Lake District

Millions visit the Lake District every year but those who help look after the national park in Cumbria say overtourism tensions are threatening to boil over

Wild campers visiting the Lake District are ignoring the long-standing Countryside Code – with human excrement, fly-camping and irresponsible behaviour surging this summer, campaigners say.

Those who manage the national park, which attracts millions of tourists every year, claim some guests are making life hell for locals. They say brainless parking, inconsiderate camping and mass littering is making a mockery of the “leave no trace” government guidelines to protect the environment. Paths blocked by campervans, discarded tampons and nappies and dogs let loose are just some of the other issues reported.

Judith Derbyshire, a Westmorland and Furness councillor, has referenced a report made by patrol officers who are responsible for tackling anti-social behaviour. She says, as enforcement officers and volunteers battle to preserve the stunning national parks, problems are only increasing.

Tourists risk huge fines in Lake District

She says the council has very few officers and a round-the-clock response service is a thing of the past. Local laws were tightened earlier this year in response to resident complaints.

Those causing environmental damage such as littering, starting fires, or the inappropriate use of motorhomes can now be fined up to £100 – but according to many locals, the rules are being flouted regularly.

Ms Derbyshire, who is responsible for community safety, says since Covid there has been a huge increase in visitors with many arriving without plans for accommodation. That leads to “fly-camping” – taking spots away from designated camp sites.

‘You shouldn’t be doing that’

Reading the report, she told the BBC: “Fifty-plus members of the public engaged with, 10 overnight campers spoken to, eight bags of rubbish collected and they had the joy of seeing one man using a bush as his toilet. I’m going to lower the standard of the conversation here but the issue is to do with human poo.

“Don’t feel you can just come up, park up on a lay-by and then go and put a tent up down by the lake shore – you shouldn’t be doing that.

“Putting it bluntly, we are going to have strong cutbacks from our funding as a local authority, we’re not going to have the staff to be able to put that sort of thing in place.”

She says people can contact police if they see anyone behaving in a dangerous way – such as lighting a bonfire that could spread to a large area. Working together with residents and visitors is vital to getting the situation under control.

Ms Derbyshire added: “We want people to come to Lake District and it’s good that there’s a wider range of people coming here, it’s just that we need to get them educated so they know what they can do and what they can’t do.”

‘It really saddens me to see’

Earlier this summer, footage showed the moment dozens of cars were covered in slurry after they parked in a private field just yards away from Rydal Water, one of the country’s prettiest beauty spots.

A large number of instances of littering, wildfires, and campers leaving equipment behind (known as fly camping) were logged in the Friends of the Lake District’s annual survey.

One unhappy local wrote in this year’s survey: “Some people have no social conscience and do not care about the impact of their behaviour on the environment or other people. We see litter on the fells, on lakesides and thrown out of cars onto grass verges. We even saw someone having a BBQ sat right next to a sign prohibiting it on Ullswater last year.

Another added: “I’m from the Lakes and have always appreciated the tourism and what it does for the area. However, I feel we have now got to the stage where tourism is over capacity and negatively impacting the area and the quality of life for residents and animals. Frequent traffic jams, poorly parked cars, and most upsetting of all, litter.

“Today we came across a discarded used nappy and a tampon. My children and I frequently go out with our litter pickers. It really saddens me to see the Lake District in environmental decline.”

This road has a long history studded with soldiers, cyclists and tourists

Tucked in the hills of the Lake District is a twisting road that is so steep and challenging it’s often brought up as one of the most dangerous in the UK. Hardknott Pass, between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley, links the Lake District with West Cumbria.

Often impassable in the winter due to snow and ice, it is also one of the steepest in the UK. It has a maximum gradient of 33%, and winds through the mountains with a series of hairpin turns that would put fear in any casual driver.

This steep gradient draws endurance cyclists from across the world. It’s steeper than any other mountain stage in any other European races, including the Tour de France.

Every year, cyclists flock to the pass to complete the Fred Whitton Challenge – an 112 mile ride around the Lake District.

