The Best Things to Do in Cumbria – Cumbria Coastal Route 200 Itinerary
Cumbria is a county on the north west coast of England, best known for containing the Lake District National Park. The Cumbria Coastal 200 route is a new road trip along the north west coast boasting some incredible history, sandy beaches and other great thing to do.
The Cumbrian Coastal route has been designed to inspire you to visit a different side to the Lake District.
If you choose to visit the Cumbrian Coastal line by campervan or motorhome, it is important to make sure you do so responsibly.
The Cumbria Coastal route is a beautiful part of the English coastline, lined with beautiful secluded beaches and small towns nestled in amongst the mountains. In this guide, we will discuss the best time to go to Cumbria as well as the following
Sizergh Castle and Gardens
Holker Hall
Manjushri Peace Temple
Horse Riding on the Beach with Murthwaite Green
Glass Blowing at Cumbria Crystals
South Walney Nature Reserve
Biggar Bank Beach
Sticky Toffee Pudding at Cartmel
Canoe and Bushcraft with Path to Adventure
Muncaster Castle
St Bee’s
Visit Sizergh Castle and Gardens
Sizergh Castle is a stunning medieval house with beautiful gardens situated on a 1,600-acre estate. This building has been home to the Strickland family for more than 800 years and they still live there today. The gardens are popular amongst visitors and the limestone rock garden is a top feature.
Sizergh Castle and Gardens contains some of the finest English and French furniture and family portraits.
There is also a cafe and shop onsite.
Holker Hall
Holker Hall is a stunning family home, lived in by Lord and Lady Cavendish. Over 400 years old and one of the finest buildings in the south lakes, Holker Hall covers 25 acres of beautiful gardens and woodland and inside features some historic antiques and art. For 5 centuries, this grand building has never been bought or sold, only passed down through the ages from generation to generation.
Both the hall and the gardens are open to the public where you can admire the different rooms and decor, and marvel at the beauty of this magnificent building. Outside the main building, you can explore the gardens as well as the other ancient buildings, such as the 18th-century ice house, the stables, and the original entrance gate.
Horse Riding on the Beach with Murthwaite Green
Murthwaite Green are a family run business located in Silecroft that offer horse trekking on the beach. This experience is available to beginners as well as those more experienced as the trip can be tailored to your ability.
The experience starts when you meet your horse at the stables, Campbell would be riding Jo and I was riding Stanley, both beautiful horses.
The group walks through the small picturesque village of Silecroft towards the beach. The 7 mile beautiful sandy beach allows for plenty opportunity for some cantering and galloping if you feel comfortable to do so.
Manjushri Peace Temple
Nestled deep within the tranquility of the Cumbrian mountains sits perhaps one of England’s most peaceful locations. This modern Temple for World Peace is used every day for meditation and prayers and is open to the public for those who wish to join a joint meditation classes, or simply wish to marvel at the beauty of the building and its surroundings.
The Temple is situated on the quiet shores of Morecambe Bay, with stunning views across the water towards Sandgate Country Park. There is plenty of area around the temple to explore and dogs are welcome to join.
Glass Blowing at Cumbria Crystal
In the small town of Ulverston, you will find Cumbria Crystal where you can visit to find a new appreciation of glass blowing. You can visit the shop area and walk into the enclosed workshop area where you will have the opportunity to watch the glass blowers create the glass and design it too.
This is free to enter and there are information boards on the different parts of the process and those involved.
South Walney Nature Reserve
This beautiful stretch of coastline sits just to the south of the small town of Barrow-in-Furness, at the end of the stretch of peninsula known as Biggar Banks. Home to one of the largest Gull colonies in Europe, this region is one of the best for bird-watching in the UK. It is also quite common to see Grey Seals in this area as this is known to be their only landing area in Cumbria.
There is a small entrance fee that goes towards the protection and preservation of these beautiful parts of England, and members of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust can enter for free.
