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10 reasons autumn is the best time to visit the Lake District

Is there a prettier time of the year to visit than autumn? - This content is subject to copyright.
Is there a prettier time of the year to visit than autumn? - This content is subject to copyright.

1. Because nobody else is

Not true, actually, but there are definitely fewer visitors to contend with in the moody autumn months, which means cheaper rooms, quieter footpaths and more chance of bagging fire-side seats at cosy country pubs.

2. Speaking of pubs...

“The Lake District has a wealth of historic pubs and inns to explore, some of which date back centuries,” writes Oliver Berry, Telegraph Travel’s destination expert. “Roaring fires and low ceilings are still very much the norm, and many pubs offer their own range of home-brewed ales.” Read our guide to the Lake District’s taverns here.

Britains 30 best pubs for walks
Britains 30 best pubs for walks

3. The autumnal hues

Purples, reds, oranges and yellows; the Lake District becomes a riot of colour in autumn as leaves succumb to the lack of sunlight before finally being stripped from the trees by the strengthening breeze. Depending on who you speak to, this is the prettiest time of year to visit.

4. It is now a World Heritage Site

Unesco status was bestowed upon the Lake District earlier this year, which is something of a doubled-edged sword for the region; on the one hand it means further protection, on the other it means more visitors. Go now before it’s firmly on the Unesco circuit.

5. There’s a hip new hotel

Another Place (that’s its actual name, we don’t mean, simply, another place) swung its doors open in Ullswater this summer. The hotly-anticipated hotel is the brainchild of Will Ashworth, founder of Watergate Bay, a stylish beach hotel in Cornwall. Another Place, The Lakes (to give it its full name) is an exciting new addition to the local hotel scene. Read our review of the property here.

The best hotels in the Lake District
The best hotels in the Lake District

6. It has the UK’s (second) best restaurant

At least that’s according to the latest Good Food Guide, which this year crowed L’Enclume in Cartmel a very respectable second place in its annual top 50 list of UK restaurants. The Cumbrian eatery has previously topped that chart and you can read all about it here, in our guide to the best restaurants in the Lake District.

7. The beer is flowing

“Cumbria’s craft beer scene is booming,” reports Berry. “Alongside old stalwarts such as Jennings or Hawkshead Brewery, there’s a host of new breweries – from pub-based Winster Brewery and the Barngates Brewery to independents like the Tarn Hows Brewery in Ambleside, which has scooped awards from CAMRA for its “nano-brewed” beers.”

8. They’re even making whisky

Until recently you had to head north of the border for the hard stuff, but that all changed with the opening of a new distillery near Bassenthwaite Lake. “Founded on the site of a Victorian model farm, the Lakes Distillery is the brainchild of Paul Currie, who previously ran the award-winning Arran Distillery,” writes Berry. “The current range includes a gin, a vodka and a blended whisky, made with crystal-clear river water filtered by the Lakeland fells (a key factor in the taste). There’s also a bistro and tasting bar.”

9. The walks

The famous fell walker Alfred Wainwright counted 214 official fells in his epic seven-book guidebook series, The Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, so there are enough to keep you going for a lifetime. Most walks can be tackled any time of year – though the scenery you’ll walk through arguably looks best in autumn. A word of warning, though: only attempt the high routes in good weather and check the forecast before you set off.  

10. Its literary connections

There’s something inspirational about autumn, for writers; the fading light and brooding skies can provoke poetry and summon the most melancholic verse. Plenty of writers called the lakes home; visitors can pay homage to Wordsworth, for instance, at Grasmere, where the scribe kept two cottages, or to Beatrix Potter at Hill Top, near Sawrey, where the writer lived and breathed her beloved Lake District.

Top 25 | Simple English pleasures
Top 25 | Simple English pleasures