The dictionary definition says that to explore is to "conduct a systematic search or to travel over new territory for adventure or discovery."
If we didn’t explore, we wouldn’t discover. As infants we get to know the world around us by exploring using our five senses. Exploration and discovery doesn’t stop suddenly at adolescence, but becomes a life long quest. The desire to explore makes us innately human. Some of the important leaps forward in society have taken place because people have dared to explore.
Walker on hill with Langdales backdrop
Beatrix Potter Exhibition
Honister Slate Mine and Via Ferrata
Sunset over Windermere and Langdale Pikes
The stepping stones by Under-Loughrigg, near Ambleside in the Lake District
You don’t have to be a Christopher Columbus, or Marco Polo. The scale of your discovery doesn’t have to take you into the air like Wilbur and Orville Wright, or onto the moon like Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Some exploration can be distinctly personal, or family familiar. It can be the discovery of your favourite coffee, the best place in town to eat, a walk with a view, a romantic retreat, a new found outdoor pursuit, or a poem that sums up just how you see it.
The Lake District may be new territory for you, or you may have visited many times, but there are always new adventures to start, discoveries to be made, and precious memories to create. We’ve already spent a lifetime exploring this stunning world heritage site, celebrated hang out of poets and artists, and outdoor playground for all the family. So, whether you are looking for perfect Lake District walks, activities for the children, the best National Trust properties, or some of our beautiful gardens, we have a few suggestions to help you start your Lake District exploration.
Explore More this Summer
Five Beautiful Lake District Villages to Explore
Visiting the small towns and villages around the Lake District will give you a real sense of the culture and heritage that we prize so highly. There are many to choose from, but we've suggested five to put on your Lake District itinerary.
Five Lake District Gardens to Visit this Summer
On a glorious day out in the Lake District there can be no better pastime than wandering through some of the finest examples of garden design in the country. With landscape architects the calibre of Thomas Mawson, Guillaume Beaumont and even William Wordsworth himself, you will find yourself spoilt for choice. Here are five that we think top the list.
Five National Trust Days out in the Lake District
Cumbria and the Lake District have a wealth of great days out, not least those associated with our rich culture and history, linked to our World Heritage status. Here are five great National Trust attractions within easy reach of English Lakes Hotels, Resorts & Venues.
Five Lake District Animal Attractions
Many of our guests love animals, whether that is up close and personal, or with a healthy respect from a distance. In the Lake District we have a great selection of Animal Attractions that will educate, entertain and thrill visitors. Here are just five of our favourites...