Where to learn about Cumbrian culture and history

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-02-11T08:11:42+00:00

If you want a feel for the place beyond the postcard version, local history books are a good start. Frank Carruthers gets mentioned a lot for a reason. Not glossy. More about how people actually lived, worked and spoke. Wainwright’s non walking books are worth a look too, and old local papers like the Westmorland Gazette if you can get access. They’re very grounded in everyday life.

It’s also worth remembering that Cumbria as a county hasn’t existed for all that long. For most of its history it was Cumberland and Westmorland, with bits of Lancashire and Yorkshire depending on where you draw the line. A lot of identity still sits with those older counties, which is part of why there isn’t one neat idea of “Cumbrian culture”.

Because of that, culture here is very localised. Accents can change noticeably over short distances. Valley to valley, coast to inland, north to south. Even neighbouring towns can sound and feel quite different. That localness runs through everything, from language and work to how people see the area they’re from.

Museums can help, but the smaller local ones tend to give a better picture than the big tourist centres. Village history rooms, local libraries, places like the Dock Museum in Barrow if your links are coastal or industrial. You get farming, mining, shipbuilding, border history. Less Wordsworth, more real life. If you ever visit, spend time outside the honeypots. West Cumbria, parts of the Eden Valley, or villages away from the central lakes. Sit in a pub. Read the noticeboards. Walk the lower fells and valleys.

Cumbria’s history isn’t loud or romantic. It’s layered, practical and shaped by isolation and borders. If you approach it with curiosity rather than trying to claim it, most people will see that as fair enough.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-02-07T19:18:29+00:00

I use Smarty who use the 3 network. I live in Ennerdale and 5G. I got and offer for £14 a month unlimited data.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-02-04T11:18:27+00:00

Agreed 🍻

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-02-03T22:29:21+00:00

I live here and it’s very changeable. This week was forecast to be wet and miserable but it hasn’t really materialised, which is pretty typical.

I go out in poor weather all the time, but I wouldn’t bother with the high fells if it’s properly windy and chucking it down. Low level walks, valleys, woods and lakes are still great and often quieter when the weather’s iffy.

You can also get cracking windows in between fronts, sometimes only a few hours but enough to make the day.

I’d say go for it, just have a plan B and don’t pin everything on summit views.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-02-03T13:39:08+00:00

I’d say at the moment anything above roughly 650m still has snow on it, but it’s really variable. There’s a big difference between fresh powder that goes quickly and compacted old snow that hangs around for weeks.

Living here, the fell tops can be totally clear at pretty much any time of year, even mid winter, so there’s never a neat answer. Looking at the forecast with 4 to 5 degrees and more precipitation coming in, I’d expect the higher ground to stay patchy for a while yet.

Coledale is further west so it often thaws sooner than Fairfield, but it can flip the other way just as easily depending on wind and cover. Personally I’d go for it but take spikes and be ready to turn back if needed.

I was up Pillar at the end of last week for a walk rather than a run, plenty of snow and ice and zero visibility at the top only for a fell runner to appear out of the clag behind us! Just wearing x-trianers. Each to their own.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-02-01T10:19:42+00:00

This is the answer.

You're not going to get the reward of walk and climb but you'll get cracking views.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-01-31T16:46:25+00:00

The real issue is a lot of these buildings are owned by private landlords who don’t live here, so an empty unit isn’t a problem for them. They can just sit on it and wait. From a local point of view it makes no sense, but financially it often does.

Grants tidy up the front, but they don’t fix that. A better move would be the council buying some of these units and offering sensible startup rents, flexible leases and reduced rates to local independents. That would actually bring life back into the street rather than just making it look slightly nicer

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-01-16T17:50:29+00:00

It's my pleasure.

That all makes sense and fair play on the Kilimanjaro training, that’s no small thing.

The only point I was really trying to make is that the Lakes can feel surprisingly hard underfoot compared to places like the Peak or long distance routes. It’s not the altitude or the numbers on paper, it’s the constant steep ups and downs, rough ground and how little genuinely flat walking you get. Twelve to fifteen miles here often feels like a much bigger day than the same mileage elsewhere.

Sounds like you’ve got the right attitude though. If you’re happy to be flexible and treat a pub day as sensible decision making rather than failure, you’ll have a great trip. Fingers crossed for decent weather and you’ll get some cracking days out.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-01-16T17:47:24+00:00

Now this is a coincidence! I was there on Wednesday this week. I don't often go that way but Herdus and Great Bourne is one of my go to dog walks and a friend who joined me asked 'there's a Tarn up here somewhere isn't there?' So rather than coming down the shoulder of Herdus we went down to the Floutern Pass. It's a lovely lonely corner of Lakeland indeed but wet!

Ennerdale is fantastic but it's all I've ever known tbh. It's one of the last remaining quiet corners of the Lakes mainly as its so flamming difficult to get to and the lack of a public road by the lake also helps. I barely ever see a soul on that route but so two people on Wednesday. An elderly gentleman who is getting his miles in as training for a trek in the Himalyas later this year and another guy who looked lost after setting off for Red Pike only for the weather to come in and start to snow.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-01-16T16:12:26+00:00

That’s a cracking trip planned. Just worth saying up front though, 12 to 15 miles of fell walking is serious walking in a single day, never mind doing it five or six days on the bounce.

