A Long Weekend in Allerdale
Time for a mini break?
A long weekend in Allerdale could be just what you need right now. It’s a chance to explore new places and reinvigorate after lockdown.
This is a place which has it all. There’s the lakes, the coast, tranquility and solitude, alongside the chance to chat – socially distanced of course – to the friendly folk in the towns and villages who are serving fabulous food and drink, and a little retail therapy.
Why not start your mini break with a walk? If proper hikes are your thing, you could do a circuit of Crummock Water or Thirlmere, or get away from people in quieter spots like Caldbeck Fell or on the long stretches of beach near Silloth.
The River Derwent runs through Cockermouth Town Centre
Take in some sea air with a walk along Silloth prom
For a short stroll close to water, try Mockerkin Tarn, to the east of Workington, or the very pretty circuit around Loweswater. Or you could beat the crowds in the nature reserves of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
If you’re bringing a four-legged friend, you’re spoilt for choice. Keswick has been voted the Kennel Club’s most dog friendly town four times, so there’s one place to start. Or perhaps you fancy a walk to a pub with an idyllic beer garden?
If you want to hit the shops, you need to visit our towns. Cockermouth and Wigton are the places for independent businesses with colourful gifts and homewares. Workington has loads of big high street names, and so does Keswick, where there’s also a twice-weekly outdoor market selling food, clothes, gifts and more. Businesses have worked really hard to give you a safe shopping experience with lots of socially-distanced measures in place and you could spend a day in and around any one of our towns.
Keswick Town Centre
Castlerigg Stone Circle, Keswick
You could start one day of your stay by watching the sun rise, perhaps from Castlerigg Stone Circle or Sale Fell, both near Keswick. The views are simply stunning.
If lockdown pressures mean your brain has turned to mush, you could find a new interest, like watching the birds fly or keeping an eye out for dolphins along the coast or discovering a little history along Allerdale’s stretch of Hadrian’s Wall.
Fans of the arts will love Allerdale too. As we wait for theatres to reopen, perhaps follow in the footsteps of some great painters around Allonby or discover the places in Cockermouth that inspired the writer William Wordsworth as a boy. His childhood home, Wordsworth House, isn’t open again yet, but you can wander near the river where he played.
Wordsworth House, Cockermouth
The Castle Bar, Cockermouth
Eat
Could there be anything more romantic than a picnic under the stars? You could venture into the darkness of Whinlatter Forest Park, between Cockermouth and Keswick. It’s England’s only mountain forest and has spectacular views during the day, with fabulous dark skies at night. Pack your torch and put on suitable clothes then pick a spot in a clearing and enjoy the silence. Friar’s Crag, on the shores of Derwentwater, is another lovely stargazing spot.
Or perhaps watching the sun go down from Allerdale’s coast is your dream date night? We’d recommend fish and chips, plenty of salt and vinegar, eaten out of the paper while sitting on the dunes near Silloth or the harbour wall at Maryport.
If a table and proper cutlery is more your thing, then you’re spoilt for choice. Hearty Cumbrian fare, Michelin-starred loveliness, Asian, European, Indian or very local seafood or perfectly cooked steaks are on the menu in our pubs and restaurants. Make sure you book in advance.
Stay
Book in to one of our lovely hotels, B&Bs, caravan or glamping sites, or hide away in a self catering property. There are hundreds to choose from.
You’ll find lakeside luxury on the shores of Derwentwater, Buttermere and Bassenthwaite Lake, or you could stay in the heart of one of our towns, like Cockermouth, Keswick, Wigton or Workington. Perhaps you’d prefer to disappear into the countryside and find an isolated cottage or lodge – the green fields around Aspatria are one lovely location – or you could fall asleep to the sound of the sea in Maryport or Silloth.
The Golf Hotel, Silloth
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