With about 20 million tourists annually, the Lake District is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the UK. With so many tourists, you may wonder whether any Lake District and Westminster hidden treasures remain to explore!
No challenging walks or mountains are on this list, so they should be straightforward to include in most Lake District itineraries. But, if you drive any of the passes, please use extreme caution, especially in heavy winds or terrible weather.
The Lake District’s Undiscovered Treasures
We’ve included the closest well-known site or town for each hidden Lake District treasure below, making adding these trips to your schedule easy.
Several of these activities are also accessible in the Lake District, making them ideal for a low-cost Lake District vacation.
If you’re going to Air Force or Ullswater, put this on your schedule.
To begin, a magnificent hidden treasure of the Lake District.
Lowther Castle is a Lake District castle located in the extreme northeast of the National Park, about 20 minutes from Ullswater.
As you approach the castle from the front, you may not see it is in ruins since it is maintained on such a grand scale.
Lowther Castle is also less ancient than you would imagine. It was erected by the Lord of Lonsdale, a Lowther family member, to replace the former ‘Lowther Hall’ in the exact location in the 17th century.
The family’s money was eventually lost, and the troops utilized the castle during WWII. After that, the roof was dismantled, and the Lowther Castle Trust continuously maintained the remains.
Cathedral Cavern
Cathedral Cave is a large cave with light from a distant aperture.
Add this to your schedule if you’re searching for an easy stroll near Ambleside.
This is a nice, simple walk from Little Langdale town that takes around 20 minutes to reach the caverns and is about 15 minutes drive from Ambleside.
This stroll was OK in the rain and wind; it’s not buggy or wheelchair accessible, but we saw tiny children there, so it’s a good alternative for families.
The Cathedral Cave is part of a network of abandoned slate mines managed by the National Trust.
The main cave is incredibly spectacular, with a massive stone stack supporting the cavernous ceiling and a light source hole – the appearance is similar to a cathedral dome, thus the name!
From the settlement of Little Langdale, you may take a circular hike to the cave.
- Begin at the Three Shire Inn in Little Langdale.
- Climb upward until the fork in the road and turn left.
- You’ll stroll by two residences on your right.
- A minor breach in the hedge with a stile just after the second home. It is a public trail, but the dense wall makes it easy to overlook!
- Take the way through the field, over the hill, through another gate, then down to the river.
- Cross the stone bridge (the next hidden treasure on this list).
Turn left on the gravel road immediately past the Bridge.
Continue until you reach the National Trust gate on the right for a few minutes – this is the trail up to the cave.
After you’re through with the caverns, turn right and continue down this dirt path until you reach a bridge.
Cross the Bridge and follow the road all the way back up the hill to get back to where you began.
The Cathedral Cave is beautiful to explore, and there are a couple of tunnels off the main cave that is wonderful for a short stroll and seeking shelter from the weather if you’re touring the Lake District on a wet day!
The Slater’s Bridge
You’ll travel over this Bridge if you visit the Cathedral Caves, but even if you don’t, this excellent historic Bridge is worth the short 10-15 minute walk from Little Langdale.
Slater’s Bridge is a stunning 17th-century packhorse bridge that used to link the settlement of Little Langdale with the quarries when they were active.
The Bridge is safe to walk over, and the breathtaking vistas make this little Bridge a unique destination to visit and one of the most underappreciated Lake District beauty places.
Stone Circle at Castlecrag
If you’re visiting Derwentwater or Keswick, put this on your agenda.
One of the finest hidden jewels in the Lake District National Park since it’s simple to get to from a big town, it’s free, it’s only seconds off the road, and the views are spectacular.
Castlerigg Stone Circle is just a 4-minute drive from Keswick, but since it is not on the significant A66 or A591 routes in and out of town, many visitors overlook it because they never see it.
Take the Eleventrees road from Penrith Road in town, and Stone Circle is about 2 minutes up the road on the right.
Parking is available on the roadside opposite the field entrance.
With Helvellyn and High Seat mountains in the background, this stone circle has one of the most spectacular backgrounds in the Lake District!
This is also thought to be one of the UK’s earliest stone circles, dating back to roughly 3000 BC.
The National Trust and English Heritage have information boards on the site, but it’s free and one of the finest free things to do in the Lake District!
Wrap Up
A destination has listed above whenever you go to Oxford. It would help if you also made fun of many others with family, friends, and colleagues.
OMBH helps book urgent bookings if you are going somewhere in England. 8 seater to 49 seater fleets are available for you at any time!
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