Matt and I recently spent a lovely three-night break in the countryside near Cartmel in southern Cumbria.

There was a time when visiting Cumbria was, for us, all about hill walking in the Lakeland fells and conquering every summit.  But now we are older, heavier, and (perhaps) a little wiser, we like to enjoy the great outdoors in a more gentle manner.

We are discovering all the great places we missed when getting up high was the only objective!  If you love nature and wildlife, the best places are often in lower lying and sometimes remote locations.  You don’t have to push yourself to the limit to enjoy being in fantastic surroundings, and to discover great countryside, gardens and wildlife.

If, like us, you love being outdoors in great countryside and love nature reserves and gardens, here are some ideas in a less frequented area of Cumbria.

Sizergh Castle 

We passed close to the National Trust property Sizergh Castle on our journey to Cartmel, so this seemed like an excellent place to visit on our first day.

Because our short break was in November, the house itself was closed (as were many other stately homes and gardens in the area).   But the gardens and parkland were open, as well as the excellent cafe with a great outdoor terrace.

The gardens, which include a national collection of ferns, were absolutely splendid in their autumn colours.  Don’t be put off visiting because the house is closed – it is still a great place for a stroll.  Here are some pictures.

In addition to the gardens, there are several laid out trails in the surrounding parkland.  Unfortunately there had been recent rain when we visited, and the trails were boggy.  We didn’t want to arrive at our hotel covered in mud, so we saved the trails for another day.

If you regularly visit National Trust properties, membership makes a lot of sense.  Follow the link above for full details.

For more information about Sizergh Castle’s location, opening times, admission costs for non-members and facilities follow this link to Sizergh.

Walney Island

It is a bit of a trek to get to Walney Island, which is right at the southernmost tip of Cumbria, connected to Barrow in Furness by a bridge.  If you like remote places, it is so worth the trip.  When you get to Ulverston choose the scenic coastal route to Barrow in Furness – the views are stunningly beautiful.

We went to visit Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s South Walney Nature Reserve, which is an absolute gem.  To visit the reserve you follow a long, narrow track to the southern point of the island.  This takes you through a wonderful landscape of salt marsh and tidal creeks.  There are lots of gulls, ducks, herons and other wading birds, depending on the tide.  Speaking of the tide it is worth checking a tide table before you set off, because the track can occasionally be inundated in very high tides or bad weather.

The reserve itself has a car park, a small visitor centre, and good toilets.  There are excellent tracks around the reserve, and a lot of very good hides.  You can walk for several miles if you wish, or just have gentle stroll.  Depending on where you are on the reserve there are fantastic views to the offshore wind farm, the Cumbrian hills, Piel Castle and across Morecambe Bay.

The coastal habitats attract many birds, and the reserve is particularly known for its grey seal colony.  The seals are regularly seen around high tide.  We didn’t see any seals hauled out on the shore, but got great views of them playing in the sea as the tide went out.  We absolutely loved the reserve, and hope to return.

Leighton Moss via the Kent Viaduct

We visited the RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss quite recently (see our post on Arnside).  But it is such a great reserve that we couldn’t stay so close and not visit again.

A fantastic way to get to Leighton Moss from the southern Lake District, is to take the train over the Kent Viaduct.  You park at the station in Grange over Sands, and get a train to Silverdale.  From Silverdale Station, it is only 250m to the entrance to the reserve.

Trains run regularly (approximately once an hour – timetables), and tickets only cost just over three pounds.  Make sure you ask for a return ticket because they are hardly any more expensive than singles.  The journey takes around 10 minutes (much less than driving), and is very scenic.

Leighton Moss is actually just outside the Cumbrian boundary, in Lancashire.  It is a wonderful reserve, with extensive reed beds, wetlands, and loads of wildlife.  There are also great visitor facilities including a cafe, shop, binocular sales, information, play areas for children and regular events.

There is always something to see here.  The garden and woodland birds are incredibly tame, and there are regular sightings of otters, bearded tits and marsh harriers.  We had fantastic repeated views of the marsh harriers, and had a great day roaming around the excellent paths and hides.  After a short shower the afternoon light gave the reeds a lovely golden glow, and we saw the rainbow in the photo below.

For more information about the reserve see Leighton Moss.  For RSPB membership see RSPB.

Other Places to Visit in South Cumbria

Follow the links for more places to visit (note some places have limited opening hours in winter months).

• Dock Museum, Barrow in Furness
• Fell Foot park
• Foulney Island Nature Reserve
• Hodbarrow Nature Reserve
• Holker Hall
• Humphrey Head Nature Reserve
• Levens Hall
• Muncaster Castle
• Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve
• South Lakes Safari Zoo

Where to Stay

We stayed in the charming Aynsome Manor hotel, which is situated just outside the lovely (but busy) village of Cartmel.  The hotel has an attractive restaurant room with a great view over the surrounding hills.  Breakfasts were excellent, and there was a daily changing menu with good choice for evening meals.  Our room was very comfortable, and the staff were great.  The hotel appeals more to older guests, but note that they do not have a lift.

Other good places to stay would be Grange over Sands or Ulverston To search a vast range of accommodation options in Cumbria see booking.com.

For a general guide book of places to visit in Cumbria we recommend the AA Guide

For a detailed map of the area we recommend the OS Landranger

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