As a visitor to the Lake District you would be forgiven for imagining that the main attractions are daffodils, Grasmere gingerbread, Herdy (the bleating autumn silk variety) And the brand), mountain watercolors and lake steamers. These associations with the region have become so close that it is now a victim of its own commercial image.
Millions of tourists hike the same routes every year, looking for water and viewpoints and famous mountain peaks. The queues at Sarah Nelson’s Grasmere Gingerbread stretch around the cottage bakery and past Wordsworth’s grave. Wainwright’s backs are polished by footsteps; the roads to the national park are full of holiday traffic. There is even speculation that the now terribly polluted Windermere will be closed this summer.
As a native of Cumbria I can vouch for the awe of its landscapes and the sublimity of its romantic image. Despite the overcrowding and the misconception of what was originally a radical artistic vision, the version of the Lakes offered to tourists is not necessarily bad or boring. But the province has more to offer than the usual array of sights, same old beauty spots and rug-strewn tea rooms. It’s not just a fun and leisure area that requires a weekend warrior uniform and paddleboards. For those willing to think outside the box, there are lesser-known and more interesting alternatives; many of which relate to the region’s hidden history and contemporary working practices.
The province has stunning scenes of contemporary art, gastronomy and microbreweries, with hundreds of artisan makers. Cumbria has the second highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants outside London – a sign of well-heeled visitors and wealthy second home owners. However, not all of them are elitist and unaffordable. Heft, in High Newton, keeps the bar unbookable, serving Michelin-quality snacks, excellent, reasonably priced wine and delicious local craft beer, such as those made by Fell, Gan Yam and Bowness Bay. The clue is in the name: lifting is a traditional way of managing grazing animals on unbounded communal land.
On a similar front, recognizing that pubs are under serious threat from major breweries and are vital to the social infrastructure of small rural communities, there have been several co-operative buyouts, including The Old Crown in Hesket Newmarket and The Mardale Inn in Bampton (my childhood village, where parts of the cult film Withnail and I were filmed). These co-operative pubs are, tellingly, in parts of the county less affected by mass tourism, where the big corporations have not yet dictated and anonymized prices – although the Lowther Valley and Caldbeck moors are equally beautiful, with large mountains and silent lakes. close to. The pubs proudly retain their local, authentic character. When the center of the country is suffocated and held hostage by clichés, the secret treasures often lie in its periphery.
The Lakes has more to offer than the usual sights, the same old beauty spots and rug-strewn tea rooms
The south is seasonally home to ospreys in the rewilded Foulshaw Moss and is home to one of Britain’s most vibrant cities: Ulverston. Clue also in the name: “wolf town”. Imagine a fiercely independent, more rustic, less hipster-populated Hebden Bridge, with immense views across the sea to Wales from the hilltop monument. Ulverston has a full festival programme, running from March to November, celebrating ceramics, printing, food and drink, comedy, music, lanterns, Dickens, just about everything. It’s literally one of the most colorful cities in the country, with row after row of rainbow-painted houses and few chain stores. Ulverston is also the birthplace of the Quaker movement; maybe this is why it doesn’t scream about itself.
On the way to the lush, tree-lined Coniston Water lies another original, contemporary development: The Farmers Arms in Lowick Green. This venue is a restored inn run by avant-garde powerhouse Grizedale Arts. It is a combination of gastro-pub and café, event and international exchange location and maker workshops. The building has been eclectically renovated by artists and resembles a functioning Kettle’s Yard. The Farmers Arms runs courses on pottery, weaving, woodworking, gardening, cooking; it has an Honest Shop that sells the work of its home builders and a one-eyed adopted Bengal cat named Bailey. It’s a wonderful place for adults and children to mess around with clay and try kimchi pizza, Carlin pea falafel, local venison burgers and possibly the best chips in the north of England.
The west coast of Cumbria takes time to explore and is often overlooked by visitors, but the coasts are wild and stormy, lined with nature reserves, and the important port towns have much to offer, including the great ships of Whitehaven, and performances and performances at the Florence Arts Center in Egremont. There are beautiful beaches at St Bees, Allonby and Silloth. Walkers can follow the Coastal Way and the Smugglers Route towards the Solway, visiting the ancient salt pans of Crosscanonby, where salt was collected for centuries, and the Roman Milefortlet 21, a designated World Heritage Site.
There are many unique architectural buildings in Cumbria; counter-stories to the nostalgia of the cottage. At Elterwater stands the last of Kurt Schwitters’ four Dada-inspired merzbauten (merz barns). Schwitters fled to Britain in 1940 and settled in the Lake District. He used collage as a means to create art from chaos, choosing local materials. The shed wall collage is now in the Hatton Gallery and the shed is closed due to a change of ownership – but watch this space. Likewise, the Jetty Museum in Windermere is a stunning example of modern architecture, as well as a wealth of boating history, with unparalleled views from a café window.
One of the most special churches in the country is located in north Cumbria, in Wreay, near Carlisle. It was designed and built by Sarah Losh in the 1840s. Losh was one of the few female architects of the time, and the humble, biophilial church opposes hierarchical, patriarchal religious doctrines. Inside and outside, the building houses carved pine cones, fantastic animals, flowers, sculptures made of bog oak, with only one small, almost irrelevant cross in a stained glass window. The decorative, naturalistic style predates the Arts and Crafts movement by almost half a century, but no influence appears to be attributed to Losh. Top tip: Stand in the chancel until the motion sensor light goes out, then enjoy the serene natural light in the church.
Another under-visited but hugely important structure lies east of the lakes, in the verdant Eden Valley. On farmland near Glassonby lies one of the largest stone circles in Britain: Long Meg and her Daughters. The outer red standing stone (Meg) has a solar alignment during the winter solstice. Legend has it that the stones were witches who had been petrified by a sorcerer-priest for dancing on the Sabbath. If they are counted accurately twice, the curse will be lifted. Given the size of the site, sending children around twice with a counting card is a brilliant way to keep them busy while they enjoy a cup of tea from the thermos and the beautiful stadium of the ocher Pennines and blue inland plains.
Like everywhere, there are obvious and marketable attractions, and there are subversive, freer attractions. More than most places, the Lake District is known by a limited number of identifiers and destinations. But alternative Cumbria, with its new art and food, its dynamic past and renewed traditions, is well worth a visit.
Sarah Hall’s latest novel, Burntcoat, is published by Faber & Faber (£8.99). To support The Guardian and Observer, order your copy at Guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply