With some awesome day trip options in the surrounding area, having your own car makes good sense. Without one, it wouldn’t be half as easy to explore everything that Cockermouth, 17 miles away, has to offer. Soak up the sights starting with Lake District Wildlife Park, Whinlatter Forest Park and Bassenthwaite Lake. The locals are also likely to point you in the direction of Carlisle, 18 miles away. If you only see one attraction here, let it be The Sands Centre. (But we’re also huge fans of Bitts Park and Carlisle Castle.)