Best hotels for walking in Cumbria

Featured hotels with Special Offers

The Black Swan - Dinner, Bed & Breakfast Special Offer

Kirkby Stephen

Between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, with views to the Howgill fells, this large village inn offers classy food and bright bedrooms for walkers and gentle explorers alike.

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Augill Castle - 10% Discount Special Offer

Kirkby Stephen

With its towers and battlements, this Victorian-folly castle in 20 acres of grounds looks the real deal yet is ‘extremely laid-back – you can’t fail to feel at home’.

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Cuckoo Brow Inn - Three Night 15% Discount Special Offer

Far Sawrey

In a pretty village between Lake Windermere and Hawkshead, this unpretentious 18th-century inn stands atop a hill, the views over lakeland countryside stretching out before it.

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babyfriendly
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Lindeth Fell - Up to 10% Discount Winter Special Offer

Bowness-on-Windermere

'B&B' doesn't do justice to this wisteria-clad Edwardian country house with glorious views of Windermere, seven acres of gardens and elegant interiors.

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Cedar Manor - '50% Off Third Night' Special Offer

Windermere

The praises keep showering down on Cedar Manor, a ‘delightful’ and ‘intimate’ hotel, close to Lake Windermere, with luxurious bedrooms, thoughtful comforts and faultless yet friendly service.

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Askham Hall - Complimentary Room Upgrade Special Offer

Penrith

With a topiary garden, 17th-century pele tower and French drawing room, Askham Hall sounds grand and formal; not a bit of it.

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More best hotels for walking in Cumbria

The House at Temple Sowerby, Penrith

In the oft-overlooked Eden valley, between the Lake District and North Pennines, this handsome country guest house offers 'high standards, a relaxed atmosphere' and fell views.

Farlam Hall, Brampton

This long-established country house hotel with a walled garden, set in a peaceful Cumbrian village, has had an elegant refurbishment without compromising ‘its sense of history and tradition’.

Aynsome Manor, Grange-over-Sands

With views over farmland to pretty Cartmel village, and sheltered by wooded grounds, this 400-year-old manor house, run by the Varley family for 40 years, offers ‘an oasis of peace and tranquillity’.

Hazel Bank, Keswick

‘Relaxing’ and ‘luxurious’ are the oft-repeated descriptions of this small country house with captivating fell views, walks from the doorstep and an intimate atmosphere.

Howtown Hotel, Penrith

Guests were ’intrigued by the old-style hospitality’ of this Ullswater institution, a creeper-covered lakeside farmhouse that maintains the traditions of a bygone age.

Ees Wyke Country House, Ambleside

Richard Lee often greets guests in his chef’s uniform, which sets the tone for this personally run country house with views over Esthwaite Water and fells.

New House Farm, Cockermouth

In the quieter north-western Lake District, against a backdrop of fields and fells, this whitewashed farmhouse B&B mixes rustic charm with romance.

Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, Windermere

By many standards, Gilpin is the Lake District’s most luxurious hotel with no-expense-spared rooms, Michelin-starred dining, numerous staff, and acres of space.

Leathes Head Hotel, Keswick

In arguably the Lake District’s most picturesque valley, Borrowdale, this Edwardian country house has spectacular views and is a favourite of outdoors lovers who like their creature comforts.

The Cottage in the Wood, Braithwaite

The woodland setting of this restaurant-with-rooms offers tranquillity and Michelin-starred dining that suits walkers as well as those looking to sit back and relax.

The Punch Bowl Inn, Kendal

In a quietly beautiful area of the Lake District – the lovely Lyth valley – this smart village inn has a deserved reputation for good food and cosseting bedrooms.

The Sun Inn, Kirkby Lonsdale

This 400-year-old inn in a market town between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales comes with beams, exposed stonework and a five-foot bedroom doorway but has been carefully updated with a modern touch.

Pentonbridge Inn, Penton

The lonely setting of this former coaching inn, half a mile from the Scottish border, belies its chic bedrooms and creative cooking.

Rothay Manor, Ambleside

With newly landscaped grounds, tastefully refreshed decor and ambitious cooking that’s ‘a class act’, Jamie and Jenna Shail’s Grade II listed manor house pleases, inside and out.

The Bay Horse, Ulverston

Watch the tide race in from Robert Lyons and Lesley Wheeler’s traditional pub-with-rooms overlooking the Levens estuary – it’s a thrilling sight that harks centuries back to the days when the inn was a stopover for coaches and horses before they crossed the sands to Lancaster.

Clare House, Grange-over-Sands

In green grounds with sweeping views over Morecambe Bay, two generations of the Read family have run this comfortable hotel for more than half a century; in that time, it has retained the affection of its many returning guests, who speak of ‘marvellous’ stays.

