Newlands Valley

Drive south from Keswick and Newlands Valley opens up like someone's pulled back curtains on one of England's best-kept corners. It's a U-shaped fell valley that sweeps between Cat Bells and the High Stile ridge - proper dramatic stuff without the crowds you'd find in Borrowdale. The valley floor is gentle farmland, all dry stone walls and scattered buildings, but look up and you're boxed in by serious mountains on both sides.

Walkers absolutely thrive here. There's a straightforward route up Cat Bells from the valley floor - takes about ninety minutes return and gives you views across the Lake District that justify the huffing and puffing. Less keen hikers can drive the length of the valley and stop for short walks or picnics. The road itself winds through genuinely lovely scenery without feeling touristy.

Honestly, it's the kind of place that rewards you for finding it. No visitor centre, no gift shop, no queue of coaches. Just fell, fields, and the occasional distant sound of a stream. Families with young kids might get restless after an hour unless they're keen on short walks - but teenagers and proper walkers will want most of a day here.

Whinfell Hall Farm Campsite sits about six miles north towards Keswick, making Newlands Valley an easy half-day loop from a week-long base. Go early in the day if you want parking near the valley head - it's small and popular with locals who know what they're doing.