From Romans to tank training

A version of what is now Hardknott Pass was built by the Romans around AD110 to link the coastal fort at Ravenglass to their garrisons in Ambleside. They called it the tenth highway, but it fell into disrepair in the early 5th century when the Romans left Britain. For years it was used as an unpaved packhorse route to transport lead and farming goods.

In the 1880s, the road was improved by the English Lake District Association – a group of hoteliers. They hoped that making the road better would encourage more people to travel there but by 1891 it had failed to attract the number of people they had wanted.

Instead, the route was popular with cyclists and motorists. Even then, it was described as a challenging road to pass, with the Guide to North-West England describing the old coach road as “difficult going West, cruel coming East”.

Fast forward to World War 2 and the remote mountain pass was in regular use by British forces who used it to train tank drivers, completely destroying what was left of the road surface.

After the war it was finally tarmacked and opened to vehicles.

The road today

Now, the road is a thrilling drive where anyone coming downhill must be prepared to reverse into tight passing bays to allow those coming up the right of way.

However, despite the challenge of driving the road, the views at its 393 metre summit are well worth the effort.

The peak of the mountain offers breathtaking panoramic views stretching toward the Scafell range.

As you drive along the route, you pass the haunting ruins of Hardknott Roman fort, where the same soldiers who used to travel the pass stood watch over the mountain wilderness.

Seven in 10 people asked said they loved camping, rising to 85% of those under 30

Camping is the pitch perfect way to spend a staycation, especially if you are younger, a survey suggests.

Seven in 10 people asked said they loved camping, rising to 85% of those under 30. The top spot is the National Trust’s campsite at Great Langdale beneath Langdale Pikes in the Lake District.

It took 28% of the votes from the 2,000 Brits asked in the poll, with Watermouth Valley in Devon second (19%), followed by Red Squirrel in Glencoe, Scotland, (18%) and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park on 17%. The Duchess’s Meadow in the Peak District and Cloud Farm in Devon both got 14%.

Nearly a quarter believe Britain is the best place in the world to pitch a tent. The main attractions are reconnecting with nature (45%), spending more time in the UK (44%), enjoying time with family (37%), and saving money (33%).

Other draws include getting away from it all (31%), peace and quiet (29%), the great out-doors (23%), gazing at the stars (21%), and waking to the sound of birdsong (19%).

George Wallis, of Isuzu UK which commissioned the poll, said: “The findings have highlighted some wonderful places in the UK. The UK is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, it’s no surprise loading up and heading somewhere remote remains timeless.”

The Lake District and the Peak District have been notoriously known as England’s walking hotspots, but a picturesque destination with rolling hills has emerged as a new favourite

England’s best walking destination has been named – and it’s not the Lake District or Peak District.

Every year, thousands of Brits flock to the Lake District for a rambling retreat, thanks to its pristine glacial waters against its dramatic mountain backdrop and rolling valleys. Meanwhile, the Peak District offers scenes of purple heather moorland, rugged rocks, and winding river valleys, making it a haven for hikers.

They are undoubtedly two of the most popular places to venture around during a scenic walking holiday, with ramblers rewarded with spectacular views. However, they’ve now been outshone by a new region – and it has its own renowned walking trail.

The Cotswolds has been named as the ‘best place to go walking in England’, by Responsible Travel, thanks to its scenes of ancient woodlands, tranquil river valleys, rolling hills and honey-coloured cottages. Spanning across 800 square miles, measuring around 90 miles in length and 25 miles in width, there are ample walking trails to explore in England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

In its guide, Responsible Travel said: “It is not surprising that great writers from Shelley to Waugh have been inspired by the Cotswolds. Like their literary worlds, walking here transports you to a serene and soothing place.

“Walk through ancient towns such as Stow-on-the-Wold or Bourton-on-the-Water, where even the names evoke time gone by. Well known for its slow food ethos, you won’t be short of fine inns and food as you wander through village and vale.”

