Walking in the Lake District & Hadrian’s Wall

Overview

There’s so much spectacular scenery to be enjoyed on this walking holiday, which starts as you explore parts of the Lake District, from Derwentwater to Lake Grasmere. Wander lonely as a cloud as you explore the places that inspired poet William Wordsworth and then follow in Roman footsteps along the impressive Hadrian’s Wall.

Itineraries

Day 1: Penrith

Make your own way to your hotel in the lovely Cumbrian market town of Penrith, which is located just three miles from the Lake District National Park. On arrival, your Tour Manager will be waiting to greet you and assist your check-in.

Settle into your room and then meet your fellow travellers over a welcome drink in the cosy bar before dinner is served in the restaurant.

Day 2: Derwentwater – walking the Cumbrian Way from Rosthwaite to Keswick – 8 miles/13km

We’ll meet up this morning after a hearty breakfast to set us up for a day of walking. We’re heading to Derwentwater, one of the Lake District’s main bodies of water, covering about eight miles along the Cumbrian Way from the village of Rosthwaite to Keswick. We’re going to take a wonderfully scenic route which takes us past rivers and through woodland. We’ll enjoy plenty of rest stops as we go and take in some stunning views.

These become even more breathtaking once we arrive at the shores of the lake, which is surrounded by wooded hills. About three miles long and one mile wide, the lake is fed by the River Derwent and is home to several small islands. Just one is inhabited and that’s Derwent Isle, which is home to an 18^th century tenanted residence owned by the National Trust. Another, St Herbert’s Island, features in Beatrix Potter’s Squirrel Nutkin story as Owl Island. This is a great spot in which to sit and eat our packed lunch.

We’ll then carry on walking, reaching our final destination, the delightful town of Keswick. You’ll find many charming cafs and traditional pubs if you’d like some refreshment, and some lovely shops if you’d like to hunt for a souvenir. We’ll travel back to the hotel by coach, where we’ll gather for dinner and a relaxed evening.

Day 3: Lake Grasmere & Rydal Water, circular walk – 5.5 miles/9km

Once again, start the day with a good breakfast before we head out for a walk covering about five-and-a-half miles to Lake Grasmere and the smaller Rydal Water. These two destinations are linked to the poet William Wordsworth, who lived in the villages of Grasmere and Rydal in 1799 and 1813 respectively.

We’ll pass the Wordsworth Museum and see Rydal Mount, the charming house where he lived until his death in 1850, and which remains in the Wordsworth family. A packed lunch will keep us going as we then walk to the shores of Lake Grasmere to take in beautiful views. Our walk ends in the village of Grasmere, where you might choose to head to St Oswald’s Church, one of the most visited literary shrines in the world. This is where Wordsworth and many of his family members are buried, as well as Hartley Coleridge, the eldest son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A trip to Sarah Nelson’s Grasmere Gingerbread shop, within the churchyard, is also highly recommended!

Day 4: Hadrian’s Wall, from Walltown to Housesteads – 10 miles/16km

Today we’re going to unravel the fascinating history of Hadrian’s Wall on a walk covering about 10 miles. The north-west frontier of the Roman Empire for nearly 300 years, it was built on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian following his visit to Britain in AD 122.

Our starting point is Walltown, a beauty spot featuring tall crags, woodland, meadows and lakes. We’ll follow the wall eastwards walking past Cawfields, where we’ll see one of the highest standing sections, which features turrets along its length. We’ll also take in one of the impressive milecastles, or fortresses, built at mile-long intervals along the wall.

Later, after we’ve stopped to eat our packed lunch, we’ll pass the popular landmark known as the Sycamore Gap. This lone tree standing in a dip in Hadrian’s Wall offers a striking view, so we’ll pause to admire what is one of the most photographed spots in the area. We come to a stop today at Housesteads, the remains of a Roman fort. The views from here are also pretty spectacular.

Day 5: Depart Penrith

This morning you can take breakfast at your leisure before checking out of the hotel and making your way home.