Disclaimer – This post is part of a paid partnership with Cumbria Tourism. The opinions below, however, are ours and are in no way influenced by this.
Cumbria is a county on the north west coast of England, best known for containing the Lake District National Park. The Cumbria Coastal 200 route is a new road trip along the north west coast boasting some incredible history, sandy beaches and other great thing to do.
The Cumbrian Coastal route has been designed to inspire you to visit a different side to the Lake District.
If you choose to visit the Cumbrian Coastal line by campervan or motorhome, it is important to make sure you do so responsibly. You can plan your trip to the Cumbria Coastal 200 by following the Cumbria Tourism’s Motorcaravanner’s code and remember to leave no trace.
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Things to do in Cumbria - A Complete Guide
The Cumbria Coastal route is a beautiful part of the English coastline, lined with beautiful secluded beaches and small towns nestled in amongst the mountains. In this guide, we will discuss the best time to go to Cumbria as well as the following
- Sizergh Castle and Gardens
- Holker Hall
- Manjushri Peace Temple
- Horse Riding on the Beach with Murthwaite Green
- Glass Blowing at Cumbria Crystals
- South Walney Nature Reserve
- Biggar Bank Beach
- Sticky Toffee Pudding at Cartmel
- Canoe and Bushcraft with Path to Adventure
- Muncaster Castle
- St Bee’s
- Where to eat and stay
- Preparing for your trip to Cumbria
Visit Sizergh Castle and Gardens
Sizergh Castle is a stunning medieval house with beautiful gardens situated on a 1,600-acre estate. This building has been home to the Strickland family for more than 800 years and they still live there today. The gardens are popular amongst visitors and the limestone rock garden is a top feature.
Sizergh Castle and Gardens contains some of the finest English and French furniture and family portraits.
There is also a cafe and shop onsite.
Holker Hall
Horse Riding on the Beach with Murthwaite Green
Murthwaite Green are a family run business located in Silecroft that offer horse trekking on the beach. This experience is available to beginners as well as those more experienced as the trip can be tailored to your ability.
The experience starts when you meet your horse at the stables, Campbell would be riding Jo and I was riding Stanley, both beautiful horses.
The group walks through the small picturesque village of Silecroft towards the beach. The 7 mile beautiful sandy beach allows for plenty opportunity for some cantering and galloping if you feel comfortable to do so.
Manjushri Peace Temple
Glass Blowing at Cumbria Crystal
In the small town of Ulverston, you will find Cumbria Crystal where you can visit to find a new appreciation of glass blowing. You can visit the shop area and walk into the enclosed workshop area where you will have the opportunity to watch the glass blowers create the glass and design it too.
This is free to enter and there are information boards on the different parts of the process and those involved.
South Walney Nature Reserve
There is a small entrance fee that goes towards the protection and preservation of these beautiful parts of England, and members of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust can enter for free.
Biggar Bank Beach
A beautiful beach on the west coast of England is Biggar Bank. This long stretch of sand is protected with a grassy bank and lined with a long coastal path. This just happened to be the perfect place for a morning “wild swim” as we woke up to another stunning day in the Lake District.
There is an official overnight car park at Biggar Bank for campervans and motorhomes (featured below), which you can ready about in the “Where to Stay” section later on.
Sticky Toffee Pudding at Cartmel
For those with a decadent sweet tooth, no trip to Cumbria is complete without a visit to the Cartmel Village Shop. Twenty years ago, the locals here began to bake their very own version of the traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding by hand. Over the years, word of mouth soon spread and demand for the pudding grew and grew, resulting in the need for a kitchen upgrade and eventually a number of awards for this sweet treat.
Pick up an authentic Cartmel Sticky Toffee pudding for yourself and be the judge of whether this sweet treat is worth its title.
Canoe and Bushcraft with Path to Adventure
Path to Adventure offer a variety of outdoor activities in the Lake District. Our experience took us on a canoe across Coniston Water where we visited the other side of the water and tested our hand at a bit of bushcraft. We learned how to light a fire and made a hot drink and toasted marshmallows.
After all of this excitement is over, there’s the option for a leisurely paddle back to the starting point or you can have a go at capsizing your canoe and to end the day out with a splash.
Muncaster Castle
Fancy visiting one of the most haunted buildings in the UK? Muncaster Castle has some pretty creepy ghost stories to tell and you can get lost wandering around the gardens and castle itself all day. Haunted tales aside, the castle and gardens at Muncaster make for one seriously good day out, with a huge range of activities and sights that the whole family will enjoy.
As well as the onsite attractions, such as the original castle buildings, the vast gardens and grounds, childrens playpark, and converted stables that is now home to the cafe, Muncaster Castle also offers two daily shows that are guaranteed to “wow!”. In the morning show, you will be introduced to the adorable range of owls that are housed here at Muncaster, whilst in the afternoon showing, you can marvel at some of the world’s largest winged creatures, such as the American Bald Eagle and the Hooded Vulture.
All of the birds that call Muncaster Castle home are cared for in the name of protection and preservation of the species in the wild, with some of the birds rapidly declining in numbers in their natural habitat. The hard work that the team at Muncaster do is all aimed towards educating people on the reasons for their decline in numbers and the hope of preventing their extinction.
You can read all about the events and accommodation options at Muncaster right here.
St Bee’s Coastal Town
Perched at the most western tip of the region of Cumbria, the small coastal town of St Bees is one of the most popular coastal destinations in Cumbria. As well as stunning stretch of beach that stretches along the cost of St Bees, further north sits the towering cliffs of St Bees Head, an RSPB reserve and the starting point of the famous Coast to Coast walking route.
The town of St Bees itself has a history dating back over 1000 years, with one of the oldest buildings said to be named after the Irish Nun Saint Bega, who ship-wrecked here in the 9th-century. Luckily, St Bega survived along with the other nuns, and so sought out land from the local lord to build a priory. The lords response was a disappointing one, stating that they could have the land that was covered in snow the following day (it was the middle of summer). Incredibly, the next day the town awoke to a fresh snow fall covering everything from the castle and the sea, and so the priory was built.
Where to Eat and Stay in Cumbria
Eat
Abbey House Hotel
Abbey House Hotel is located beside Furness Abbey. The hotel has a bar and a restaurants with great views overlooking the forest. The portion sizes in the restaurant are great value for money and the meals are delicious.
The Swan Hotel and Spa
The Swan Hotel and Spa is located in the picturesque village of Newby Bridge. The have a tasty menu that can be enjoyed overlooking the river, followed up with an ice cream.
Stay
Furness Abbey
An official park up approved by the Barrow Council overlooking the stunning Furness Abbey. When you arrive you will see a small sign with a QR code where you can book your overnight space.
Biggar Bank
What could you better than a park up by the beach? At Biggar Bank you can park you campervan or motorhome without any worry at their approved overnight car park at Biggar Bank, only a 2 minute walk from the beach.
Before You Leave for The Lake District
Before you head off on your trip to The Lake District, there are certain things you will need to get organised to ensure a smooth trip. These include what to pack, where to stay and what travel insurance to book.
How Do I Get to The Lake District?
The Lake District National Park is a mountainous region in the northwest of England. It is easily reachable by public transport, including train and bus, with routes that take you from major cities directly to the centre of the town of Windermere.
If you are flying into the country, the closest airport will be Manchester airport, however, you can still easily reach The lake District by bus and train from any other part of the country.
National Express Buses connect the Lake District to other parts of the country and West Coast Trains.
View all of the relevant bus and train lines that will get you to Windermere right here.
What Should I Pack for The Lake District?
What you need to pack for The Lake District will rely highly on when you make your trip there. During the Spring and Autumn months, temperatures and weather patterns vary wildly between beautiful sunny skies and freezing rain.
The temperatures generally vary from 10 oC to 25 oC during these months, with a mixture between cold, northerly winds and warmer southerlies. There is a small amount of rain, with maybe 1 in 7 days receiving rainfall, which makes it perfect for days out exploring the beautiful city.
During the Summer months in the Lake District, temperatures tend to range from 20oC to 30oC, with some days topping 35oC. When it comes to toiletries, we recommend that you don’t forget to pack sunscreen. The sun in the Lake District can be strong, especially in the summer months.
If you need more inspiration on what to pack for your trip, check out our full packing guides for all-weather conditions over here.
Given the beautiful sights and scenery that you will see in the Lake District, we highly recommend packing a good camera for your trip. If you want to read more about the cameras we use and why we love them, check out the link below.
You can read what else we keep in our camera bag over here.
Photography Equipment
Main Photography Camera – Sony A7v Mirrorless Camera and Sony A7iii Mirrorless Camera
Microphone – Shure VP83 Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Main Lens – Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
Zoom Lens – Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8
Camera Tripod – ZOMEI Z669C Camera Tripod
Gorilla Pod – JOBY JB01507-BWW GorillaPod
Action Camera – GoPro Hero 9 Black and Insta 360 One RS
Drone Camera – DJI Mavic Pro 2
Camera Bag – Lowepro Flipside 300 AW and The Nest by Tropicfeel
Phone Tripod – Manfrotto MKPIXICLAMP-BK, Mini Tripod with Universal Smartphone Clamp
Hard Drives – LaCie Rugged Mini, 5TB, 2.5″, Portable External Hard Drive
SSD – SanDisk Extreme Pro 1TB Portable NVMe SSD
Travel Adapter –Worldwide Travel Adapter Universal Travel Plug with 4 USB Ports+Universal AC Socket
So there you have it, your complete guide to Cumbria and all there is to do. If you have visited Cumbria recently, let us know what you thought of the activities and beautiful buildings in the area. If you have any suggestions let us know in the comments below.
As always, sharing is caring so make sure to share this photo guide with your family and friends and inspire them to head off on their own English adventure. If you are planning the trip for yourself, make sure you have a look at the rest of our England content for more inspiration to our beautiful home country.
When you set off on your own adventure, be sure to tag us in your photos on Instagram and we will share them with the rest of our community. In the meantime, why not follow us over there to see what we are currently up to and keep up with us on our Instagram Stories.
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