Old Hutton

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.

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.

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 near Old Hutton

Accommodation in Old Hutton itself is limited, in keeping with its size, but Kendal offers a proper range of hotels, guesthouses and self-catering options just a few miles away, and the surrounding villages have farmhouse B&Bs and holiday cottages that suit the quiet, rural character of the area. Camping and glamping sites are dotted through the Lyth Valley and the countryside towards the Lake District boundary, giving easy access to both the fells and the Dales without the crowds of the busier honeypot villages.

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.