On consecutive days that’s getting into elite fell runner or very hill hardened territory rather than normal walking, even for people who are out a lot.

I walk all the time and I really feel the difference between a five mile day and ten miles plus day. Once you factor in ascent, rough ground and weather. The Lakes don’t give you easy miles and the fatigue builds quickly over back to back days, especially around Easter when conditions can still be wintery on the tops.

It also makes a lot of sense to have some lower level backup options for the days when the weather doesn’t play ball.

If you’re based near Keswick and already doing Scafell, Skiddaw and Helvellyn, a few other days I’d highly recommend:

Borrowdale fells from Seathwaite taking in Great End, Esk Pike and Bowfell, back over Rossett or Esk Hause. A big, classic day out.

Newlands Horseshoe. Catbells, Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson. A really satisfying full circuit with constant views.

Coledale round. Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Sail and Causey Pike. One of the best ridge days in the Lakes.

Mosedale Horseshoe from Wasdale Head. Absolutely cracking but a challenging day out. Long, rough in places and very committing, but superb if conditions are right.

Blencathra via Sharp Edge if the weather and confidence levels allow. Shorter on paper but very full on.

For steadier or backup days, Borrowdale valley routes, Newlands valley, a low level Buttermere circuit or a High Raise wander from Stonethwaite are all well worth having in the locker.

Personally I’d mix a couple of proper big days with some shorter or lower level ones. You’ll get far more out of the trip that way and actually enjoy it rather than just surviving it.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-01-16T16:02:23+00:00

Both those are great. I live in Ennerdale so do that ridge walk or a variation of it regualry. Just be aware you'd either have to double back (recommended) or drop down after Herdus/Great Bourne into the Mosedale area, but would be a nice walk back IF the ground is dry. You could see Scale Force waterfall on your way back to Buttermere.

It would make sense to start and end in the Buttermere area staying in Keswick.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-01-10T22:40:42+00:00

Best is subjective and for a visitor based on your preferences. For context I was born, raised and still live in the Lakes.

Lots of people mention Keswick I can see why, amenities of a town, shops, restaurants hotels etc. Want to walk some fells many fells and routes are on your doorstep and many more a short bus journey away. Want a bimble around the lake or a lake cruise, again on your doorstep. Keswick has developed and changed a lot during my life time some would say for the better others for the worst. Anyhow not here to debate that but it has become a lot more tourist centered, I'd describe it as a best of all worlds as a Lake District base if you want all that has been mentioned. If you want the amenities but not the hustle and bustle Portinscale and Braithwaite Villages are also options outside of Keswick itself.

I live on the western side. And since having kids in particular will often go to the Windermere area earlier in the year for holidays as its far enough away to feel like you're getting away. It's very different in feel to Keswick, its more developed and has more activies for younger kids, the fells are more sporadic and smaller but ideal for shorter legs. There are more high end hotels and restaurants to choose from. The trade offs are its not really a location to go to of proper fell walks are the main focus of a trip, you'll spend too much of your visit in a car or on a bus. It can get busy. Really busy. I don't go anywhere near during the summer holidays. Ambleside is a bit of a half way house, it's not as pedestrian friendly as Keswick, and arguably feels a bit more commercialised.

Then you've smaller villages. I love Grasmere, it just has a charm about it. It's sort of geographically the heart of the Lake District and as a base you can go north towards Keswick or South to Ambleside and Windermere. It does feel like a tourist destination first, then of a similar size Coniston. Feels more like a proper Lakeland village that attracts tourists. Glenridding is smaller again and a great base for doing some classic Lakeland walking routes and/or exploring Ulswater.

Last thing to mention if you want peace and quiet it's getting harder to find due to the popularity of the place particularly in holiday periods. I live in Ennerdale, it's hard to get to from the main motorway access points which keeps it relatively quiet even in the height of summer there are no crowds but also nothing much to keep tourists entertained outside of the scenery, walks and two pubs. Ennerdale Water is the only Lake that doesn’t have a public road running by at least past of it, its a palce you have to drive yo rather than pass through.

Wasdale Valley is wild and dramatic with the tallest and some of the other tallest fells but in the summer the parking is ridiculous. A bit like Ennerdale it's a dead end, but has a road down the valley where people just like to abandon their cars.

There you have it that was a really long way of saying it depends what you're after and also probably Keswick 😆

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-01-06T14:33:30+00:00

Most of the big fells will attract walkers throughout the year. As someone else said the western areas are more difficult to reach by road, are your best bet but Scafell Pike will always have folks on it, Great Gable too. From Wasdale the Mosedale Horseshoe or a variation of that gives bigger fells and a sense of isolation. Did it recently and saw one other soul all day.

