A travel writer and adventurer has shared what he believes are the most beautiful parts of the Lake District.
Last year Tom Chesshyre returned to region that has captivated him since he was a teenager to explore some of the lesser trod areas.
He records the adventure in his new book Lost in the Lakes, an account of the 379-mile hike he embarked upon around the dramatically beautiful area in early spring 2022.
Along the way he met many tourists like himself as well as pub workers, farmers and serious hikers making their own way through the Lakes.
Speaking from a café in Romania with pipe music drifting through the background, Tom shared the areas that gripped him the most during his journey.
Ullswater
In his most recent trip to the area Tom enjoyed a similar feeling of elation as he walked down from Penrith to UIlswater.
"It one of the most beautiful lakes," he told The Mirror. "As I came through green dotted lines, through the farm lands, I dropped down and saw the wonderful expanse, like a hidden Himalayas."
The adventurer recommends jumping on the train at London Euston and whizzing up to the Lakes, a journey that takes less than three hours but transports you into a different world.
He added: "You walk for a couple of hours and you're in this wonderful scenery on a misty, hazy sunny morning with snow on the fell tops.
"It started straight away, it was a series of treats. Like opening a present."
Ennerdale
For those who like to immerse themselves in nature and fancy the idea of somewhere a little off the beaten track - which can be hard to find given that around 20 million people visit the Lakes every year - Tom recommends Ennerdale.
It is the most westerly of the lakes, and the most remote.
The water in his deep glacial lake, which is 2.5miles long, is exceptionally clear and contains a number of different fish.
He explained: "It has got no road and it is one of the only main lakes without one next to it, and it has no mobile reception.
"I stayed in a youth hostel there with no Wi-Fi. It is very remote. They have schemes to reintroduce red squirrels and fritillary butterflies. There's also work on fresh water mussels. Rewilding projects are massive there."
Buttermere
Buttermere lake, famous for its beautiful setting among the northern fells, has some of the best walking routes in the region.
There is a footpath running round the perimeter of the water - which has a name meaning 'lake by the dairy pastures' - and lovely walks to the summits of Haystacks and Red Pike.
Tom spent his time at Buttermere walking slightly off the normal tracks and quickly found himself is a remote area by himself.
"I just walked away and within five minutes I was in a boggy valley entirely on my own," he said.
"If you go around the edges you can find quiet and solitude and peacefulness. You don't have to follow in the footsteps of others."
It is a mark of the beauty of the place that author and fell walker Alfred Wainwright decided to have his ashes scattered on a hill overlooking the region.
"The path became boggier still, boots almost disappearing below," Tom writes of his venture through the land around Buttermere.
"Tiny Scale Island emerged, with its cluster of scraggly trees. Countless thin streams ran down the hillside, none marked on the map. It was as though the landscape was so saturated, it was leaking. Which, I supposed, it was."
Ambleside
As one might expect from a region so popular with tourists, there are parts of the Lakes which become almost overwhelmed with visitors during the summer months.
One of these is Ambleside, which sits on the famous Lake Windermere.
"Ambleside has a lovely Windemere location, it's right on the lake," Tom said.
Rather than avoiding the town altogether, Tom recommends checking into the YHA at Ambleside and sitting up on the terrace during sunset to get the most out of the place.
"You could spend £400 on a posh hotel, but you probably get a better view from the YHA up there," he added.
"Casual visitors don’t really know what they are doing and they don’t appreciate the history and geography,” Tom was told by a local during his hike.
"They like to go to the shops in Ambleside and buy trinkets. They don’t experience the Lakes at all.”
Black Sail Pass
The Black Sail Pass links up two of Lakeland's most remote and spectacular valleys, the Mosedale branch of Wasdale and Ennerdale.
Few people head along this route, but many of those who do stay in what feels like the most isolated, far flung Youth Hostel in the country.
"It is a really remote one," Tom said. "The path leads you down to Wasdale Head where you make the ascent to Scaffel Pike, England's tallest peak."
When in the area visiting the Wasdale Head Inn, which is known as the birthplace of climbing and is dramatically surrounded by England's tallest mountains.
Kirkstile Inn
The title of 'best pub garden view' is one that will be hotly contested in a country so full of pubs and sweeping views.
While it is hard to look past the majestic Glenelg Inn in the Highlands and the breathtaking vista it offers of the Sound of Sleet and Isle of Skye, Tom suggests Kirkstile Inn wins the prize.
It sits between Loweswater Lake and Crummock Water, just south of Cockermouth where William Wordsworth was born.
"There is just half a mile separating these two lakes," Tom said. "The pub is from a long time ago and it has a beautiful beer garden. It is very simple inside.
"It must be the most beautiful beer garden in the whole country. It has a view of a fantastic fell straight in front of you. Lots of hikers and biker stop here for a rest.
"There's a lot of camaraderie, people talking to each other. It has a lot of sunshine and fresh air."
What's your favourite part of the Lake District? Tell us in the comments below.