Biggar Bank Beach
A beautiful beach on the west coast of England is Biggar Bank. This long stretch of sand is protected with a grassy bank and lined with a long coastal path. This just happened to be the perfect place for a morning “wild swim” as we woke up to another stunning day in the Lake District.
There is an official overnight car park at Biggar Bank for campervans and motorhomes (featured below), which you can ready about in the “Where to Stay” section later on.
Sticky Toffee Pudding at Cartmel
For those with a decadent sweet tooth, no trip to Cumbria is complete without a visit to the Cartmel Village Shop. Twenty years ago, the locals here began to bake their very own version of the traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding by hand. Over the years, word of mouth soon spread and demand for the pudding grew and grew, resulting in the need for a kitchen upgrade and eventually a number of awards for this sweet treat.
Pick up an authentic Cartmel Sticky Toffee pudding for yourself and be the judge of whether this sweet treat is worth its title.
Canoe and Bushcraft with Path to Adventure
Path to Adventure offer a variety of outdoor activities in the Lake District. Our experience took us on a canoe across Coniston Water where we visited the other side of the water and tested our hand at a bit of bushcraft. We learned how to light a fire and made a hot drink and toasted marshmallows.
After all of this excitement is over, there’s the option for a leisurely paddle back to the starting point or you can have a go at capsizing your canoe and to end the day out with a splash.
Muncaster Castle
Fancy visiting one of the most haunted buildings in the UK? Muncaster Castle has some pretty creepy ghost stories to tell and you can get lost wandering around the gardens and castle itself all day. Haunted tales aside, the castle and gardens at Muncaster make for one seriously good day out, with a huge range of activities and sights that the whole family will enjoy.
As well as the onsite attractions, such as the original castle buildings, the vast gardens and grounds, childrens playpark, and converted stables that is now home to the cafe, Muncaster Castle also offers two daily shows that are guaranteed to “wow!”. In the morning show, you will be introduced to the adorable range of owls that are housed here at Muncaster, whilst in the afternoon showing, you can marvel at some of the world’s largest winged creatures, such as the American Bald Eagle and the Hooded Vulture.
All of the birds that call Muncaster Castle home are cared for in the name of protection and preservation of the species in the wild, with some of the birds rapidly declining in numbers in their natural habitat. The hard work that the team at Muncaster do is all aimed towards educating people on the reasons for their decline in numbers and the hope of preventing their extinction.
St Bee’s Coastal Town
Perched at the most western tip of the region of Cumbria, the small coastal town of St Bees is one of the most popular coastal destinations in Cumbria. As well as stunning stretch of beach that stretches along the cost of St Bees, further north sits the towering cliffs of St Bees Head, an RSPB reserve and the starting point of the famous Coast to Coast walking route.
The town of St Bees itself has a history dating back over 1000 years, with one of the oldest buildings said to be named after the Irish Nun Saint Bega, who ship-wrecked here in the 9th-century. Luckily, St Bega survived along with the other nuns, and so sought out land from the local lord to build a priory. The lords response was a disappointing one, stating that they could have the land that was covered in snow the following day (it was the middle of summer). Incredibly, the next day the town awoke to a fresh snow fall covering everything from the castle and the sea, and so the priory was built.
Where to Eat and Stay in Cumbria
Eat
Abbey House Hotel
Abbey House Hotel is located beside Furness Abbey. The hotel has a bar and a restaurants with great views overlooking the forest. The portion sizes in the restaurant are great value for money and the meals are delicious.
The Swan Hotel and Spa
The Swan Hotel and Spa is located in the picturesque village of Newby Bridge. The have a tasty menu that can be enjoyed overlooking the river, followed up with an ice cream.
Stay
Furness Abbey
An official park up approved by the Barrow Council overlooking the stunning Furness Abbey. When you arrive you will see a small sign with a QR code where you can book your overnight space.
Biggar Bank
What could you better than a park up by the beach? At Biggar Bank you can park you campervan or motorhome without any worry at their approved overnight car park at Biggar Bank, only a 2 minute walk from the beach.