The ‘party capital’ town of the Lake District – with festivals, cosy pubs and even a drive-thru ice cream parlour
A SMALL market town in the Lake District has been described as a “party capital” because of its extensive calendar of festivals and its array of pubs.
However, visitors have also discovered its drive through ice cream parlour, increasing its appeal to tourists.
On the face of it, Ulverston looks like a typical quiet town in Cumbria, but it’s home to a thriving cultural scene, often hosting cultural festivities and celebrations in its streets.
Among them are Flag Fortnight, where local businesses and residents celebrate spring with a two-week long flag display throughout the town.
There’s also the Lantern Festival, an annual community event that features a lantern procession along the cobbled streets.
However, the most popular is arguably the Dickensian festival, described as “probably the best Dickensian Christmas market in the country”.
Choose Ulverston said: “The festival attracts thousands of people, but it’s not too packed for visitors and local people to wander around and have a fabulous time and savour the wonderful atmosphere of a traditional market town in the Dickensian era.”
The free festival often features costume competitions, balloon modelling, horse drawn carriages, music and dancing and a traditional fairground.
Further celebrations can be enjoyed in the town’s many pubs, one of the main reasons to visit according to Visit Lake District.
They said: “Festival-happy Ulverston knows how to celebrate.
The party capital of Furness hosts a series of specialist events throughout the year, where visitors also get the chance to sample the town’s wonderful collection of cosy pubs, traditional markets and cultural hotspots.
“Add in the colourfully rendered houses, cobbled streets and inviting side alleys and there’s enough of interest to keep you smiling for days.”
Among the homely boozers are the White Hart Inn, The Sun Inn and The Stan Laurel, named after the comedian who was born in the town.
The traditional inn is filled with Laurel and Hardy memorabilia, making it something of a place of pilgrimage for fans, and it also serves real ales and home-cooked meals.
Among the town’s other culinary offerings is a unique ice cream parlour, situated right on the farm where the sweet treats are made.
Cumbrian Cow Ice Cream serves farm-made gelato made on site – and it even has its own drive-through for customers in a hurry.
Lesser-known Lake District Towns
These towns in the Lake District are worth visiting, despite not being as well known as others
Cartmel
For more than 30 years, the village of Cartmel in Cumbria has been making its famous sticky toffee pudding.
Celebs love it too – Madonna and Elton John are reportedly also both huge fans.
Guests also head to the village to visit Cartmel Priory, which has existed for more than 800 years in the village.
Ambleside
There are plenty of reasons to visit Ambleside, including England‘s best restaurant, The Old Stamp House.
Its outdoors are rugged and adventurous as well, including the two waterfalls, Stock Ghyll Force and Rydal Falls.
The former is just a short walk from the town centre, where it drops 70ft into a plunge pool before continuing on its journey downstream into Lake Windermere.
The lake is the largest in England and is surrounded by mountain peaks and villages, with Ambleside sitting to the north.
One tourist who loved their visit was Rachael Da Silva, who shared a video on Instagram of her fleeting stop off.
She captioned it: “Who’d have thought there was such a thing as a drive through ice-cream parlour!
“What an idea @cumbriancow hands down the best pistachio ice cream I’ve ever tasted!”
Away from the town centre, there’s plenty of coastal villages nearby, all of which have views over Morecambe Bay.
The sea can also be seen from the Sir John Barrow Monument, a replica lighthouse, which stands tall and proud above the town.
Elsewhere, the Ulverston canal connects the town with Morecambe Bay and offers a peaceful stretch of countryside for walks.
Meanwhile, this often-ridiculed UK seaside town has been compared to Miami.
And this Victorian beach town is set to become big again this summer.