# Old Hutton Staycation Guide — Where to Stay & What to Do > Explore Old Hutton, a quiet Cumbria parish near Kendal, with nearby castles, fells and the Lyth Valley's orchards. Source: https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton (Staycation.co.uk). Cite the source page, not this text version. Fell views and farmland between the Lakes and the Dales Photo © Bronte Dixon, Google Maps [Guide](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton) [🏨 Hotels](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/hotels) [🏡 Cottages](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/cottages) [⛺ Camping](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/camping) [🎟️ Attractions](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions) [🍽️ Restaurants](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants) Old Hutton is a small rural parish tucked into the low limestone hills about four miles south-east of Kendal, on the B6254 towards Old Hutton and Holmescales. Officially the parish is Old Hutton and Holmescales, a cluster of farms, a church, and a scattering of houses rather than a village in the conventional sense, and it has looked this way for a long time: the split from neighbouring New Hutton is thought to date back to the reign of Edward I, and the parish became a separate civil parish in its own right in 1866. What draws people here isn't a single attraction but the setting itself. The land rolls between the limestone scars of the Kendal fells and the greener, softer Lyth Valley, known locally for its damson orchards, with the higher Lakeland fells visible to the west and the Yorkshire Dales beginning to rise to the east. It's a genuinely in-between place: close enough to Kendal for a morning's shopping, close enough to the southern Lake District for an afternoon on the fells, and close enough to the Dales for a change of scenery entirely. For visitors staying nearby, that makes it a useful, quiet base rather than a destination to tick off in itself. ## Getting to Old Hutton Old Hutton sits just off the B6254, a few minutes' drive south-east of Kendal, making it easily reached by car from the A65 or the A6. Junction 36 of the M6 is the nearest motorway access, putting Kendal and the surrounding villages within about ten minutes of the motorway network, with Lancaster, Preston and the North West beyond it, and Penrith and Scotland to the north. Kendal itself has a rail station on the branch line from Oxenholme, which sits on the West Coast Main Line with fast services to London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Edinburgh. From Oxenholme or Kendal, local buses and taxis cover the short remaining distance out to the parish. There is no rail or regular bus service directly into Old Hutton itself, so a car is the practical option for reaching accommodation in the area. ## Best time to visit Old Hutton Late spring is particularly rewarding here, when the damson blossom in the Lyth Valley draws visitors from further afield and the fells are at their greenest. Summer brings the longest days for walking and exploring the wider Kendal and southern Lakes area, while autumn colours the woodland around Sizergh and Whitbarrow. Winter is quieter and the fells can turn wintry quickly, so anyone visiting outside the summer months should come prepared for changeable weather and check road conditions on the higher routes. ## Where to stay in Old Hutton [All hotels in Old Hutton →](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/hotels) About staying in Old Hutton Hotels directly in Old Hutton are scarce, since the parish is really a scattering of farms and houses rather than a village with its own high street. Most visitors base themselves in Kendal instead, just a few miles away, where there's a proper choice of accommodation, from small independent hotels and coaching inns to guesthouses and self-catering apartments, all within easy reach of the shops, restaurants and Abbot Hall gallery in the town centre. Kendal also makes a sensible base logistically, sitting close to Junction 36 of the M6 and with a rail link via Oxenholme, so it suits visitors who want easy access to the southern Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lyth Valley without committing to one particular corner of the countryside. For something quieter and more in keeping with Old Hutton's own character, the villages around the parish, and the wider Lyth Valley, have farmhouse bed and breakfasts and holiday cottages, often on working farms, offering a genuinely rural stay with fell or valley views. These tend to book up at busy times, particularly around the spring damson blossom and through the summer months, so it's worth planning ahead. Whichever base you choose, the distances involved are small: Kendal, Sizergh, Levens and the fells are all within a few miles of each other, so where you stay matters less for convenience than it does for atmosphere. [Station Inn B&B Oxenholme, Kendal](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/hotels/station-inn-b-b) [Days Inn Kendal Killington Lake Roadchef Motorway Service Area, Kendal](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/hotels/days-inn-kendal-killington-lake) [The Glen Guest House Oxenholme, Kendal](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/hotels/the-glen-guest-house) [The Punch Bowl Hotel Barrows Green, Kendal](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/hotels/the-punch-bowl-hotel) [★★★★4 star Castle Green Hotel in Kendal BW Premier Collection Castle Green Lane, Kendal from £115/night](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/hotels/castle-green-hotel-in-kendal-bw-premier-collection) [Crooklands Hotel Crooklands Hotel, Crooklands](https://staycation.co.uk/crooklands/hotels/crooklands-hotel) [Lyndhurst Guest House 8 South Road, Kendal](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/hotels/lyndhurst-guest-house) [Sundial Stays Kendal 51 Milnthorpe