Lake District Driving Tour: A Guide to Scenic Ambleside, Keswick and Ullswater

Follow in the footsteps of the famous poet William Wordsworth on this Lake District driving tour from Ambleside, through the heart of the region to Keswick and back via Ullswater and Kirkstone Pass. You will see some of the best scenery and attractions in the National Park and I’ll share some of the area’s most important history. Along with Wordsworth and his fellow poets, you’ll also hear about feisty conservationists like John Ruskin, and I’ll tell you the story of King Dunmail and the legend of the ghostly warriors who, every year, try to reawaken their fallen king.

We’ll travel through parts of the Lake District National Park, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, and visit several towns and villages including the historical mining village of Glenridding, and Grasmere, made famous by Wordsworth. Of course, no Lake District tour would be complete without a few lakes to admire! I’ll show you the way to Rydal Water, Grasmere, Derwent Water, Ullswater, and Brothers Water where you can potter, paddle and picnic. You’ll also hear about the controversy surrounding Thirlmere lake, which was dammed to become a reservoir for growing industrial cities like Manchester.

Other highlights on this tour include:

• Finding out how two million sheep have helped to create the Cumbria landscape
• Learning about the ancient craft of dry stone walling and why it is still so important
• Spotting tell-tale geographic signs that glaciers encompassed this landscape during the last ice age
• Hearing about the Castlerigg stone circle established by Neolithic farming communities over 4,500 years ago
• Identifying some of the areas most majestic mountains as you meander between them
• Seeing Rydal Mount and Wordsworth’s other former homes

Our tour is around 45 miles long with magnificent lake and mountain scenery throughout. There are 15 main attractions where you can stop and learn more before deciding if you want to linger longer. Of course, you can also stop anywhere else along the route if you see something you like, it’s your adventure!

Refreshments and toilets are available at all the main towns and villages, additional facilities on route are also highlighted. Car park and attraction entry fees are not included in the price of this tour.

This webcam shows current weather conditions on Kirkstone Pass which is the highest point of the tour.