Crooklands

Crooklands is a small hamlet in Westmorland and Furness, tucked into the gently rolling farmland a few miles south of Kendal, close to the M6's junction 36. It is not a place with a high street or a row of shops to browse; it is a scatter of stone farm buildings, a coaching inn, a church and a canal bridge, set among fields grazed by sheep and dairy cattle. What Crooklands offers instead of bustle is position: it sits at the point where the flat, quiet Lyth and Kent valleys give way to the fells, making it a genuinely useful base for anyone heading into the southern Lake District without wanting to pay Windermere prices or fight Windermere traffic.

The hamlet grew up around the Lancaster Canal, which opened through here in 1819. The canal's Crooklands aqueduct carries the waterway over Peasey Beck, and the humpbacked Crooklands Bridge still crosses the water a short walk from the hotel. St Patrick's Church, a Grade II listed building dating from the early 19th century, stands on the site of an earlier chapel, with gravestones in its yard going back to at least 1795. The Georgian coaching inn at the heart of the hamlet, now known as the Crooklands Hotel, began life as a farmhouse and has served travellers on the road to Kendal for well over 250 years. Every September the Westmorland County Show, one of Cumbria's biggest agricultural shows, takes over the showground at Lane Farm just outside the village, drawing tens of thousands of visitors for a single day of livestock judging, show jumping and local produce.

Top things to do in Crooklands

Crooklands itself is tiny, so most days out mean a short drive in one direction or another. That said, there is more within a few miles than the hamlet's size would suggest, and the walking straight from the door is genuinely good.

• Lancaster Canal towpath — the canal runs right past Crooklands Bridge and gives easy, flat, traffic-free walking or cycling in either direction, past the old aqueduct over Peasey Beck and out into open farmland.
• Levens Hall and Gardens — an Elizabethan house around 2.8 miles away, famous for its topiary garden, one of the oldest in the world, first laid out in the late 17th century, plus a working steam collection and deer park.
• Sizergh Castle — a National Trust medieval pele tower and Tudor house about 5 miles north, with extensive gardens, a rock garden and parkland walks, and a long history tied to the Strickland family.
• Lakeland Wildlife Oasis — a family-run zoo near Milnthorpe, roughly 6 miles away, with meerkats, snow leopards, reptiles and an indoor tropical house, popular with younger children.
• Kendal — the historic market town of Kendal is about 4.5 miles north, with its ruined castle, Kendal Museum, the Brewery Arts Centre and the Abbot Hall art gallery, plus the usual run of independent shops and cafes on Highgate and Stricklandgate.
• Farleton Fell and the Helsington and Whitbarrow limestone country — a short drive away, this stretch of the southern fells offers limestone pavement, juniper scrub and views across Morecambe Bay, popular with walkers and, on the Farleton Crag side, paragliders.
• Southern Lake District access — Crooklands is close enough to the M6 and the A590/A591 corridor that Windermere, Bowness and the southern end of the national park are all within a 20-30 minute drive.

Getting to Crooklands

Crooklands sits right beside junction 36 of the M6, making it one of the more accessible parts of Cumbria by car, whether arriving from the south via Lancaster and Carnforth or from the north via Penrith. The A65 runs through the hamlet, connecting to Kirkby Lonsdale and Skipton to the east. Kendal, on the West Coast Main Line, is the nearest railway town, with services connecting to Oxenholme station a few miles away, from where regular trains run to London Euston, Birmingham and Glasgow. From Oxenholme or Kendal, Crooklands is a short taxi or bus ride. There is no railway station in Crooklands itself and public transport within the hamlet is limited, so a car is the practical way to explore the surrounding area.

Best time to visit Crooklands

Late spring through early autumn, roughly May to September, brings the best combination of weather and daylight for walking the canal towpath and visiting nearby gardens at Levens Hall and Sizergh Castle, both of which are seasonal attractions with reduced or closed hours over winter. The Westmorland County Show, held in September, is a highlight for anyone interested in agricultural shows and brings a genuinely local, unpretentious atmosphere rarely found at bigger Lake District events. Winter in Crooklands is quiet and low-key, better suited to those wanting a peaceful stopover near the motorway or a base for short walks rather than a full itinerary of open attractions.

Where to stay in Crooklands

Accommodation in Crooklands itself centres on the Crooklands Hotel, a 31-bedroom coaching inn with a restaurant and bar that has expanded considerably from its farmhouse origins. Beyond the hotel, options in the hamlet are limited, and most visitors looking for bed and breakfasts, self-catering cottages or larger hotel choice will find a wider range in nearby Kendal or Milnthorpe, both a short drive away.

Food and drink in Crooklands

The Crooklands Hotel is the obvious focus for food and drink in the hamlet, with both a contemporary evening restaurant and a more traditional coaching-inn bar and dining area serving pub classics alongside daily specials. There is no separate village pub or cafe beyond the hotel, so for wider choice, Kendal and Milnthorpe both offer a good spread of cafes, restaurants and takeaways within a few minutes' drive.