As the Cotswolds span six counties, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Somerset, there’s a plethora of charming towns and idyllic villages to visit while on one of the many routes and trails. And of course, a bundle of cosy country pubs and beer gardens to stop by for that refreshing restbite.

A major walking route in the region is the Cotswolds Way, which stretches 102 miles from Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire to Bath in Somerset. Following the western edge of the Cotswold Hills, the trail passes by the stunning scenes that make up the renowned region, alongside grand manor homes, historic battle sites, Neolithic burial barrows and honey-hued villages.

One of the most popular villages to stop by in the Cotswolds is Bibury, with its Arlington Row, which has garnered worldwide attention for its picture-postcard setting. The village has also been dubbed the ‘most beautiful village in England’ by artist and writer William Morris, and it attracts thousands of tourists every year.

Another favourite spot is the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, renowned as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’, with its crystal-clear meandering river and quaint stone bridges. Castle Combe is another village that feels like a scene from a fairy tale, with preserved medieval cottages frozen in time since 1600, with no TV aerial in sight and wires hidden underground to maintain its beauty.

Top 12 walking destinations in England

1. Cotswolds
2. Dorset
3. Lake District
4. Peak District
5. Pilgrims Way
6. Shakespeares Way
7. South West Coast Path
8. Suffolk coast
9. Sussex & the South Downs
10. Thames Path
11. White Cliffs of Dover & Kent coast
12. Yorkshire

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Local residents living in the Lake District National Park have complained of visitors leaving litter and leaving tents behind after illegally wild camping on the banks of lakes

Wild campers and locals are going head-to-head in the UK’s best-known and most visited national park as overtourism tensions threaten to boil over.

Paths blocked by campervans. Discarded tampons and nappies. Dogs let loose on the fells. Sausages grilled in the shadow of ‘BBQs forbidden’ signs.

These are just some of the hundreds of complaints from locals fed up with what they see as unacceptable tourist behavior in the Lake District.

A great number of instances of littering, wildfires, and campers leaving equipment behind (known as fly camping) were logged in the Friends of the Lake District’s annual survey.

OPINION

“Some people have no social conscience and do not care about the impact of their behaviour on the environment or other people. We see litter on the fells, on lakesides and thrown out of cars onto grass verges. We even saw someone having a BBQ sat right next to a sign prohibiting it on Ullswater last year,” one unhappy local wrote in this year’s survey.

Another added: “I’m from the Lakes and have always appreciated the tourism and what it does for the area. However, I feel we have now got to the stage where tourism is over capacity and negatively impacting the area and the quality of life for residents and animals. Frequent traffic jams, poorly parked cars, and most upsetting of all, litter. Today we came across a discarded used nappy and a tampon. My children and I frequently go out with our litter pickers. It really saddens me to see the Lake District in environmental decline.”

It is difficult to know quite how acute the problem is. The surveys collect anecdotal evidence and solid figures on littering and anti-social behaviour are hard to come by.

What is undeniable is the shifting demographic of those coming. In 2018, 52% of visitors to Cumbria were under 50. By 2022, that’d risen to 74%.

Surprisingly, overall visitor numbers were down at the last count (2024) compared to both 2023 and the pre-Covid year of 2019. Roughly five million fewer people visited in 2024 than in 2019.

Jeremy Smith is head of campaigns and engagement at Friends of the Lake District. He believes that relations between visitors and locals have been tense since the Covid years, in part due to the changing nature of the tourists coming.

“With the increase in the number of people taking holidays in the UK, in terms of behavior, what may have been happening in Ibiza and Cyprus has been domesticated in places like the Lake District,” he told the Mirror.

Local laws were tightened earlier this year in response to resident complaints. Those causing environmental damage by littering, starting fires, or committing anti-social behaviour linked to camping or the “inappropriate use” of motorhomes can now be fined up to £100, under Westmorland and Furness Council public protection orders.

Wild camping rules are a little more complex. It isn’t legally permitted without landowner consent, but is widely tolerated if strict ‘Leave No Trace’ guidelines are followed. These require visitors to camp only above the highest fell wall (around 400m+), well away from roads and towns, stay for just one night, and never light a fire.

