The Lake District national park in the ancient counties of Cumberland and Westmorland is one of England's best-loved regions of outstanding natural beauty. A hugely varied landscape, it has sheer mountainsides, lush valleys, tranquil tarns and of course the great Lakes themselves, and it was famously where William Wordsworth came upon his "host of golden daffodils".

Ever since the discovery of the Lakes as a tourist area in the late 18th century, the region has been a magnet for generations of enthusiastic visitors, many of them walkers armed with one of Alfred Wainwright's still matchless touring guides.