Road, Kendal](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/hotels/sundial-stays-kendal) ## Things to Do in Old Hutton [All attractions in Old Hutton →](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions) Top things to do near Old Hutton None of the region's big sights are more than a short drive away, and several are within easy reach for a half-day trip. - **Kendal Castle** — the ruined 12th-century stronghold associated with the Parr family (Catherine Parr, Henry VIII's last queen, is traditionally linked to it) sits on a hill above Kendal with wide views over the town and surrounding fells. - **Sizergh Castle** — a National Trust property around three miles south of Kendal, built around a medieval pele tower and set in 1,600 acres of parkland, with a limestone rock garden, orchards, and walking trails through Brigsteer Wood taking in views across the Lyth Valley to the fells and Morecambe Bay. - **Levens Hall** — an Elizabethan mansion built around a 14th-century pele tower, a few miles further south, famous for its topiary garden, said to be the oldest of its kind in the world, first laid out in the 1690s. - **St John the Baptist's Church, Old Hutton** — the parish church itself, rebuilt in 1873 on the site of earlier chapels dating back centuries, notable for holding a chalice from 1459, thought to be the oldest pre-Reformation example of its kind in Cumbria. - **Kendal town centre** — independent shops, the Abbot Hall art gallery, and the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry make for an easy day out, along with the town's well-known mint cake and gingerbread. - **The Lyth Valley and Whitbarrow** — a gentler stretch of countryside good for walking, especially in spring when the valley's damson orchards blossom, with limestone pavement and woodland on the slopes of Whitbarrow Scar. - **Killington Reservoir** — a peaceful stretch of water a short drive to the east, popular with anglers and walkers and a useful stop for anyone exploring towards the Yorkshire Dales. [Lakeland Maze Farm Park ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions/lakeland-maze-farm-park) [Curious About Kendal ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions/curious-about-kendal) [Climb 365 ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions/climb-365) [Sizergh Castle - National Trust ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions/sizergh-castle-national-trust) [Outside in Cumbria ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions/outside-in-cumbria) [KendalWall Indoor Climbing Centre ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions/kendalwall-indoor-climbing-centre) [Lakeland Climbing Centre ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions/lakeland-climbing-centre) [Lakeland Wildlife Oasis ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions/lakeland-wildlife-oasis) ## Where to Eat in Old Hutton [All restaurants in Old Hutton →](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants) Food and drink near Old Hutton For a rural parish, dining out means a short drive into Kendal or one of the nearby villages, where pubs and cafes serve the kind of solid, unfussy food you'd expect in this part of Cumbria — hearty Sunday lunches, local lamb and beef, and the region's well-known baked goods, including Kendal's famous mint cake and gingerbread from the town's long-established bakeries. The Lyth Valley's damson orchards also mean local damson gin and preserves turn up on menus and farm shop shelves in season, a small but distinctive taste of the immediate area. [Station Inn ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants/station-inn) [McDonalds ⭐ 4.0](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants/mcdonalds) [Westmorland Cafe ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants/westmorland-cafe) [Lakeland Maze Farm Park ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants/lakeland-maze-farm-park) [Kitridding Tea Room ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants/kitridding-tea-room) [Hansens Creative Catering Ltd ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants/hansens-creative-catering-ltd) [Castle Green Hotel ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants/castle-green-hotel) [Crooklands Hotel ⭐ 4.5](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants/crooklands-hotel) ## Attractions Near Old Hutton [All attractions in Old Hutton →](https://staycation.co.uk/attractions) Worth the trip — within 50 miles of Old Hutton. [3 mi Lakeland Maze Farm Park Kendal · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/attractions/lakeland-maze-farm-park) [3 mi Curious About Kendal Kendal · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/attractions/curious-about-kendal) [4 mi Climb 365 Lake District · ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/lake-district/attractions/climb-365) [4 mi Sizergh Castle - National Trust Kendal · ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/attractions/sizergh-castle-national-trust) [4 mi Outside in Cumbria Burton in Kendal · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/burton-in-kendal/attractions/outside-in-cumbria) [5 mi KendalWall Indoor Climbing Centre Kendal · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/attractions/kendalwall-indoor-climbing-centre) [7 mi Lakeland Climbing Centre Kendal · ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/attractions/lakeland-climbing-centre) [7 mi Lakeland Wildlife Oasis Milnthorpe · ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/milnthorpe/attractions/lakeland-wildlife-oasis) ## Camping in Old Hutton [All campsites in Old Hutton →](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/camping) About camping in Old Hutton Old Hutton and the countryside around it sit in a part of Cumbria that rewards a slower pace, and camping here means limestone hills, quiet lanes and views stretching from the Lyth Valley to the Lakeland fells, without the pressure on pitches