Dogging in Cumbria: area guide

The lie of the land in Cumbria

Cumbria is large, wild and thinly settled. Carlisle in the north is the only real city. Penrith, Kendal and Keswick serve the east and centre, Workington, Whitehaven and Cockermouth sit on the west coast, and Barrow-in-Furness and Ulverston lie on the southern peninsulas.

Three big protected areas shape the map. The Lake District National Park holds England's highest mountain and deepest lake. The Yorkshire Dales National Park reaches into the south-east, and the North Pennines National Landscape covers the high eastern moors. There are also coastal protected areas on the Solway Firth and around Arnside and Silverdale, near Morecambe Bay.

Settlement follows the valleys, so most journeys here are long and slow. Tourists fill the Lakes in summer, while the Eden Valley and the west coast stay quiet. Out in the empty parts, a wide verge can hold a surprising number of cars after dark, with no reason you can see from the road.

Getting about safely

The M6 is the main artery, running past Kendal, Penrith and Carlisle. The A66 crosses from Penrith towards Keswick and the west coast, the A590 links the M6 with Barrow-in-Furness, and the A595 follows the western coast. The A69 runs east from Carlisle to Newcastle, and the M6 carries on into Scotland as the A74(M). Lake District roads fill with slow traffic in summer.

Rail is patchy. The West Coast Main Line stops at Oxenholme for Kendal, Penrith and Carlisle, with a branch to Windermere. The Cumbrian Coast line runs from Carlisle round to Barrow-in-Furness with sparse evening services, and the Settle to Carlisle line crosses the Pennines. Last trains are early, and many valleys have no public transport at all. Plan a taxi or a lift back.

Cumbria has real hazards. The tides in Morecambe Bay and on the Solway Firth move fast over sand and mud, and can cut off whole shorelines. Mountain passes such as Hardknott, Wrynose and Kirkstone are steep and narrow, and snow and ice close the A66 and the M6 over Shap at times. Heavy rain floods low roads. Phone signal fails across the fells, so share your location before you go.