Excellence Luxury Villas · Cumbria
Luxury Holiday Houses in Cumbria and the Lake District
Lakeside houses, fell cottages and country manors, from Windermere and Grasmere to the quiet North Pennines
As featured in
Fells, lakes and a fire lit by four o'clock
Cumbria holds England's highest mountain, its deepest lake and its largest natural one. Most of that sits in the Lake District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017. It is also the country that Wordsworth, Ruskin and Beatrix Potter wrote about, and they would all still know it. The weather changes by the hour, and nobody minds much, because a good pub is never far away.
Our Cumbria collection runs to 90+ properties. There are lake-view apartments in Bowness and Ambleside, family houses in Windermere and Grasmere, cottages in the quieter valleys and large manor houses for gatherings of several generations. Many have hot tubs, and some have their own spa or access to the lake.
Here is where to stay, what to do and when to come.
Cumbria at a glance
- Properties
- 90+ houses, cottages and apartments, with up to 18 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £2,200 to £5,500 a week, from around £1,600
- Best areas
- Windermere and Bowness, Ambleside and Grasmere, Coniston, and Penrith with the North Pennines
- Best time
- May to September for the lakes and fells; October for autumn colour; winter for log fires and empty paths
- Getting there
- Trains from London Euston to Oxenholme and Penrith take around three hours; Manchester airport is around 90 minutes by road
Browse all 90+ properties in Cumbria
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
House Helvellyn Cumbria: Spacious 10-Bedroom Apartment with Mountain Views – Cumbria10 bedrooms
House Helm Crake: Luxury 9-Bedroom House with Hot Tub & Lake Views – Cumbria9 bedrooms
House Derwentwater Cumbria: Luxury 5-Bedroom House with Lake Views – The Lake District5 bedrooms
Wordsworth House United Kingdom7 bedroomsWhere to stay in Cumbria
Windermere and Bowness for lake life and easy access, Ambleside and Grasmere for the central fells, Coniston and the western valleys for walkers, and the Eden Valley and North Pennines for space and solitude.
Steamers, Arts and Crafts and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle
Windermere runs for around eleven miles and is England's largest natural lake. Bowness, on its eastern shore, is the busy heart of it all, with lake cruisers heading north to Ambleside and south to Lakeside. Just above the town is Blackwell, one of the finest Arts and Crafts houses in the country.
The car ferry from Bowness crosses the lake towards Near Sawrey, where Beatrix Potter's farmhouse, Hill Top, looks much as she left it. In high summer it pays to arrive early, before the coaches.
Browse houses in Bowness-on-Windermere
Poets, gingerbread and the highest ground in England
Wordsworth lived at Dove Cottage in Grasmere, and the village still smells faintly of the gingerbread that has been baked there since the Victorian era. Coniston has its Old Man to climb and Ruskin's house, Brantwood, across the water. You can reach Brantwood on the restored steam yacht Gondola.
Further west the valleys grow emptier and the fells grow higher. The little Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway climbs up to Boot, Wastwater is the deepest lake in England, and Scafell Pike, at 978 metres, rises above them both.
Explore the Lake District
The other Cumbria, and most people never see it
East of the M6, the Eden Valley is red sandstone villages and quiet lanes. Lowther Castle, near Penrith, is a romantic ruin with fine gardens. Above Dufton, the Pennine Way climbs to High Cup Nick, a great glacial gorge, and on towards Cross Fell, the highest point in the Pennines.
In early June the Appleby Horse Fair brings Gypsy and Traveller families from all over Britain to the town. Hadrian's Wall crosses the north of the county, so a day on the Roman frontier is easy to fit in.
Browse houses in the North Pennines
Sticky toffee pudding and the weather, both taken seriously
Cumbria eats well. Try Herdwick lamb from the fells, a coil of Cumberland sausage, Kendal Mint Cake in the rucksack and sticky toffee pudding from Cartmel. Cartmel is also home to Simon Rogan's L'Enclume, which draws diners from across the country.
Summer is the main season. Grasmere's Lakeland Sports and Show in August has fell running and Cumberland wrestling. October brings bracken the colour of rust, and winter brings the best pub fires in England. Our concierge can book restaurant tables, fell guides and boat hire on the lakes.
Ask our conciergeFeatured properties in Cumbria
House Blencathra Cumbria: Opulent 6-Bedroom Apartment with Hot Tub – Cumbria6 bedrooms · sleeps 16From £9,422 a week
House Scafell Windermere: Luxury 8-Bedroom Townhouse with Hot Tub – Lake District8 bedrooms · sleeps 16From £9,023 a week
House Helm Holwick North Pennines: Spacious 8-Bedroom Apartment with Hot Tub – Cumbria8 bedrooms · sleeps 16From £8,057 a week
House Cartmel Grange: Luxury 7-Bedroom Apartment with Seaview & Hot Tub – Lake District7 bedrooms · sleeps 14From £7,175 a week
Lakeside House United Kingdom6 bedrooms · sleeps 12From £6,966 a week
House Fell Grange-Over-Sands: Luxury 7-Bedroom House with Hot Tub & Seaview – Lake District7 bedrooms · sleeps 14From £6,804 a week
House Lingmell Bowness: Luxury 6-Bedroom Apartment with Hot Tub – Cumbria6 bedrooms · sleeps 12From £6,783 a week
House Ullswater Watermillock: Luxury 4-Bedroom Apartment with Lake Views – Lake District4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £6,713 a weekWhy book your house in Cumbria with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
Cumbria's houses range from lakeside apartments in Bowness to remote manors in the Pennines, and we know which ones let you walk to a pub and which ones need a good map and a full tank. With 90+ properties in Cumbria, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Restaurant tables, private chefs, fell and climbing guides, boat hire on Windermere and Ullswater, car hire and transfers from Oxenholme, Penrith or Manchester. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay in Cumbria?
Windermere and Bowness suit first visits and families, with boats, shops and restaurants close by. Ambleside and Grasmere are best for walkers who want the central fells on the doorstep. Coniston and the western valleys are quieter, and the Eden Valley and North Pennines are the place for real solitude.
When is the best time to visit the Lake District?
May to September brings the longest days and the busiest lakes. Late spring and early autumn are often the best balance of good weather and quieter paths. Winter is wonderful if you like crisp walks and log fires.
Do I need a car in the Lake District?
It helps a great deal, especially in the western valleys and the North Pennines. Around Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere you can manage with lake boats, local buses and your own feet. Our concierge can arrange car hire and transfers from the station.
Can you arrange a private chef at a house in Cumbria?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury propertie in Cumbria cost?
Across our 90+ properties in Cumbria, weekly rates typically range from £2,200 to £5,500, with the most affordable from around £1,600 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
How do I get to Cumbria?
Trains on the West Coast Main Line run from London Euston to Oxenholme and Penrith in around three hours, and a branch line continues from Oxenholme to Windermere. By road, Manchester airport is around 90 minutes from Windermere.
Are there houses in Cumbria for large groups?
Yes. Our Cumbria collection includes properties with up to 18 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
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Find your house in Cumbria
90+ houses, cottages and apartments across Cumbria, booked direct with our concierge on hand