Ullswater

Ullswater is the second-largest lake in the Lake District, nine miles long from Pooley Bridge to Glenridding and Patterdale, and the National Trust looks after a long stretch of its western shore, including Glencoyne Park and Aira Force. On the shore at Glencoyne Bay, on 15 April 1802, William and Dorothy Wordsworth saw the daffodils that became 'I wandered lonely as a cloud', and they still flower there each spring. The 22-mile Ullswater Way circles the lake, with Ullswater Steamers piers at Glenridding, Howtown, Pooley Bridge and Aira Force, so you can walk a stretch and sail back; the lakeshore path from Glenridding through Glencoyne Park to Aira Force is the classic low-level walk, and Glencoyne Bay suits kayaks and paddleboards. Dogs on leads are welcome at Aira Force, including the tea-room, and on the Trust's shore trails. Reviewers rave about the views and single out the choice of walks. One tip from visitors: the Trust's Aira Force car park usually fills by late morning, so arrive early, try Glencoyne Bay or High Cascades, or take the 508 bus from Penrith.