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Think of Cumbria and what springs to mind? A rural retreat complete with hearty hikes and snug pubs? If these are the images scudding across your mind’s eye, you’d not be wrong. Yet there are more things to do in Cumbria than its outdoor image might suggest. Tourism actually began here back in the 1700s, when clergyman Thomas West published a Guide to the Lakes. It banished forever the idea that Cumbria was wild and inhospitable. It’s thanks to West that when we think of the Lake District, we think of a chocolate-box landscape. Yet the ideal of the ‘picturesque’ is both a blessing and a curse: good for tourism, yet occasionally overshadowing the contemporary art that is made, performed and shown here year-round.
Cumbria is full of artists, from those taking part in the C-Art fest to those exhibiting at Blackwell and Abbot Hall; for them, the landscape’s ability to turn in a moment from benign beauty to lowering skies continues to inspire. It is this that has piqued our interest – and will, we hope, keep yours.
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2016
Aimed at both fans and creators of comic art, young and old, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival is the only one of its kind in the UK and, for a fourth year, takes over the Cumbrian town of Kendal for a weekend.
Cumbria District Guides
South Lakes, Cumbria
No trip to Cumbria is complete without a visit to its best-loved places, Coniston and…
Carlisle and Keswick, Cumbria
Carlisle is a city framed by its famous castle and still showing the battle scars…
Cockermouth and West Cumbria
Once known for its industry, West Cumbria has an independent, industrial streak that sets it…
Eden Valley, Cumbria
Sustainability is a theme that resonates throughout the Eden Valley, which stretches from Sedbergh to…
Kendal and Sedbergh, Cumbria
The South Lakes are where it’s at for most visitors, and usually has the tailbacks…
Penrith, Cumbria
Located in the Lake District’s Eden Valley, the market town of Penrith is a jumping-off…
Cumbria Visitor Guides
Restaurants in Cumbria
Cumbria is far from short of good places to eat – here’s our guide to restaurants to put on your map of the area.
Hotels in Cumbria
Cumbria’s hotels range from the painstakingly ecological to the unrestrainedly luxurious. Here’s our guide to the best.
