February 16, 2016 GOAdmin

Moving to the Lake District

Moving to the Lake District

Moving home can be a huge undertaking and moving to the Lake District is no different. We have put together some helpful bits of information of you during your move.

The lovely and picturesque Lake District National Park (which has been nominated for Unesco world heritage status, with a decision on the bid expected in 2017.) is in the county of Cumbria.  The Villages and towns  that are within the National Park include:

  • Ambleside
  • Broughton-in-Furness
  • Coniston
  • Grasmere
  • Hawkshead
  • Keswick
  • Windermere

Cumbrian towns that are outside of the National Park include:

  • Barrow-in-Furness
  • Carlisle
  • Cockermouth
  • Grange-over-Sands
  • Kendal
  • Lancaster
  • Maryport
  • Millom
  • Penrith
  • Ulverston
  • Whitehaven
  • Workington

Housing

House prices within the National Park are slightly more expensive than other areas of Cumbria, which should be taken into consideration if you are planning on moving to the Lake District. An article in the Financial Times put it at around 18% premium for house price within the park: “There is already a hefty 18 per cent premium for homes within the boundary of a national park and an 8 per cent premium for properties within three miles of a park, according to research on housing in 10 of the UK’s national parks released by Nationwide Building Society last December. The average house price in the Lake District Park stands at £253,000, says Nationwide.”

The following links are not affiliated with us in any way. Go Lake District has no control over the content of the sites, and no endorsement of any of the products or services contained on the sites is implied.

All links open in a new window.

Estate agents

Schooling

You can find out the names of the many schools in the area in UpMyStreet and read reports on the schools by Ofsted (both links open in new window).

Public transport in the Lake District

Trains

The West Coast mainline runs to the east of the Lake District, connecting Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle with London and Glasgow. A direct train runs from Manchester to Windermere. Local trains call at Kendal, Staveley and Windermere. There is also a route following the Cumbrian coastline.

Buses

Towns and villages such as Ambleside, Windermere, Coniston and Keswick are linked by bus, with extra services in the summer. Find out more at: GoLakes Travel – buses (opens in new window)

Minibus tours and bus explorer tickets

There are many companies offering you the chance to sit back and watch the scenery. Take a look at our Minibus tours and bus explorer tickets page.

Steamers and launch trips

Taking a cruise is a great way to experience the beautiful Lake District views. Our on the water section has more details.

Public transport – useful links

All links open in new window.

Helpful Moving House Links

By car

The average journey time from London and the south east is about five hours. It takes about one and half hour from Manchester and two hours from York.

The M6 runs to the east of the Lake District National Park:

  • Take Junction 36 and then A590 for the southern end of the Lake District
  • Take Junction 40 and the A66 or A592 for the northern end of the Lake District

If you’re using satellite navigation, check out the Postcodes for Sat Nav page on the lake district site.

Even A roads can be quite twisting so allow extra time for your journey and for finding a space in Car parks in high season. Example journey times are:

  • Kendal to Keswick: one hour
  • Windermere to Keswick: 40 minutes
  • Kendal to Wasdale: one and a half hours

Hardknott Pass and Wrynose Pass between Eskdale and the Langdales have gradients of 1 in 3 and Honister Pass between Borrowdale and Buttermere is 1 in 4, making them some of the steepest roads in England!

Local organisations and projects

Local businesses

Local communities

  • Crake – (removed crake.org) communities between Coniston and Ulverston
  • Threlkeld – village four miles east of Keswick

Local councils

Local parish councils

Local media

A primary source and a lot of this information can be found here (source no longer exists).

Zerif Lite developed by ThemeIsle