Cockermouth Area Guide

Cockermouth is a beautiful market town situated on the edge of the Lake District National Park.

The pretty town boasts many independent shops and an array of fantastic cafes, pubs, hotels and restaurants.

If you enjoy cycling, walking and running Cockermouth is an excellent place to live and base yourself. Explore the unspoilt northern Lake District and all it has to offer. Lorton Valley offers walks around Loweswater, Crummock and Buttermere Lakes. Whinlatter Forest is 10 minutes away for bike enthusiasts where you can enjoy views of Bassenthwaite Lake.

There is a real mix of property on offer in Cockermouth from beautiful period properties to modern executive estates.

If you are new to the area or have lived here your entire life, contact our team of estate agents in Carlisle today, who are local experts, to discuss how we can support you during your property search.

Highlights and attractions

Visit Wordsworth House & Gardens

Wordsworth House

A visit to Wordsworth House and Garden is a unique opportunity to experience late 18th-century life at first hand.

The Georgian townhouse, located centrally in Cockermouth, was the birthplace and childhood home of romantic poet William and his sister Dorothy.

Make yourself at home in the hands-on rooms – including an amazing working Georgian kitchen – taste an 18th-century recipe, listen to tales of life with the family, and learn the fascinating story of the house and garden.

The garden is packed with 18th-century vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers, just as it would have been in William’s day.

The beautiful Lorton Valley

The Vale of Lorton is a sequence of valleys leading from Cockermouth towards Keswick. In one of the lushest, prettiest parts of the Northern Lakes, the valley contains the lakes Loweswater, Crummock Water and Buttermere.

The valley has no shortage of activities. With 5 lakes within 6 miles there are opportunities for sailing, canoeing, fishing and lakeside walks. The Lorton Valley is an excellent location from which to explore the peace and tranquility of Crummock Water, Buttermere and Loweswater.

Enjoy the local independent shops

Cockermouth is renowned locally for having one of the best high streets with local independent shops. From clothes and shoes, to homewares and gifts, butchers, bakers, supermarkets and hardware stores there is something to interest everyone.

And when you have shopped until you drop, there are plenty of cafes, pubs and restaurants dotted about to tempt you in for a drink and something to eat.

Commuting

By Road

Cockermouth is easily reached via junction of the M6 (Penrith) and the A66 or via the A1 and the A66. For a scenic route coming from the South leave the M6 at junction 36 and take the A591 through Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick. Using motorways from Manchester it takes approximately 2 hours 20 minutes, whilst from the Midlands Cockermouth is around a 3 and a half hour drive. The average journey time from London is approximately 5 1/2 hours.

By Rail

The nearest railway station to Cockermouth is Carlisle, on the West Coast Main Line, a distance of 27 miles. A bus service, taking fifty minutes, connects Carlisle railway station with Cockermouth Bus Station. The historic Settle to Carlisle Railway line brings passengers from Yorkshire via the Eden Valley.

Schools

Cockermouth is well served for nursery, primary and secondary schools within the town and in the surrounding local villages. Many children also travel to nearby Keswick for secondary school.