crossings to Calais from Dover Ferry Port.

In addition, DFDS run daily crossings to Dunkirk. The nearest railway station is Dover Priory Station. Services operate from London Victoria or London Charing Cross. National Express operate a bus service to Dover Ferry Port from London Victoria

 

Places to eat

The old stamp house Ambleside

The board walk bar Bowness on Windermere.

Great north pie co. Ambleside

High stile kitchen Buttermere

Elodie's cafe and wine merchants Kirby Lonsdale.

 

The best time of the year to visit Cumbria is between June and august.

Facts 

There is only one lake in the lake District

Lake Bassenthwaite is the only lake in the Lake District. The other “lakes” are considered to be Waters, Meres or Tarns. And no, we don’t know the difference between them all either.

 

Windermere is England's longest body of water

It’s 10.5 meters long.

Wastwater is the Deepest.

It’s 74-metres deep.

The top 5 highest mountain in England are here.

There’s Scafell Pike (978m), Sca Fell (964m), Helvellyn (950m,) Ill Crag (935m), and Broad Crag (934m).

The steepest road in England is here.

Hardknott Pass in Eskdale one of the steepest roads in England It has a maximum gradient of one in three.

And England's tallest tree.

It’s over 57m tall and can be found amongst other giants at the Ambleside Champion Tree Trail.

Useful web pages







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