Cumbria and Lancashire
Cumbria is an extraordinary county, being the second largest in England yet one of the most sparsely populated. It is rare that a county can claim so much of the county’s finest landscapes. Cumbria takes in the Lake District National Park, part of The Yorkshire Dales National Park and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding National Beauty. Much of Cumbria is mountainous, with the Irish sea to the west and the Pennines to the east.
The Lake District
The Lake District is a major tourist attraction, popular with those keen on walking and The Great Outdoors. Best known, perhaps, for its largest lake, Windermere, there are a handful of towns including Keswick, Windermere, Ambleside, and Bowness. For those in search of quieter villages there are Coniston, Gosforth, and Grasmere. Buyers have long been attracted to houses in the Lake District from Manchester, but regularly come from far further afield, including London and The South.
The Eden Valley
The Eden Valley has The Pennines to the east and The Fells to the west and is named after the river Eden with its lush, green countryside and traditional towns. It is home to Penrith, Kirkby Stephen and easily accessible from the M6.
Lancashire
Lancashire is a county of two parts, most of which has been enveloped by expanding towns and cities, as a result of the of the industrial revolution. To the north east is a seriously attractive piece of countryside, largely taken up by the forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Forest of Bowland is a stunning, upland landscape including a detached part, the Forest of Pendle, separated by the Ribble Valley, which is centred on Clitheroe, recently named as one of the best places to live by The Sunday Times.
The Inn at Whitwell in the Forest of Bowland is one of the country’s best pubs according to the good pub guide 2020.