The Hill on the Wall, Gilsland

Elaine Packer’s farmhouse B&B overlooks Hadrian’s Wall near Birdoswald, one of the Roman monument’s best-preserved forts.

George and Dragon, nr Penrith

A ‘convivial’ country pub with cosy rooms and ‘very good’ food, the Lowther family’s restored 18th-century coaching inn near Ullswater retains its rural roots.

The Grasmere Hotel, Grasmere

The praise keeps on coming for this family-run hotel, a 'little gem' loved for its comfort, food and welcome in postcard-pretty Grasmere.

Hare and Hounds, nr Kendal

In a Lyth valley village on the edge of the Lake District, Becky and Ash Dewar transformed a 16th-century hostelry into this family-friendly village pub nearly a decade ago.

The Black Bull, Sedbergh

On the High Street of a small, book-loving town at the foot of the Howgill fells, this 17th-century inn has been sympathetically updated by chef/patron Nina Matsunaga and her husband, James Ratcliffe, a Dales native.

Riverside Bed & Breakfast, Ambleside

An easy walk from Ambleside, Richard and Diney Standen’s B&B is on a quiet lane, opposite a ‘delightful, babbling’ river.

1692 Wasdale, Gosforth

Sleekly designed and with many modern comforts, Faith and Stephen Newell’s fantastically secluded B&B in the rugged Western Lake District is ‘one of the best we’ve stayed at’, a Guide reader reports.

The Yan at Broadrayne, Grasmere

On a hillside flanked by grazing Herdwick sheep – ‘a beautiful setting’ – this 17th-century barn and cluster of old outbuildings have been reinvented as a ‘refreshingly different’ contemporary hotel and bistro.

The Queen’s Head, nr Penrith

Low-ceilinged and wood fire-warmed, this smartly refurbished 17th-century pub in the centre of a Lake District village is ‘friendly, fun and very convivial’.

Tebay Services Hotel, Penrith

This location may surprise you! Tebay Services on the M6 motorway is a much-loved stop en route to Scotland for in-the-know readers who praise its 'quiet rooms overlooking the fell', excellent value, 'cheerful, friendly and helpful' staff, and tranquillity, with ‘no hint of a busy motorway nearby'.

Forest Side, Grasmere

This Victorian Gothic mansion continues to delight guests with its stylish, laid-back atmosphere, enormous wooded gardens and inspired culinary creations.

Borrowdale Gates, nr Keswick

Broad views and the promise of walks from the door draw returning guests to this ‘very friendly’ traditional Lakeland hotel with up-to-date facilities.

Hotels not in the Guide that you may want to consider

Lyzzick Hall

Keswick

Unparalleled fell views and obliging staff are found at this family-friendly spot on the lower slopes of Skiddaw. Bedrooms all overlook the landscaped gardens; most also take in the stunning scenery. Browse books and magazines, or play a board game, in the fire-warmed lounges; the spa and indoor swimming pool are a welcome retreat after a day’s sightseeing or mountain hike. At mealtimes, there are British dishes and whatever the children fancy; breakfast has plenty of choice. Many walks from the door.

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babyfriendly
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garden
historic
indoor_pool
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spa
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The Crown Inn

Pooley Bridge

Beside the River Eamont, a 17th-century coaching inn (Thwaites) has been revamped to make the most of its idyllic surroundings. It has a large modern rooftop sun terrace with splendid views, and garden seating by the water’s edge. On cold days, the cosy interior, furnished with plaids and reclaimed timber, is warmed by blazing fires. Food is served throughout the day. Some of the rustic and plainly styled bedrooms (a few are in a separate building) have views of Lake Ullswater.

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child_friendly
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Featured hotels with Special Offers

Best hotels for walking in Cumbria

The Black Swan - Dinner, Bed & Breakfast Special Offer

Kirkby Stephen

Augill Castle - 10% Discount Special Offer

Kirkby Stephen

Cuckoo Brow Inn - Three Night 15% Discount Special Offer

Far Sawrey

Lindeth Fell - Up to 10% Discount Winter Special Offer

Bowness-on-Windermere

Cedar Manor - '50% Off Third Night' Special Offer

Windermere

Askham Hall - Complimentary Room Upgrade Special Offer

Penrith

More best hotels for walking in Cumbria

Best hotels for walking in Cumbria

Hotels not in the Guide that you may want to consider

Best hotels for walking in Cumbria

Lyzzick Hall

Keswick

The Crown Inn

Pooley Bridge

Other hotels in this group

Similar hotels

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