you'll find in the honeypot valleys further into the National Park. As with anywhere in England, wild camping is not legal without the landowner's permission, unlike in Scotland, so pitching up on open fell or farmland here means using a proper campsite or agreeing access with the farmer first. The good news is that the wider Kendal area has a reasonable spread of small, independent sites, many on working farms, offering both traditional pitches and a growing number of glamping options, from safari tents to shepherd's huts, for anyone who wants the setting without the full kit. The terrain around Old Hutton is gentler than the high central Lakes, all limestone scars, drystone walls and pasture rather than dramatic peaks, which makes it a good choice for families or less experienced campers who still want fell views and easy access to proper hillwalking nearby. Whitbarrow Scar and the wooded slopes around Sizergh give good low-level walking straight from a tent door, while the higher southern Lakeland fells are a short drive away for anyone wanting a bigger day out. The Lyth Valley's damson orchards also make spring a particularly good time to camp here, with blossom across the valley in late April, though many sites run through summer and into early autumn when the weather holds. As with most of Cumbria, the best camping season runs from late spring to early autumn, when ground conditions are kinder and daylight hours longer, though the sheltered, lower-lying nature of this landscape compared with the high fells means it can be a gentler option outside peak summer too. Booking ahead is sensible for weekends and school holidays, particularly at the smaller sites, which tend to have limited pitches by design. [Lakes Yurts ⭐ 4.5 · from £165/night](https://staycation.co.uk/cockermouth/camping/lakes-yurts) [Holmescales Campsite ⭐ 4.2 · from £26/night](https://staycation.co.uk/kendal/camping/holmescales-campsite) [Ashes Exclusively Adult Caravan Park ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/cumbria/camping/ashes-exclusively-adult-caravan-park) [Gatebeck Park ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/cumbria/camping/gatebeck-park) [Millbrook Caravan Park ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/cumbria/camping/millbrook-caravan-park) [Wood View Certificated Site ⭐ 3.0](https://staycation.co.uk/cumbria/camping/wood-view-certificated-site) [Natland Park Caravan Site ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/cumbria/camping/natland-park-caravan-site) [Kaker Mill Farm Certificated Location ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/cumbria/camping/kaker-mill-farm-certificated-location) ## Self-Catering Cottages in Old Hutton [All cottages in Old Hutton →](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/cottages) [Holmescales Lodges 2 cottages · from £727](https://staycation.co.uk/westmorland-and-furness/cottages/holmescales-lodges-tyan-uk49354) [🏡Cottage Howgills Retreat 2 bed · sleeps 4 · from £514](https://staycation.co.uk/westmorland-and-furness/cottages/howgills-retreat-syk1105555) [🏡Cottage Howgill Lodge 2 bed · sleeps 4 · from £510](https://staycation.co.uk/westmorland-and-furness/cottages/howgill-lodge-syk1105560) [🏡Cottage Meadowview Barn 5 bed · sleeps 10 · from £1,492](https://staycation.co.uk/westmorland-and-furness/cottages/meadowview-barn-uk49364) [Drumlins Cottage 1 bed · sleeps 2 · from £447](https://staycation.co.uk/westmorland-and-furness/cottages/drumlins-cottage-uk10814) [🏡Cottage Farleton View 3 bed · sleeps 6 · from £423](https://staycation.co.uk/westmorland-and-furness/cottages/farleton-view-uk13257) [🏡Cottage Stang Farm 4 bed · sleeps 8 · from £767](https://staycation.co.uk/westmorland-and-furness/cottages/stang-farm-syk1144294) [🏡Cottage Hollins Farm Barn 1 bed · sleeps 2 · from £336](https://staycation.co.uk/westmorland-and-furness/cottages/hollins-farm-barn-syk3778) ### 🏨 Find Hotels in Old Hutton Search hotels, B&Bs and self-catering on Booking.com. [Search Accommodation →](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101762279-15734754?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.en-gb.html%3Fss%3DOld%2BHutton%252C%2BUnited%2BKingdom) Affiliate link ### Explore Old Hutton - [🏨 Hotels & B&Bs](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/hotels) - [🏡 Cottages](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/cottages) - [⛺ Campsites & glamping](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/camping) - [🎟️ Attractions](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/attractions) - [🍽️ Restaurants](https://staycation.co.uk/old-hutton/restaurants) ## Staycation ideas for Old Hutton [All staycation ideas →](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas) [The Best Last-Minute UK Staycations Six well-connected UK towns and cities worth booking at short notice, chosen for easy travel and a decent spread of accommodation once the school-holiday crowds have thinned.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/best-last-minute-staycations) [Rainy Day Staycations: Best UK Breaks for Bad Weather When the forecast turns grim, these UK cities and spa towns keep their appeal indoors, with museums, galleries and grand architecture to fill a wet weekend.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/rainy-day-staycations-uk) [The Best Dog-Friendly Staycations in Britain From Cornish coast paths to Lake District fells, these six British destinations offer the open beaches, moors and forests that make a staycation genuinely enjoyable for dogs and their owners alike.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/dog-friendly-staycations) [The Best UK Staycations for Families with Young Kids From New Forest ponies to Cornish rock pools, these six UK destinations combine easy logistics, safe beaches and family-friendly attractions for a stress-free break with young children.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/best-staycations-for-families)