Summer 2026
Lake District Drives
Welcome to summer 2026 in the Lake District! Always the most popular time in the Lakes with what should be better weather and will at least be more daylight. Can’t always guarantee the weather any time of year but so far this summer has been relatively good with plenty of sunshine, warmth and great days out across the area. It will often be busy, especially during school holidays, and you might want to avoid the central Lakes which I think are better explored in spring or autumn when the crowds are less and the roads and car parks are quieter. If you are here in the summer, Lake District Drives has a number of driving tours outside of the central Lakes but still within or just outside the national park. Also still with spectacular scenery and amazing attractions that are well worth visiting. It’s a diverse area as well, from the tranquil unspoilt Eden valley with its pretty villages to the Cumbrian coast with its interesting industrial heritage and seaside scenery.
One bonus this season has been the recent reopening of Kirkstone Pass which was closed for several months due a landslide at the end of last year. Well done to the authorities for managing to reopen in a relatively short time considering the scale of the problem. It’s great to be able to take the magnificent drive over there again, between Windermere and Ullswater. It’s also good to see the reopening of the historic Kirkstone Pass Inn at the road summit which has been closed for a while and now again provides a fabulous beer garden overlooking the surrounding views.
It’s worth emphasizing that Lake District Drives are not just a list of directions. The drives have been carefully designed to include the best of the scenery but also the best of the attractions. Most folks don’t want to spend too long in the car and it’s ideal to have attractions along the way where you can stop and explore for a while before continuing. Lake District Drives describes more than 170 different attractions, including many towns, villages, lakes, rivers, coasts, viewpoints, historic buildings, monuments, museums and wildlife parks that will surely entertain the most hard to please customers! Descriptions have location coordinates to aid navigation, attraction details and relevant website links. Quite a task keeping it all up to date but I enjoy doing it as I keep exploring the area and adding to my knowledge 😊
As I said previously, I prefer to explore some of the Lake District National Park extremities this time of year to try and avoid the main crowds. One such drive I would recommend is the Kendal-Grange-Windermere drive which explores the south east Lakes and some attractive areas just outside the park boundary. Highlights include Kendal and the River Kent valley, the pretty Cartmel peninsula, a number of fabulous stately homes and various points along the scenic shores of Windermere lake.
Starting in the historic market town of Kendal, known as the ‘Gateway to the Lakes’ as it sits on the main road just outside the boundary. In the old days many visitors had to go through the town to reach the Lake District but thankfully nowadays the town and Lakes bound traffic all benefit from the A591 bypass towards Windermere. It’s an attractive place with a number of attractions, including various museums, the River Kent and the ruined castle which provides great views over the whole town. There’s also plenty of shops and eateries to choose from.
The drive leaves the town joining the main A591 to the south and soon arrives at the Sizergh estate which includes Low Sizergh Barn farm shop and café plus the historic 13th century Sizergh Castle. Parts of the impressive house are still lived in but you can tour other parts and then head outside to explore the lovely gardens and surrounding estate lands. Nowadays it is all caringly looked after by the National Trust.
A short trip further south takes you to another magnificent historic house at Levens Hall, also dating from the 13th century and still lived in. Again you can tour parts of the house and the wonderful gardens which include a famous ancient topiary garden dating from the late 17th century and apparently the oldest in the world. There are plenty of wonderful shapes to behold as you wander around and it is well worth a visit. Across the main road and following the River Kent upstream is an attractive parkland which includes a herd of rare Bagot goats.
The drive then heads across the low-lying Lyth valley with the impressive limestone cliffs of Whitbarrow Scar gleaming in the sunlight ahead. Just beyond is Foulshaw Moss nature reserve which is best known for its resident Ospreys in season. Continue heading south west and soon pass through the village of Lindale, sat on the national park boundary. The road then meets the shores of Morecambe bay and enters the scenic seaside town of Grange-over-Sands. The town boomed as a tourist resort in Victorian times when the railway was built and is still a popular place with its long attractive promenade enjoying distant views across Morecambe bay. The near foreshore is more grass than sand nowadays but you can certainly see plenty of sand and mud further out when the sea disappears at low tide. There are also a few shops and eateries in the small town centre.
A short hop up and over the hill behind Grange takes you to the quaint village of Cartmel. It is a joy to stroll around the narrow streets of the attractive village which has many historic properties, including the imposing 12th century Cartmel Priory. It also has some fabulous pubs and restaurants, including a couple with Michelin stars owned by renowned chef Simon Rogan. The locally made famous sticky toffee pudding is also available from the shop and well worth a try if that is your thing! The village really comes to life several times per year for horse racing on the adjacent racecourse. A popular day out, although probably not the time to visit the village if you want to do anything else. The surrounding area, bounded largely by Morecambe bay, is known as the Cartmel peninsula and has some wonderful scenery and attractions, despite being just outside the Lake District national park.
