Weekend breaks in North West England

A friendly slate-built town at the head of Windermere

Lakeland's most dramatic valley, with woods, crags and a famously wet climate

A tiny, perfect lake with a flat path and some of Lakeland's greatest fells

A tiny medieval village famous for its food, priory and racecourse

Roman walls, medieval Rows and a riverside setting

Ruskin's lake, an Old Man and a quieter side of the southern Lakes

Wordsworth's village beside a small, still lake

A car-free village of whitewashed cottages and Beatrix Potter

The Auld Grey Town, a gateway to the Lakes and the Dales

A lively Lakeland market town between lake and mountains

A market town on the River Lune with a medieval bridge and Ruskin's View

England's biggest national park: lakes, fells and cosy villages

A waterfront city of music, museums and football

A big, creative city of music, football and industrial heritage

A black-and-white timbered Cheshire market town with a canal basin

England's book town below the rounded Howgill Fells

Often called the loveliest of the lakes, with steamers and a waterfall

England's biggest lake, with a town on its doorstep

A first-timer's weekend that mixes boats, a waterfall and one classic walk, with a base in Ambleside.

Roman walls, medieval galleries and a world-class zoo, in a city small enough to walk everywhere.

Waterfront, Beatles and two cathedrals, mostly free or low-cost and all within walking distance.

Music, industrial heritage and great food, mostly free and mostly walkable.

At 978 metres, Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England.

Catbells is a small fell of about 451 metres above Derwentwater, and one of the most popular walks in the Lake District.

Helvellyn rises to about 950 metres and is one of the best-known mountains in England.

Windermere is England's largest natural lake, about 10 miles long.

Ullswater is often called the most beautiful of the lakes, and the Ullswater Steamers run between Glenridding, Howtown and Pooley Bridge.

The Lake District has some of the most popular wild swimming in England, with lakes such as Buttermere and Derwentwater and small tarns in the hills.

Short sightseeing cruises run along the River Dee from the Groves, one of Chester's prettiest spots, passing the Queen's Park suspension bridge and leafy riverbanks.

Chester's walls are some of the best-preserved Roman and medieval city walls in Britain, and you can walk almost the whole circuit of around two miles.

A lodge or cottage with a private hot tub is a popular way to enjoy a weekend away, whether you are with a partner, family or friends.

Chester Zoo is one of the UK's largest zoos and a major conservation charity, with a large site of habitats for animals from around the world.

Formby's pinewoods and dunes, cared for by the National Trust, are among the few places in England where red squirrels can still be seen.

Liverpool is the birthplace of the Beatles, and fans can follow their story at the Cavern Club on Mathew Street, the Beatles Story museum at the Royal Albert Dock, and landmarks such as Penny Lane and Strawberry Field.

This easy circular walk follows the shoreline of Buttermere, a small, perfectly proportioned lake surrounded by high fells.

Haystacks is a small, craggy fell of about 597 metres that the writer Alfred Wainwright loved above all others, and where his ashes were scattered beside Innominate Tarn.

This is one of the best-loved easy walks in the Lakes, linking two lakes by woodland paths and the low ridge of Loughrigg Terrace.

Tarn Hows is a beautiful man-made tarn, surrounded by woods and views of the Langdale Pikes and the Coniston Fells, and managed by the National Trust.