Rainy Day in the Lake District

First: Gear Up and Walk Anyway

The honest advice is this: if you have proper waterproofs and boots, walking in the rain in the Lake District is one of the best things you can do there. The waterfalls are louder and more impressive after overnight rain. The crowds thin to almost nothing. The light and atmosphere in the valleys under cloud is unlike clear-day walking. The fells are often clear above 600m even when the valley is socked in.

The key distinction is preparedness. A drizzle in a waterproof jacket is enjoyable. A downpour in a cotton hoodie is miserable and potentially dangerous. Invest in waterproof trousers as well as a jacket. Waterproof boots. Gloves and a hat even in summer, because a wet fell in July can be 6 degrees Celsius at the top.

If you genuinely want indoor options, they exist and some are genuinely excellent. But do not write off a rainy day as a wasted day in the Lakes. It is not.

Best Wet Weather Walks

Some walks are better in the rain than in sun. These are worth doing on a wet day:

Waterfalls routes

After overnight rain, waterfall routes are spectacular. Aira Force near Glenridding (CA11 0JS, NT car park) is one of the most impressive falls in the Lakes and is dramatically better after heavy rain. Sourmilk Gill above Grasmere on the Easedale Tarn path is another. Stock Ghyll Force above Ambleside is accessible in 20 minutes from the town centre. All of these are on good, well-maintained paths.

Woodland walks

Woodland provides natural shelter and is the most comfortable walking in rain. Grizedale Forest between Coniston and Windermere (LA22 0QJ) has extensive waymarked trails through conifer and broadleaved woodland. Allen Bank and Grasmere area woods (NT, LA22 9QZ) are excellent. The Brantwood estate on Coniston Water (LA21 8AD) has woodland gardens that are remarkably good in rain. Moss, lichen, and the smell of wet conifer are specific pleasures of wet woodland walking that dry days do not give you.

Low-level lake circuits

Grasmere lake circuit is about 3.5 miles, almost flat, and gives excellent views even in low cloud. The fell tops may be in cloud but the lake and immediate landscape are still worth walking. Similarly, the Derwentwater southern shore path from Keswick is excellent in wet weather, passing the lakeshore under tree cover for stretches.

Museums and Indoor Attractions

Windermere Jetty Museum (LA23 3JH)

The most impressive museum building in the Lakes. An award-winning contemporary structure sitting directly on the shore of Windermere with access to historic boats on the lake itself. The exhibits cover Windermere's maritime history from the Victorian steam yachts to the Campbell water speed record attempts. Allow two to three hours. Good café. Admission charged. Excellent for adults and children over 8.

Pencil Museum, Keswick (CA12 5NG)

The story of graphite mining in Cumberland and pencil manufacturing from the 16th century. Better than it sounds. The history of the Keswick graphite mine, discovered around 1565, is genuinely interesting, and the pencil manufacturing process is explained well. There is a world's largest pencil. Two hours and modestly priced. Good for a wet morning, particularly with children.

Keswick Museum and Art Gallery (CA12 5NJ)

Free entry. Local natural history, Lake District geology, literary connections (Wordsworth, Southey, Coleridge all spent time in Keswick), and a curiosity room that is difficult to describe and worth seeing. Small but worth an hour on a wet afternoon. In the Fitz Park grounds.

Brantwood, Coniston (LA21 8AD)

John Ruskin's house on the eastern shore of Coniston Water. A serious house with serious contents, including Ruskin's own art and the collection he assembled. The gardens and woodland are extensive and work well in rain. Café in the house. Admission charged. Access by road or by the Coniston Launch from Coniston village. Allow half a day.

Dove Cottage, Grasmere (LA22 9SH)

Wordsworth's home from 1799 to 1808. Small cottage, large cultural significance. Guided tours of the cottage, which is preserved more or less as it was. The adjacent Wordsworth Museum has manuscripts and portraits. An hour, possibly two. Admission charged. Central Grasmere, easy to combine with lunch at the same time.

Go Ape, Grizedale Forest (LA22 0QJ)

The treetop course operates in most weather conditions. You will get wet. The harness and equipment are designed to function in the rain, and the experience is genuinely different to fair-weather aerial adventures. Book in advance, particularly in school holidays. Height restrictions apply. Several hours.

Rheged, near Penrith (CA11 0DQ)

A large complex built into a hillside near Junction 40 of the M6. Cinema, craft shops, a climbing wall, soft play. Useful primarily if you are arriving or departing via the motorway and want something to do in transit, or if you are based in the Penrith/Ullswater area.

Where to Eat on a Rainy Day

A wet day is a good day for a long lunch or an afternoon tea. The Lakes has enough good pubs and cafés to make this a pleasure rather than a fallback.

• The Apple Pie, Ambleside (Rydal Road, LA22 9AN). Bakery and café. Good sandwiches, excellent cakes, proper coffee. Gets busy. Sit in and wait rather than giving up.
• The Square Orange, Keswick (CA12 5JA). Relaxed café-bar in central Keswick. Good food at reasonable prices. Useful midday or afternoon.
• Old Dungeon Ghyll, Langdale (LA22 9JU). The hikers' bar is the best place in the Lakes to be when it is properly raining. Open fires, wet gear hanging everywhere, good beer, no pretension. Drive to Great Langdale and make a day of the valley even if the fells are in cloud.
• Grasmere Gingerbread Shop (LA22 9SW). Queuing in the rain for Grasmere gingerbread is a Lakes ritual. It is sold hot or cold, the shop is tiny, and the queue moves. Worth it.
• The Cuckoo Brow Inn, Far Sawrey (LA22 0LQ). In the village near Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's farm. Small, proper pub, good food, not over-touristed. Worth combining with a visit to Hill Top if you have children who know the Potter books.

Lake Boat Trips in Rain

Lake cruises operate in most rain conditions unless winds are severe. The boats on Windermere (Windermere Lake Cruises) and Ullswater (Ullswater Steamers) are covered with outdoor deck sections. The landscape from the water in low cloud and rain is atmospheric in a way that clear-day crossings are not. Mist over Ullswater with the fell outlines visible above it is genuinely beautiful.

Check weather and service status before setting out. High winds can cause cancellations. But light rain and overcast conditions rarely affect services.

Gear for Wet Weather in the Lakes

This is worth a paragraph because it determines whether a rainy day is good or miserable. The basics:

• Waterproof jacket with a hood. Not water-resistant, waterproof. There is a difference after the first hour of rain. Gore-Tex or equivalent.
• Waterproof trousers. Most people do not bring these and regret it. They weigh almost nothing and turn a miserable afternoon into a comfortable one.
• Waterproof boots or hiking shoes with good grip. Fell paths in rain are slippery. Trainers are not adequate above the valley floor.
• Spare layers, particularly for children. Wet fleeces, spare gloves, dry socks. Keep them in a dry bag in your rucksack.
• A dry bag or waterproof rucksack cover for your pack. Wet maps and wet phones are avoidable problems.