Discover Ulverston: Trails, Culture and Landscape

Ulverston combines distinctive landscapes, special cultural venues and varied trails to create a destination with many possible travel rhythms. You can prepare for a longer hike, choose a level canal path, explore Hoad Hill or include culture and culinary enjoyment in your plans. The town therefore also offers different points of interest for travel groups with varied interests, without requiring every day to follow the same pattern.

Hiking between the Canal, Hoad Hill and the Lake District

The Cumbria Way begins in Ulverston and runs for 70 miles through the heart of the Lake District to Carlisle. Those planning a longer hike can therefore consider Ulverston as the starting point for this long-distance route. For a considerably shorter tour, the Ulverston Canal Walk is available: The 2.61-mile-long, level path follows the canal towpath from Canal Foot to Canal Head and back again. This allows you to choose a route in which distance and elevation gain have different priorities.

Another option is the “The Hoad from Ford Park Walk” circular route. It is 1.69 miles long, begins at Ford Park and leads up Hoad Hill before returning to Ford Park via a different route. From Hoad Hill, there are views across Morecambe Bay, the Langdales and the Yorkshire Dales. Hoad is therefore not only a destination for a short circular walk, but also a prominent reference point for the landscape around Ulverston.

Canal and Rural Impressions

Ulverston Canal is 1.25 miles long, 15 feet or 4.6 metres deep and 66 feet or 20 metres wide. These dimensions give the canal a clearly recognisable scale and complement the walking route with a tangible piece of local history and landscape. Those looking for a quieter focus will find formal gardens on the grounds of Swarthmoor Hall. These include a peaceful garden for meditation, reflection and Quaker worship services held outdoors.

The gardens and grounds of Swarthmoor Hall cover 130 acres of farmland and offer views of neighbouring fells as well as the distinctive Hoad Monument above the town of Ulverston. Woodbrooke at Swarthmoor Hall offers courses, workshops and retreats. Alongside the trails, themes such as retreat, reflection and shared learning can therefore also play a central role in planning the trip.

Culture, History and Entertainment

The Coro is a historic venue for arts, culture and entertainment in Ulverston. Theatre, music, comedy, community events, talks and dance are offered there throughout the year. Depending on the programme, this venue can add a cultural accent that differs significantly from a day of hiking.

Ulverston is also the town where Stan Laurel was born. The Laurel and Hardy Museum traces his early life and the careers of Laurel and Hardy through films, letters, photographs, posters, film stills and personal belongings. Ulverston Parish Church has served the community since 1111 and is a Grade II listed building. Film history, religious history and a varied programme of events therefore come together in Ulverston.

Botanical Delights for a Different Day of Travel

Shed One offers botanically inspired Afternoon G&Teas with a distillery tour. The sweet treats draw on the botanicals used in the spirits. There are also distillery tours followed by a tasting of five botanical spirits. These experiences add their own distinctive element to the trip and may be of interest if, alongside exercise and culture, you would also like to include regional culinary delights.

Ulverston as a Base for Planning Your Trip

When looking for a holiday apartment in Ulverston, you can first consider which of these experiences should be the focus of your stay: the start of the Cumbria Way, a level path along the canal, the ascent of Hoad Hill, cultural events, film history or botanical delights. The right accommodation choice depends above all on your preferred daily rhythm and the composition of your travel group. Another practical point of reference is travelling by train: Ulverston is connected to the West Coast Main Line via Carnforth and Lancaster.

If you would like to compare other destinations in addition to Ulverston, here are the nearest places: Wellington, Thirlmere, Egremont, Lowick, Westward, Wetheral, Kirkby Stephen and Kirkby Thore.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cumbria.