Clea Hall Farm

National Trust - Wordsworth House and Garden, in the market town of Cockermouth (25 minutes’ drive), is the birthplace of the 18th-century poet. The walled garden of this Georgian property, which stretches to the River Derwent, is a riot of colourful wildflowers, fragrant herbs and fruit trees. The medieval castle in Carlisle (half an hour) includes the tower where Mary, Queen of Scots, was held prisoner in the 16th century; also intriguing is a series of stone carvings said to be the work of prison guards with too much time on their hands… Ducks and swans swim on Hammond’s Pond, on the outskirts of town, where there’s also a playground. The mudflats of the Solway Firth (half an hour) are a magnet for birdwatchers, who might spot dunlins, curlews and peregrine falcons. There is more wildlife in the sand dunes at Mawbray Banks; also, if you happen to be here at low tide, see if you can catch a glimpse of the submerged forest, thought to date back to 6000 BC.