When the Lake District first became a visitor attraction, tourists came to see its rugged scenery, to experience a wilderness that other parts of England seemed to have lost. The dramatic landscape has largely been preserved, as the Lake District was first granted the status of a National Park and then a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Three of the highest mountains in the UK, Scafell Pike, Scafell, and Helvellyn, are all here, and every year more and more walkers, climbers, mountain bikers, and even skiers discover Cumbria’s charms.
One of the most exciting recent developments, however, is the explosion of the Lake District’s food scene. Cheese makers, craft brewers, bakers, and farmers are producing a world-class selection of produce, much of which is organic, and supplying not only local markets and delis, but also a passionate new generation of chefs. Spending a day in the great outdoors is guaranteed to build up an appetite, and in many of the Lake District’s towns and even villages, you will be spoilt for choice of where to eat.