Newby Bridge

Newby Bridge's small collection of hotels makes the most of its riverside setting at the southern tip of Windermere. The best-known is the Swan Hotel & Spa, a former 17th-century coaching inn on the banks of the River Leven, offering a spa, pool and several restaurants alongside its rooms — a popular choice for a relaxed break that doesn't require constant driving to reach the lake or the fells. A mile away in Backbarrow, the Whitewater Hotel occupies a former bobbin mill beside the river and combines pub-style dining with leisure facilities, again just a short walk from Newby Bridge itself.

Because the village sits right on the A590 with quick access to the M6, it's a practical base for touring the whole of the southern and western Lake District — Coniston, Grizedale Forest, the Furness peninsula and Cartmel are all a short drive away, as is the lake itself via Lakeside pier. Compared with busier bases like Bowness or Windermere town, hotels here tend to offer a quieter, more countryside-feeling stay, with the option to walk straight out to the river, the bridge or Fell Foot Park's lakeside lawns rather than a high street. For those wanting the classic Lake District view without the crowds, Newby Bridge is hard to beat as a hotel base.

Compact as it is, Newby Bridge and its immediate surroundings pack in some of the most family-friendly attractions in the whole national park.

• Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway — a preserved steam railway running roughly three and a half miles from Haverthwaite through Newby Bridge to Lakeside on Windermere's southern shore, using vintage steam locomotives on part of the old Furness Railway line to Ulverston.
• Windermere Lake Cruises from Lakeside — Lakeside pier, just north of the village, is the southern terminus for cruises up the lake to Bowness and Ambleside, and connects directly with the steam railway for a classic rail-and-boat day out.
• Fell Foot Park — a National Trust park at the lake's southern tip, with 18 acres of lakeshore lawns, woodland and gardens; hire a rowing boat or paddleboard, picnic by the water, or take the small ferry across to the boathouse.
• Aquarium of the Lakes — set beside Lakeside pier, with tanks and walk-through tunnels showing the freshwater and coastal wildlife of the Lake District and Morecambe Bay.
• Newby Bridge itself — the elegant stone bridge over the River Leven has stood since the 1600s and remains the focal point of the village; the riverside beneath it is a pleasant spot to pause on a walk.
• Grizedale Forest — a short drive over the fells to the west, with waymarked mountain bike trails, forest walking routes and outdoor sculpture trails through the trees.
• Cartmel — the historic priory village a few miles south, famous for its sticky toffee pudding, racecourse and 12th-century priory church.

The Swan Hotel & Spa, a former coaching inn dating from the early 1600s on the banks of the Leven, has several places to eat under one roof: the dog-friendly Swan Inn for pub classics and a Sunday roast, the more formal River Room Brasserie, and a café for coffee and cake. A mile south in Backbarrow, the Whitewater Hotel serves hearty pub food in its bar or beer garden overlooking the river. For something sweeter, Cartmel's village bakery — spiritual home of sticky toffee pudding — is a short drive away and well worth the detour.

The countryside around Newby Bridge, where the fells of the southern Lake District roll down to meet the foot of Windermere, offers some genuinely scenic camping and touring pitches without the crowds you'll find further north. Wooded, sheltered valleys and open lakeside meadows both feature here, giving campers a choice between tucked-away peace and wide views over the water. It's worth remembering that wild camping is not legally permitted in England without the landowner's explicit permission — even within the Lake District National Park, pitching up on open fell or common land is technically trespass unless you have that agreement, so stick to licensed sites or land where you've asked first.

Terrain in this part of the Lakes is gentler than the high central fells around Scafell or Helvellyn, with rolling hills, woodland and riverside paths rather than steep scrambles, which makes it well suited to family camping, first-timers and anyone touring with a caravan or motorhome. Sites near the River Leven and the southern shore of Windermere put you within easy walking or cycling distance of Fell Foot Park, the Lakeside & Haverthwaite steam railway and the lake cruises, so you can leave the car behind for whole days at a time.

The camping season here runs roughly from Easter through to the end of October, with most sites closing over winter; the driest and warmest weather typically falls between May and September, though the Lake District's changeable climate means it's always worth packing for rain regardless of the forecast. Midsummer and school holiday weekends are the busiest times, so booking ahead is sensible if you want a pitch close to the water.

For those who prefer a roof and four walls without giving up the outdoor feel, glamping options in the area range from safari tents and shepherd's huts to fully-equipped wooden pods, many set on farms and small sites in the valleys around Haverthwaite, Backbarrow and Cartmel Fell — a good way to enjoy the southern Lakes' quieter charm in comfort whatever the weather does.