What to do in The Lake District

The Lake District asks you to slow right down, then hands you a dozen reasons to speed back up again. Take a private boat out on Windermere, England's largest lake, or follow Beatrix Potter's trail to Hill Top, the farmhouse that inspired Peter Rabbit and his mischief. Wordsworth fans should make the pilgrimage to Dove Cottage, the man practically invented the Lake District as a literary subject, before a quieter sail across Coniston Water or Derwentwater from Keswick. If you'd rather move under your own steam (sorry), a guided fell walk with a mountain guide gets you properly up into the fells, while a heritage steam railway does the climbing for you. Don't miss Castlerigg Stone Circle at golden hour; its ring of stones is older than Stonehenge's, with the fells rising behind like an audience. Bring a flask. And good boots.