You could easily spend your break exclusively at Lawson Park, but if you get itchy feet, the area offers a myriad of diversions for all tastes:

• Hiking, walking and wild swimming are of course the top Lake District pursuits at any time of year, from clear blue-sky winter days on the fell tops to summer days bathing in the lakes. Where to start? Here’s a nice short overview of options across Cumbria.
• Walk (20 mins) to the beautiful gardens of Brantwood, to see the former home of eminent Victorian John Ruskin. There’s a shop, gallery & tearoom too, and you can take the steam gondola across the lake to the village of Coniston.
• Walk or cycle across Grizedale Forest (bike hire available) and its famous sculpture trail.
• Visit Coniston, our nearest village, with its historic Coniston Institute and much-loved Honest Shop selling local produce and crafts. There’s also pubs, Steam bistro, a petrol station, Co-op, local independent shops and kayak / canoe / boat hire on Coniston Water.
• Visit Ulverston, a gem of a small market town (40 mins drive) with a train station connecting directly to Manchester Airport (and other destinations), many good independent retailers, various annual festivals, a cinema and nearby attractions such as the South Lakes Safari Zoo, Furness Abbey, Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre (a Buddhist Centre in an amazing historic house) and the eccentric Laurel & Hardy Museum.
• The nearest mainline station to Lawson Park is Oxenholme, about a 55 minute drive away, just outside Kendal. Trains go directly to London (2.5 hrs) and to Manchester Airport, Glasgow and Edinburgh.