Lifestyle
If you’re an adventurer, a music lover, or a community spirit, we guarantee there’s something here for you.
There’s lots of things to do for people of all ages. Whether you enjoy outdoor walks or extreme sports, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Lake District offers you everything you can imagine. If you prefer retail therapy, we have lots of high street shopping and independent stores.
There’s plenty of choice if you like to eat out, with an abundance of cafés and restaurants. There are also local country pubs in the surrounding villages, offering homemade and locally sourced options.
There are food, film, adventure, literature and music festivals throughout the year including Keswick Mountain Festival, Words by the Water, Taste Cumbria and Kendal Calling.
Cumbria also offers a great arts and culture scene. The Theatre by the Lake, located on the edge of Derwentwater in Keswick, is described by The Telegraph as “the most gorgeously situated theatre in England”.
There are arts and music venues around the county where you can enjoy all sorts of different exhibitions and events. In the city of Carlisle there’s the Sands Centre, an entertainment and sports venue hosting comedians, orchestras, pop stars, theatre companies and pantomimes.
There are regular farmers markets and European markets as well as Christmas and Easter markets. You also have the greatest outdoor playground on your doorstep for family adventures, day trips or camping holidays.
Home to 498,000 people, Cumbria gives you plenty to explore and the chance to be part of a friendly, close-knit community.
Property
With bustling market towns, picturesque villages and an historic Border city, Cumbria offers many idyllic locations to live and work.
The average cost of a semi-detached home in is only £174,972 which is £78,000 below the national average. There’s a wide variety of housing available from country cottages and traditional terraces to new builds and harbour-side apartments. Even if you live in the city, you’re only a 30 minute drive from a good fell walk.
Schools
There are a number of great schools in the area and kids clubs with plenty to keep little ones happy too. If you’ve got older kids or fancy learning something yourself there are lots options for further and higher education, including the University of Cumbria.
Most of the primary and secondary schools in Cumbria have been rated good or outstanding by Ofsted. You can find the latest inspection reports here.
For more information about schools in Cumbria, including contact details and website links, visit cumbria.gov.uk/schooldata.
Transport links
Road
Cumbria is well connected to the south of England via the M6, Scotland via the A74/M74 and the north east via the A66.
Rail
The West Coast Main Line offers services to from Carlisle and Penrith to major cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The scenic Cumbrian Coast Line runs from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness, passing through Maryport, Workington, Whitehaven and Millom.
There is also the Tyne Valley Line linking Carlisle to Newcastle, the Lakes Line from Oxenholme Lake District to Windermere, and the Carlisle to Settle Line.
Air
Carlisle Airport offers direct flights to London Southend, Belfast and Dublin. Newcastle International Airport is 55 miles from Carlisle and serves 80 destinations.
