Lakes & Liverpool New Year Celebration

Liverpool

It's one of the UK’s most popular city breaks – and it’s clear why

Located right where the River Mersey meets the Irish Sea in the North West of England, it’s bursting with diverse and fascinating history, attractions – and lots and lots of shopping.

The Waterfront is definitely the place to be

The best view of the city's iconic skyline has to be from one of Mersey Ferry’s 50-minute River Explorer Cruises – board it from The Liverpool Waterfront. Here, you’ll also find the beautifully restored Royal Albert Dock, which played a key role in the famously friendly city’s maritime history. Have you ever noticed that the city’s name is below The Titanic on the historic ship’s stern? Find out more at the free-to-enter Waterfront Maritime Museum.

Liverpool Dock has restaurants, bars, independent stores, museums and art galleries including Tate Liverpool and the Liverpool Museum, as well as The Beatle’s Story, an immersive exhibition which takes you down the Long and Winding Road of The Beatles.

Liverpool is the perfect place to learn about the Fab Four

..It’s their hometown after all. Take a selfie with a larger-than-life version of them on the Pier Head, or visit The Cavern Club on Mathew Street - the live music venue where The Beatles forged their musical identity and became the club’s signature act following their first performance there on 9th February 1961.

Don’t miss - Right in the heart of the city is Liverpool ONE, the one place you can find all of your high street favourites and designers, plus food, drink and entertainment. If you’re after something unique for dinner – head to Liverpool Cathedral’s bistro for a hearty bowl of traditional Scouse. The local comfort food is served with homemade bread and pickled cabbage.

The Lake District

A unique tapestry of mountains, lakes & tarns
The Lake District is England's largest National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site AND home to the highest mountain (Scafell Pike), longest lake (Windermere) and deepest lake in the country (Wastwater). The national park’s unique landscape is the product of geographical processes over the last 500 million years.

You might have noticed that it rains a lot here. This, combined with extra deep glacial valleys and volcanic rock that doesn’t allow the water to seep away, is the reason there are so many lakes and tarns.

An unrivalled list of things to see & do
Dotted around this peaceful - and photogenic part of the world are many historic towns and villages, vast farmland, ancient dry-stone walls, and so much more. If you’re heading here for an adventure or to get back to nature - you can walk, hike, hire a boat, camp.. the list is unrivalled.

If you like to eat and drink, there are many cosy pubs to treat yourself to a locally distilled beer (or something stronger), and if you want to stock up on local delicacies or gifts for loved ones, there are countless quaint little shops.

Don’t miss - If you haven’t already, try Kendal Mint Cake, a locally made energy-boosting snack enjoyed by hikers worldwide!

Kendal

A prime location for exploring The Lakes
Kendal is the Southern gateway to The Lake District, a market town bursting with shops, historical buildings, fine dining, pubs, hotels, B&Bs – and Kendal Mint Cake. The town is well-placed for everyone’s holiday needs - only six miles from junction 36 of the M6 motorway, ten to Windermere Lake and only a few miles to the sea.

It’s got a thriving retail scene
Traditionally trading in wool, the busy town has a thriving retail scene. It’s got five shopping arcades and the town centre has mostly been pedestrianised to allow a safe shopping experience. There are several shops selling traditional Kendal Mint Cake, if you want to stock up on the famous energy snack.

..and is bursting with history
There are so many exciting historical buildings to visit, including the 14th century Castle Dairy, two castles: Kendal Castle and Castle Howe and two museums: Abbot Hall Museum, which is housed within a Grade I listed Georgian building on the banks of the River Kent, and Kendal Museum, one of Britain’s oldest, founded in 1796. Alfred Wainwright, author of The Lake District’s famous guidebooks lived in Kendal from 1941 until his death in 1991.