The pretty River Eea is also a feature of Cartmel village and the next leg of the drive follows the river downstream to Cark village. Just beyond is another magnificent stately home at Holker Hall. Originally dating from the 16th century, it is also still partly lived in but you are able to tour the rest of the impressive house, the fabulous gardens and surrounding parkland.
The drive now heads northwards through attractive woodland with the River Leven estuary a short distance to the left. The River Leven is the outflow from Windermere lake and enters Morecambe bay via this picturesque estuary. Eventually cross the River Leven and enter Haverthwaite village. Across the main A590 is Haverthwaite station, the terminus of the wonderful Lakeside & Haverthwaite railway. This privately operated heritage railway sees old steam trains with period carriages taking passengers the 3.5 miles through the River Leven valley to Lakeside on Windermere where you can catch cruises up the lake. The railway used to be part of the mainline until closing in the 1960’s, but this section has been lovingly restored and gives a real sense of the old days.
Nearby is Backbarrow, a linear village following the River Leven which has seen much industry over the centuries with the river providing water power. It is also home to the Lakeland Motor Museum, a real treasure trove of all things relating to the development of motor vehicles. There are an amazing number of fascinating vehicles and other exhibits squeezed in to the main building with an extension featuring several life-size replicas of vehicles used by Malcolm or Donald Campbell in their various land and water speed record attempts
The drive then briefly follows the main A590 alongside the River Leven to Newby Bridge, the historic narrow road bridge over the river and the last crossing before Windermere lake. Don’t cross the river but continue a short distance to Fell Foot Park. This delightful waterside parkland has a picturesque setting at the point where Windermere lake becomes the River Leven. There are large areas of grass for a picnic and the water provides good paddling and bathing with fabulous views up the lake. There are also various footpaths through the landscaped parkland and water craft hire.
Continuing northwards through attractive woodland, the road closely follows the eastern shore of Windermere lake, although trees often obscure views of the water. Eventually arrive at Beech Hill picnic site which provides an area of grass with several picnic tables overlooking lake. There are some excellent views across the lake towards distant mountains. You can also access the water here, if you don’t mind going down and back up a lot of steps! You will probably see a few sailing boats on the lake but it’s a lot more tranquil since the introduction of a 10mph speed limit in 2005. It’s a far cry from 100 years ago when the lake was used more for water speed record attempts. In 1930 the daring boat pilot Sir Henry Segrave achieved a world water speed record of 98.8mph on the lake but sadly both he and his co-driver lost their lives as the boat crashed on a later run the same day.
Beyond Beech Hill and its hotel, the road continues following the lakeshore with some impressive private properties overlooking the lake. Soon reach another impressive property at Blackwell which is open to the public. Originally a private house built in 1900 as a holiday home for Manchester brewery owner Sir Edward Holt, around the same time as a number of other big houses were built for wealthy city industrialists in the area. The house is a beautiful example of arts and crafts architecture and you can tour the whole house and its lovely gardens with far reaching views across the lake below.
A short distance beyond you soon reach the lakeshore town of Bowness-on-Windermere. Probably the most popular place in the Lake District and at times the crowds can be a bit overwhelming but it’s a lovely place to explore by the lake with a number of attractions. These include The World of Beatrix Potter, celebrating the ever popular books of the famous author who lived across the lake at Hill Top in Near Sawrey. Another big attraction are the Windermere Cruises which operate from the piers here and provide various scenic cruises up and down the lake. There’s also plenty of shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants to entertain and refresh you.
From Bowness it’s a mile uphill to the town of Windermere. Often confused with the lake and strangely not actually on the lake, it was formerly called Birthwaite until the railway came in the mid-19th century at which point the station and hence the town took the name of the lake to aid visitors. Although basically joined to Bowness, it is a separate town with its own attractions, shops and eateries. Adjacent to the station is a short walk up Orrest Head, a wonderful viewpoint where the famous walking guide author Alfred Wainwright first encountered the Lake District in 1930. The rest is history, as they say.
The drive now heads eastwards on the main A591 through pleasant undulating countryside back towards Kendal. Pass through the small village of Ings and soon turn left into Staveley. A typical Lakeland village with slate houses, surrounding hills and a fast flowing river, it is a pleasant place to stroll around with the main road being some distance away. Popular with cyclists and walkers who might explore nearby Kentmere valley, there is also a huge bike shop and a few cafes and pubs for refreshments.
Now the last leg back to Kendal via the main A591. There are some good views over the town as you approach the elevated outskirts before dropping down to the centre where you started. At this point you may well be ready for some more substantial refreshments at one of the many good restaurants, cafes or pubs and to recount the best bits of the day.
Enjoy! 😎