Did you know that Cumbria has England's largest city, rarest fish and best road to drive on?
England’s 10 highest mountains are in Cumbria
In fact 87 out of the highest 100 peaks in England are in The Lake District. The top 10 are Scafell Pike, Scafell, Helvellyn, Ill Crag, Broad Crag, Skiddaw, Lower Man, Great End, Bowfell and Great Gable. The famous walker/author Alfred Wainwright identified 214 Cumbrian peaks to climb - how many have you conquered?
Cumbria has England’s deepest and longest lakes
Of course The Lake District is so called because of its stunning stretches of water, but the deepest lake in England is here at Wastwater, diving to 74 metres (243 feet), with Windermere being England's longest lake at 10.5 miles long.
It is the only place you’ll find Britain’s rarest fish
The vendace is officially listed as ‘endangered.’ The freshwater whitefish can only be found in Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite, having died out everywhere else in the UK.
Carlisle is the largest city in England
What? Bigger than London and the other huge cities?! Yes! By area, Carlisle encompasses the urban centre and its rural surroundings, totalling 1,040 square kilometres (402 square miles). The actual city centre is small and attractive, sitting on three rivers and vast parkland.
The country’s newest airport is opening here
Carlisle Lake District Airport begins commercial passenger flights in Summer 2019 to and from airports including Dublin, Belfast and Southend. It’s a big boost for the area, especially for tourism, which has enjoyed steady growth over recent years.
Cumbria boasts the first National Park World Heritage Site
The Lake District is the UK’s first National Park to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, the Roman fortress Hadrian’s Wall, stretching across the top of Cumbria, has just celebrated 30 years as a World Heritage Site.
Carlisle Castle hosted the first recorded game of football
The castle is stunning, in fine condition and more than 900 years old. Mary Queen of Scots was there in the 1540s and recorded a game of football in her diaries. The game is thought to have involved everyone staying at the castle at the time.
Britain’s best road is in Cumbria
The A591, stretching for 30 miles from Kendal to Keswick, was named as the best road to drive on in the UK. The road passes through some stunning scenery and travels along the banks of lakes Windermere and Thirlmere.
Carlisle is the UK’s happiest city
A survey by Rightmove found that people in Carlisle are the happiest in England, when asked how they felt about their homes, affordability, security and community.
England’s highest market town is here
Alston shares the title of the highest market town in England, being 1,000ft (300m) above sea level.
Cumbrian food takes you higher
Romney’s Kendal Mint Cake was carried to the top of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953 - the first successful expedition to the summit - and eaten there by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norday. It still ranks highly among Cumbria’s most popular exports.
Cumbria is home to the biggest colouring pencil in the world
You can find it at Derwent Pencil Museum, Keswick - the pencil is yellow and is 7.91 metres (26 ft) long, weighing 446.36 kilograms (984.1 lb).
Ospreys are back and breeding
The huge fish-eating bird of prey disappeared from England in the 1830s, until a pair nested on Bassenthwaite in the Lake District in 2001. Since then the birds have returned each year, and ospreys have also started nesting at Foulshaw Moss in south Cumbria.
Stone circles aren’t all about Stonehenge
Cumbria boasts some of the oldest, largest and most complete stone circles in Europe. Castlerigg Stone Circle is perhaps the oldest remaining stone circle in England, with 38 large volcanic standing stones, while Long Meg and Her Daughters are a sandstone monolith with 59 standing stones, one containing prehistoric markings.
More village halls means closer communities
Cumbria might just be the friendliest place on earth. The county boasts one of the largest number of village halls in England, a good sign of a warm community feeling with friendly neighbours.
So you want to live in Cumbria?
If you’re over 55 there is a luxury development of villas and apartments built just for you. Nestled within the grounds of the historic and picturesque Scalesceugh Hall, next to a beautiful nature reserve, the homes focus on wellbeing and have many innovative features. Read more details here.