Top six quirky places to stay in Cumbria and the Lake District

Thinking about spending some time in Cumbria and the Lake District this weekend?

A unique camping pod at Park Cliffe, Windermere.

With so many amazing hotels, holiday cottages and bed and breakfasts to choose from it can be tricky to pick the perfect place to spend time holidaying in the Lake District.

But if you’re looking for somewhere a little more unusual we’ve picked six quirky places to stay in Cumbria that you’ll be unlikely to forget in a hurry.

1. Gypsy Caravans

If you’re looking for a retreat tucked away from the rest of the world try staying in a traditional gypsy wagon at Low Wray campsite in Windermere.

Step back in time in one of the Wanderlusts Gypsy Caravans as business owners Barny and Katus have used their years of travelling experience to create a unique and unusual Lake District accommodation offering a range of services.

2. Pod 'n' Pedal

Cycling fans can combine a trip taking in the best of the Lake District all on their prefered mode of transport - a bike.

Staying in modern camping pods cyclists can explore around 70 miles of the region, including Ullswater, Aira Force and Windermere without worrying about putting up a tent in miserable weather.

3. Augill Castle

Surely it’s every young child’s dream to one day live in a castle? In Cumbria you can at least spend the night in one.

The family friendly Augill Castle, in Kirkby Stephen, offers the chance to live like a king by bathing in four poster baths, using castle turrets as wardrobes and enjoy the fantastic views from the huge original leaded windows.

It’s also the real-life setting for the recent Lakeland Book of the Year award-winning book, Undressed For Dinner.

4. Shepherd's hut

For the ultimate glamping experience book a night in an authentic shepherd’s hut in Borrowdale.

Based on the design of old when shepherds would wheel their huts in to the fields in the summer to look after their sheep, this ‘la’al yam’ for the night (that’s ‘little home’ to anyone outside of Cumbira) combines luxurious glamping accommodation with an opportunity to get close to nature.

5. National Trust Youth Hostel

The 200 year old Wastwater Youth Hostel is unlike any other youth hostel in Cumbria as it’s also a National Trust property still containing many of its original features.

Set on the shore of the deepest lake in England, wi-fi and mobile phone signal is replaced by breathtaking views of Wastwater and awe-inspiring mountains - the perfect getaway for anyone wishing to tackle Scafell Pike or visit St Olaf’s Church in Wasdale, one of the smallest churches in England

6. Bank Ground Farm

This idyllic rural location was chosen by Arthur Ransome as the setting for his children's story Swallows and Amazons. Although you might also know it as Holly Howe, home of the Walker children.

Discover the real film location, a farm on the shore of Coniston Water and half way between the two picturesque villages of Coniston and Hawkshead, just as film-stars Virginia McKenna and Ronald Fraser did in 1974.