This quiet corner of Cumbria is most famous for its historic damson orchards. Each spring, the landscape is transformed by delicate clouds of white blossom—a stunning natural display celebrated every April during the local Damson Day. This popular community festival brings together regional growers, artisans, and food producers to honour the versatile fruit. By the time autumn arrives, the branches are heavy with deep purple harvests, and traditional roadside stalls appear throughout the valleys selling fresh fruit to passers-by.
The Lyth and Winster valleys offer a quintessentially English pastoral scene. Here, whitewashed farmsteads are tucked away amongst small orchards, and ancient broadleaved woods become carpets of bluebells in the warmer months. The terrain is a beautiful mix of rolling green pastures, rugged limestone outcrops, and bursts of bright yellow gorse. At the heart of this region are the peaceful villages of Underbarrow, Crosthwaite, and Bowland Bridge, all connected by a web of historic lanes and pathways that lead toward the traditional market town of Kendal.
The valleys begin near the hamlets of Winster and Crook, where the Winster and Gilpin rivers flow on either side of the towering limestone mass of Whitbarrow Scar. The village of Witherslack sits quietly at the foot of this dramatic ridge. To the east, Brigsteer is nestled beneath the cliffs of Scout Scar, overlooking the expansive, drained mosslands.
Further south, the village of Levens occupies a prominent position that was historically reached by the sea. Moving west, the wooded hills of Cartmel Fell climb toward Gummer’s How, which provides one of the most magnificent vantage points over Windermere. Down at the water’s edge, Fell Foot Park provides an ideal spot for visitors to enjoy various activities on the lake or relax by the shore.
