Every year, some 15 million people pitch up to explore the craggy fells and gleaming mountain tarns of the Lake District National Park. But this place – once just a collection of remote Cumberland counties, bordered by the Irish Sea and the Pennines – didn’t even get its name until 1730.
Ever since the romantic poets arrived in the 19th century, Lakeland (as it’s known by locals) has been a cultural phenomenon, beloved by Wordsworth, Coleridge, Ransome and Beatrix Potter, who lived and wrote in the Lakes. Now a Unesco World Heritage Site, it’s as popular as ever, meaning you’ll need a restful spot to kick back in and escape the crowds with a soothing spa session.