According to some locals, the rules are being flouted regularly.

“The path by the shore had a tent pitched in the middle of it, and when I politely pointed this out to the occupants, they swore at me aggressively,” one survey respondent wrote.

“People do not like to be questioned about leaving litter, loose dogs, motorbikes, it’s a sense of entitlement to do just as they like. There are very few authority figures, such as police or wardens. It should not be up to pensioners to police the park.”

The national park’s a hotspot for tourism, but this particular walk felt like, at points, I could have been hiking in a tropical destination, with its bright green rugged cliffs

The more I travel around the UK, the more I am in awe of its natural beauty which seems to be overlooked by a lot of keen travellers, and this particular spot feels like a real slice of paradise.

You don’t need to hop on a plane to experience a sense of the tropics; it turns out you can immerse yourself in the brightest hues of green and walk along waterfalls in the north of Wales. While, of course, Snowdonia National Park is no secret, especially to avid hikers, cyclists and explorers, it was my first time visiting, and this specific route is one that blew me away.

It’s often cited as one of the best hikes in Snowdonia (Eryri). Cadair Idris is an 893-metre mountain in the southern part of the park and is renowned for its wild and rugged scenery. To me, it looked like its surroundings could belong in the likes of Peru or Southeast Asia, with its tropical plants, waterfalls and vibrancy of its green grass.

But of course, like any beautiful place in Wales, it reminded me exactly where I was when I spotted sheep dotted around its cliffs, even on the steepest parts. It looked as though the sheep could fall off the edge of the world, taking me with them, as I fought for hours against the growing pain in my shins, with each step up and up to the peak.

The route

I was taken up the Minffordd Path route, which is described as the shortest yet steepest route to the mountain’s summit, tackling a demanding 10 km walk. Overall it’s set to take up to four to five hours to complete, and in turn you are rewarded with dramatic and captivating views of the national park’s landscape.

The route begins at Dôl Idris car park and takes you past the Cadair Idris visitor centre, which quickly fills up. We were recommended to get there early in the morning to beat the pile-up and were thankful that we did; setting off on our walk at around 8am meant we got to experience the quietness of the route in all of its natural wonder. Albeit, the lie-in would have also been appreciated.

Running parallel along the stream which runs parallel to the stream which leads to Llyn Cau, the lake at the heart of the base of the mountain. It was immediately, when taking on these steep steps along the river, that I felt like I could be abroad.

Not only was the sun shining down on us, but the water was trickling down, with tropical plants growing around us, and it felt as wild and wonderful as the experiences I had in Thailand or the pictures I’ve seen of hikes in Vietnam or Peru.

This continued as we made our way out of the forest area and into the open air, with nothing but pure greenery around us, and the mountain stood proudly ahead. The second phase levels lightly as you enter a rocky amphitheatre, with up-close and personal views of the lake.

Pushing past slate and rocks, many of which are loose and therefore can be difficult to navigate, this section and throughout the walk, requires concentration and care with each step. A quick trip or fall could have you stumbling, and that’s why lots of hikers opt to go armed with sticks to help gain their balance and push them through.

By the time I made it to the top of the mountain, the weather dramatically changed, from sunny to high winds which were extremely cold. It’s this that can catch a lot of amateur hikers out, and I think it’s always best to go armed with windproof and waterproof layers, as they say ‘don’t dress for the car park’.

The real treat after that consistently steep hike upwards is this – the flat walk along the edge of the entire mountain before reaching its penultimate peak. Seeing it all from a circular angle gave you a real treat at each point whenever I decided to stop and take a breath.

Wales is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to my explorations, and Cadair Idris was no exception to that. If you’re willing to take on the circular route and the real challenge of its steep and unsteady ground, then you will be rewarded with a touch of paradise and views you’ll continue to daydream about.

