Cumbria is a county in the northwest of England. In terms of location it lies on the coast of the Irish Sea, bordering southern Scotland, Lancashire, County Durham, Northumberland and North Yorkshire. It is one of the larger counties in the country, but one of the smallest in terms of population. That is, until the summer, whereupon hundreds of thousands of tourists flock here to enjoy the majestic beauty of the Lake District National Park.

Cumbria is an enormously historic area. As a border county it has witnessed pivotal events between the English and the Scottish, and likewise has been fought over several times. The name ‘Cumbria’ derives from the area’s earlier Welsh-speaking occupants. Despite a definite period of Roman colonisation the culture resisted to remain a primarily Brythonic population. The county of Cumbria is actually fairly new. It was created in 1974 by combining Cumberland, Westmorland and several outlying areas from the surrounding counties. It retains its reputation as a beautiful rural escape. The glacial-formed Lake District is simply stunning. In addition to its lakes, which include Windermere and Ullswater, the mountainous landscape is just waiting to be explored. The national park holds Scafell Pike, which is the largest mountain in England. It is often hiking in conjunction with Ben Nevis in Scotland and Snowdon in Wales as part of the Three Peaks Challenge.

Cumbria is filled with small towns and villages, but it is not completely devoid of urbanisation. Its largest town is Barrow-in-Furness, an industrially grown area on the west coast, known for its steelworking and shipbuilding. Barrow-in-Furness is exceeded in size only by Carlisle, which is the county capital and only city. Carlisle lies to the north of Cumbria, close to the Scottish border, and is a transport hub and university city surrounded by heritage attractions. Cumbria has long attracted artists and romantics to its heart. Beatrix Potter spent family holidays here, developing her illustrative talents. William Wordsworth, one of the most influential British poets, was born in Cumberland and later returned to Grasmere, spending much of his life in the Lake District.