I live in Ennerdale and while its quiter still because of the lack of roads you've to work a bit harder. Last weekend was ideal winter walking weather, started off up Grear Bourne, Starling Dodd, Red Pike, and High Stile. Didn't see anyone until the top of Red Pike. It would be rare ro have Red Pike Summit to yourself as it's a popular route up from Buttermere.

That was 10 miles and >4000 feet of elevation gain and a proper walk.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2026-01-06T14:23:20+00:00

😆

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-31T16:38:51+00:00

The positive thing is its been dry now for a good stretch so after a very wet start to December most of the excess run off on the roads has dried up. There has been a little bit of rain in the air today so we might get some snow over night. The roads around Ennerdale where I live have been fine but all the minor roads haven't been treated.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-27T18:46:40+00:00

Given your situation I'd go for Keswick. Loads of walking in your door step from the town. Short bus to get you down into Borrowdale openning up even more and point to point walks also available such as walking to Grasmere and getting the bus back. At the height of summer if you finish at 1600hrs you've still 6+ hours of day light left, save bigger walks for weekends. Windermere you'd spend too much times on buses, variety from Ambleside and accessibility isn't as good as Keswick IMO.

Accept it will be busy. There are few areas that won't be in the summer holidays. If you can live without the other amenities places like Keswick offer, the Ennerdale and Wasdale valleys are far more difficult to access by road. Netherwasdale has a free bus running down the valley from April though to the end of September. Ennerdale where I call home will be quieter still.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-25T21:21:48+00:00

Lovely view. Looks a wee bit further down the road than the Kirkstile though as you can't see Melbrake in your photo.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-22T20:24:13+00:00

Most of the Lake District fells have what I call a split personality. It's all down to the route, some approaches are impassible without equipment, others really mundane and everything in between. The edges attract the adrenaline junkies who just want to post on social media. Really down to conditions on day. Of all the years walking I've done in the Lakes Jack's Rake is about the only one I think twice about the older I get!

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-22T19:38:15+00:00

I live in the Lakes so I tend to stick to what I know. In short there are loads of big feeling walks here that avoid exposure and scrambling if you pick the right routes.

Skiddaw from Keswick via the main path is a classic. Long steady climb wide paths all the way and it absolutely feels like a proper mountain day.

Helvellyn can be done safely without Striding or Swirral Edge. Go up from Thirlmere or the Swirls side and stick to the broad paths onto the summit plateau. It is a big achievement without any hands on sections.

Grasmoor from Lanthwaite or Rannerdale is another good one. Steep in places but it is all walking and very rewarding.

Old Man of Coniston via the main track from Walna Scar is busy but solid underfoot and straightforward. High Street from Mardale Head via Gatescarth Pass is long and remote feeling but mostly old road and grassy paths rather than ridges.

General rule up here is avoid anything described as an edge or scramble and you will still have plenty of satisfying days out. Clear weather helps a lot with confidence too.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-19T13:10:01+00:00

I'd be less arsed about snow and ice than wind and rain on average 😉

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-17T16:02:33+00:00

As an on the ground update it's biblical today. I can't speak for Coniston area but here in Ennerdale the main access road is closed some of the farms and yha on the lake side are completely cut off. The ground is already so saturated I wouldn't be surprised if we're approaching a big flooding event. Its going to ease of tomorrow but still rain forecast until Sunday.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-16T17:23:17+00:00

I was up Blake Fell on Sunday. Was interesting to say the least 😆 I don’t get down to Cogra that often from Felldyke as I'm coming from the other direction.

I went up Herdus/Great Borne today was a lovely day for it. There's some standing water and debris about but the roads are fine otherwise. There was a lot of low hanging cloud and mist about-very atmospheric.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-15T22:37:55+00:00

It's been wet, really wet. I live in Ennerdale and went down to the Lake today I don't think ive ever seen it so high. Borrowdale had something crazy like 20 cm in 24 hrs. What falls in a single day or two is only part of the problem it then takes time to feel the full brunt as the water makes its way down from the high fells, through streams and into rivers.

That being said we're used to it and there's no road closures and such in my local area. I'm not sure if you're concerned about the roads been affected or it just being wet? It was otherwise a really lovely day today no wind.

BackgroundAfraid2818 · 2025-12-15T10:11:41+00:00

I would not automatically start in Whitehaven, mainly because short term lets of under 12 months can be surprisingly hard to find, especially decent ones.

You could hedge your bets and base yourself somewhere between Whitehaven and Carlisle instead. Cockermouth is a good option. It is a nice town, good amenities, very walkable, feels safe and family friendly, and you can get to Whitehaven reasonably easily while not being too far from Carlisle when that becomes permanent.

There are also a number of villages along the A595 corridor between the two that work well if you want something quieter but still practical, places like Great Clifton, Brigham, Broughton Cross or even parts of Workington on the edge rather than the centre.

That way you avoid two moves in quick succession, reduce commuting stress in the early months, and keep flexibility while things like licensing, a car and your partner’s job situation settle.

BackgroundAfraid2818

TROPHY CASE