Moving to the Lake District
The beautiful Lake District National Park is within the county of Cumbria. Villages and towns in the National Park include:
- Ambleside
- Broughton-in-Furness
- Coniston
- Grasmere
- Hawkshead
- Keswick
- Windermere
Cumbrian towns outside of the National Park include:
- Barrow-in-Furness
- Carlisle
- Cockermouth
- Grange-over-Sands
- Kendal
- Lancaster
- Maryport
- Millom
- Penrith
- Ulverston
- Whitehaven
- Workington
Check out our Maps web page for more details.
Housing
House prices within the National Park are more expensive then other areas of Cumbria due to market forces.
The following links to websites are offered in good faith. The Lake District National Park Authority has no control over the content of the sites and no endorsement of any of the products or services contained on the sites is implied.
All links open in a new window.
Estate agents
- Cumberland Estate Agents
- Cumbrian Properties
- Edwin Thompson
- Fish4Homes
- Hackney and Leigh
- Halifax Homefinder
- Hayward Tod
- Poole Townsend
- Propertyads
Schooling
You can find out the names of the many schools in the area in UpMyStreet and read reports on the schools by Ofsted (both links open in new window).
Public transport
Trains
The West Coast mainline runs to the east of the Lake District, connecting Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle with London and Glasgow. A direct train runs from Manchester to Windermere. Local trains call at Kendal, Staveley and Windermere. There is also a route following the Cumbrian coastline.
Buses
Towns and villages such as Ambleside, Windermere, Coniston and Keswick are linked by bus, with extra services in the summer.
Steamers and launch trips
Taking a cruise is a great way to experience the beautiful Lake District views. Our on the water section has more details.
Useful public transport links
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- Cumbria County Council bus timetables
- First TransPennine Express Trains
- Lakeside and Haverthwaite preserved railway
- Manchester Airport Guide
- National Rail for timetables
- NorthernRail
- Public transport in the Lake District leaflet by Mosaic including map (PDF)
- Ravenglass and Eskdale preserved railway
- Trainline for online tickets
- Traveline for bus, train and coach information
- Virgin Trains serving Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle
- Western Lake District including Wasdale on Saturdays by train and bus, new for 2012
By car

The average journey time from London and the south east is about five hours. It takes about one and half hour from Manchester and two hours from York.
The M6 runs to the east of the Lake District National Park:
- Take Junction 36 and then A590 for the southern end of the Lake District
- Take Junction 40 and the A66 or A592 for the northern end of the Lake District
If you're using satellite navigation, check out our page.
Even A roads can be quite twisting so allow extra time for your journey and for finding a space in Car parks in high season. Example journey times are:
- Kendal to Keswick: one hour
- Windermere to Keswick: 40 minutes
- Kendal to Wasdale: one and a half hours
Hardknott Pass and Wrynose Pass between Eskdale and the Langdales have gradients of 1 in 3 and Honister Pass between Borrowdale and Buttermere is 1 in 4, making them some of the steepest roads in England!
Useful car transport links
(All links open in new window unless otherwise stated)
- Postcodes for Sat Nav on this website
- The AA
- Frixo up-to-date road reports
- Keswick Car Share Scheme - for Keswick and the rest of Cumbria
- RAC route planner
- Wikipedia - Hardknott Pass
National organisations
- Country Land and Business Association
- Directgov
- Planning Aid - offering free independent advice
Grants
- Big Lottery Fund
- Sustainable Development Fund page from this website
Local organisations and projects
Local businesses
- Aktive 8 Outdoor clothing and equipment
- Books Cumbria
- Checkmate - a novel set in the Lake District
- Christine Hurford - 2D and 3D artist
- Cumbrian Fellbred
- FireFrost Jewellery - handmade glass jewellery
- The Fish Cellar - in Penrith
- Friars of Keswick - chocolates and sweets
- Fusion Glass Art
- Hayes Garden World - at Ambleside
- Holdens County Store mail order worms for fishing and compost
- Lakes Love Bug - distinctive wedding car service
- Love the Lakes Gifts - online store selling Cumbrian goods
- Made in Cumbria
- Rock and Run
- Septic Tank Emptying
- Stewardsons Country Clothing
- Wave Seat Company of Keswick for ergonomic computer seats
- Serious Tank Emptying
- Windermere and Bowness Chamber of Trade
Local communities
Local councils
- Allerdale Borough Council
- Copeland Borough Council
- Cumbria County Council
- Eden District Council
- South Lakeland District Council
Local parish councils
- Cumbria Association of Local Councils - Parish Councils in Cumbria
- Rangers - this web page has links to Ranger maps which show parish boundaries within the National Park

