Discover Ulverston

Ulverston offers a range of ways to plan your trip: the Cumbria Way begins here, while shorter routes follow the canal and cross Hoad Hill. There is also a year-round cultural programme at the Coro, the Laurel and Hardy Museum, a historic parish church and a distillery experience with a botanical focus. If you’re looking for a hotel in Ulverston, you can shape your stay around whether you’d mainly like to hike, enjoy the culture or combine both.

Hiking: a long-distance trail and shorter routes

The Cumbria Way is 70 miles long, starts in Ulverston, runs through the heart of the Lake District and ends in Carlisle. This long-distance route sets the town apart from the shorter paths along the canal and on Hoad Hill. If you’re planning your trip around the Cumbria Way, Ulverston is your starting point; the route then continues through a wider region to Carlisle.

The Ulverston Canal Walk is 2.61 miles long and follows a flat towpath route from Canal Foot to Canal Head and back. The Hoad from Ford Park Walk is a 1.69-mile circular route: it starts at Ford Park, climbs Hoad Hill and returns to Ford Park by a different route. The flat out-and-back canal walk contrasts with a shorter circular route that includes a climb. The distance, terrain and route type give you practical points to consider when choosing a walk.

Culture and history in Ulverston

The Coro is a historic venue for arts, culture and entertainment in Ulverston. Its year-round programme includes theatre, music, comedy, community events, talks and dance. If a particular event is part of your trip plans, check the dates for your travel period.

The Laurel and Hardy Museum is in the town where Stan Laurel was born. It traces his early life and the careers of Laurel and Hardy through films, letters, photographs, posters, film stills and personal belongings. This offers a distinctive way to explore film history: the collection includes both written and visual records as well as personal belongings.

Ulverston Parish Church has served the community since 1111 and is a Grade II listed building. Its long history as a place of worship and its listed status make the church a different cultural point of interest from the Coro’s events programme or the museum’s film history.

Scenery, treats and getting here

Hoad Hill offers views across Morecambe Bay, the Langdales and the Yorkshire Dales. The gardens and grounds of Swarthmoor Hall offer a different perspective on the landscape: they cover 130 acres of farmland and have views of nearby fells and the prominent Hoad Monument above the town. The formal gardens include a peaceful garden for meditation, reflection and Quaker worship outdoors.

Shed One combines botanically inspired Afternoon G&Teas with a distillery tour; the sweet treats take their inspiration from the spirits’ botanicals. Distillery tours are followed by a tasting of five botanical spirits. The botanical theme comes through in two ways: in the sweet treats and in the tasting.

For rail travel, Ulverston is connected to the West Coast Main Line via Carnforth and Lancaster. Use this connection as a guide and check the timetable for your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Baycliff, Ravenglass, Crosby Ravensworth, Kirkoswald, Stanwix, Newby Bridge, Spark Bridge, Dent.

For the broader travel guide: Cumbria.