From charming market towns to picturesque coastal villages, travel experts share some of the best UK staycation towns

With holiday prices soaring and a fuel crisis affecting air travel, many families may opt to stay in the UK this summer instead of jetting abroad for their annual break. But there’s absolutely no reason to feel let down if this applies to you, as the country boasts countless beautiful destinations from top to bottom.

With this in mind, express.co.uk has consulted several travel experts who have revealed their top recommendations, all of which are excellent options for those seeking the ideal staycation location. From northern forests to sun-drenched southern coastlines, whatever kind of break you’re after, the UK offers an abundance of possibilities.

Andy Brooker, travel expert at kate & tom’s, said: “Many of us forget how much the UK has to offer. There’s something for everyone here, and many fantastic towns to explore depending on the type of experience you’re looking for.”

Andy suggests Formby near Liverpool and Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District.

Championing Formby as an excellent choice for families, he explained: “Variety is important when you have busy children to please, and Formby offers the opportunity to explore dramatic sand dunes, sweeping pinewoods, and the native red squirrel population at The Formby Red Squirrel Reserve.”

Endorsing Bowness-on-Windermere, Andy added: “Bowness-on-Windermere is an iconic town in Cumbria and one of the Lake District’s most popular destinations for a reason.” It blends breathtaking lakeside vistas with delightful cafés, independent shops and gateways to some of Cumbria’s most picturesque trails.

“From cruising across Lake Windermere and exploring The World of Beatrix Potter to relaxing in traditional pubs and taking in panoramic views. Bowness offers the perfect mix of outdoor adventure, family-friendly activities and classic Lake District charm.”

Andy isn’t alone in championing a Lake Windermere escape, with Jerry Rebbeck from Wheelwrights Holiday Cottages highlighting the neighbouring village of Clappersgate.

He said: “Whilst it may be a small village, it boasts a rich history with many historic structures, including the notable Clappersgate Bridge.

“The Grade II listed bridge dates back to the 17th century and is a popular spot for visitors interested in its unique design and views over the river and surrounding greenery.”

Nestled near the River Brathay and Lake Windermere, Clappersgate is ideally positioned for watersports enthusiasts, while the Loughrigg Circular provides an excellent walking route for ramblers.

When the weather turns, there’s also the nearby Lake District Aquarium and the striking neo-gothic Wray Castle to explore.

For those seeking something further south, Jacob Wedderburn-Day, travel expert and CEO of Stasher, points to Rye in West Sussex, Totnes in Devon, and Frome in Somerset.

Speaking about the first, he said: “Rye is one of the most distinctive small towns in the UK, with cobbled streets, historic inns, shops and easy access to Camber Sands.

“It is a good choice for travellers who want a break without staying in a larger seaside resort. It works especially well for a weekend because the town is compact and easy to explore at a relaxed pace.”

Totnes, meanwhile, is highlighted as one of the “best towns for travellers looking for shops, good food and easy access to the South Devon countryside and coast.”

He went on to say: “The community there has a relaxed pace, which makes it ideal for a slower weekend away. It is also well placed for travellers who want to combine a town break with day trips nearby.”

Jacob describes Frome as one of the “most interesting town breaks” in the UK, boasting a thriving shopping scene, a vibrant creative community and lively weekend markets.

Conveniently situated close to both Bath and Bristol, Frome works brilliantly as a day trip from either city, or as a base from which to explore the surrounding area.

Although she stops short of naming a specific town, Rachel Pennycook, Europe Travel Specialist at The Luxury Holiday Company, urges visitors not to overlook the Scottish Highlands.

“The Highlands are popular for a reason. They’re one of the few places in the UK where you can properly disconnect and feel a world away.

“In summer, the long daylight hours mean you can take your time, whether that’s a morning by the loch, an afternoon exploring castles, or an evening enjoying local food with a view.

“For me, what sets the Highlands apart is the sense of space and freedom. You don’t need to plan every minute; sometimes, the best days are simply about soaking up the scenery, finding a quiet spot, or sharing a meal with friends and family.

“It’s a destination that works just as well for families looking for adventure as it does for couples.”