Caldbeck

Caldbeck is not a village of big hotels, and that is very much part of its appeal. Accommodation here leans towards traditional inns, farmhouse bed and breakfasts, and self-catering cottages spread through the village and its neighbouring hamlets of Hesket Newmarket and Uldale. The Oddfellows Arms, in the heart of the village, combines its pub and restaurant with a small number of B&B rooms, making it a convenient base for walkers heading out onto the Cumbria Way or up into the northern fells. Stone-built farmhouses and cottages nearby offer self-catering options with views over open fell country, popular with those wanting a quiet week away from the busier central Lakes.

For visitors who want a larger choice of hotels, spas or chain accommodation, the market towns of Keswick, Penrith and Cockermouth are all within a twenty-minute drive and offer a much fuller range, while still allowing an easy day trip out to Caldbeck itself. Staying in the village suits those who want to walk from the door, explore the Howk and the northern fells at leisure, and enjoy an evening in a proper Cumbrian pub rather than those looking for extensive on-site facilities. Booking ahead is worthwhile, particularly for the handful of rooms in the village itself, as options are genuinely limited compared with the honeypot Lakeland towns.

Caldbeck rewards visitors who come for quiet walking and genuine village atmosphere rather than big-name attractions. The highlights are modest in scale but real:

• John Peel's grave, St Kentigern's Church — the twelfth-century parish church holds the grave of the huntsman John Peel, marked with a stone carved with hunting horns and fox motifs, plus the grave of Mary Harrison, subject of the song 'Sally Gray'.
• The Howk — a short walk from the village centre leads into this limestone gorge, where waterfalls tumble past the ivy-covered ruins of a nineteenth-century bobbin mill; a National Trust-cared-for spot and one of the prettiest short walks in the area.
• Priest's Mill — a restored eighteenth-century corn mill in the heart of the village, now home to a café, craft shops and a small gallery, and a natural starting point for exploring on foot.
• Caldbeck Pond ('Claydubs') — a peaceful duck pond just outside the village, a legacy of a former claypit, and a favourite spot for a gentle stroll.
• The northern fells — High Pike, Carrock Fell and the open moorland behind Skiddaw and Blencathra are all within easy reach, offering remote, uncrowded walking well away from the honeypot Lakeland summits.
• The Cumbria Way — the 73-mile long-distance footpath between Ulverston and Carlisle passes directly through Caldbeck, making the village a natural stop or starting point for walkers tackling all or part of the route.
• Hesket Newmarket — the neighbouring village, a short walk or drive away, has its own green, the community-owned Old Crown pub, and the Hesket Newmarket Brewery.

The Oddfellows Arms is the village's main hub for food and drink, a traditional Lake District inn serving Jennings cask ales and home-cooked pub food, including a well-regarded steak pie. Priest's Mill houses a café serving light lunches and cakes in its converted mill setting. For something further afield, the Old Crown at Hesket Newmarket, a community-owned pub, and the Hesket Newmarket Brewery next door are both worth the short trip, as is the Snooty Fox at Uldale.

Caldbeck sits right at the foot of some of the least-visited fells in the Lake District, which makes it an appealing base for campers who want quiet, open country rather than crowded lakeside sites. As in the rest of England, wild camping on open fell or common land here is not legally permitted without the landowner's permission, in contrast to Scotland's more permissive access rights, so pitching up on the open tops around High Pike or Carrock Fell without asking first is technically trespass, even though enforcement in these remote spots is rare. The safer, and more comfortable, route is one of the small farm-based campsites and caravan parks scattered through the parish and neighbouring villages, several of which make a point of their dark skies and fellside views.

This is proper northern fell terrain: exposed, steep in places, and capable of turning wet and windy even in midsummer, so anyone tempted to camp wild on the higher ground should be properly equipped, experienced with navigation, and prepared to move on quickly if challenged or if the weather closes in. Given the terrain, the best camping season runs from late spring to early autumn, when the ground is drier underfoot and the long evenings make the most of the fellside views; winter camping here is a serious undertaking best left to hardened campers. For those who want the scenery without the exposure, a small but growing number of glamping options in the area, from shepherd's huts to safari tents, offer a warmer alternative with the same big-sky views over the northern fells, without needing a tent, sleeping mat or stove of your own.