The Lake District itself is often the main attraction for those considering a cottage-holiday.  The North-Western lakes of Loweswater, Crummock and Buttermere are just a few miles down the valley, and they are not only exquisitely beautiful, but also quiet, even in Summer.  A little further away is Ennerdale, a beautiful lake in a dramatic landscape, and a place which you will have practically to yourselves.

The village of Lorton lies two miles to the South of Stanger, easily accessible by road and by footpath/bridleway.  Lorton is an attractive village, with a pub, a restaurant, and small shop.  Closer to Stanger (one mile) is the Hundith Hill hotel, with a bar and food served.

The town of Cockermouth is about 2 miles to the North, and here there is a very good selection of bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes.  There are also still a great many shops, banks and so on, as well as the more usual supermarkets.  Cockermouth enjoys a fine location at the convergence of the rivers Derwent and Cocker, and it was this location that appealed to firstly the Romans, who built a fort and significant settlement here, and then the Normans, who built the picturesque castle and created the structure of the town.  The town’s relative isolation and obscurity meant that there was little development until well into the 20^th century, and the principal streets retain a pleasing, uniform building style. 

Cockermouth’s most famous son was William Wordsworth, and his birthplace is owned by the National Trust.  It is now an interactive museum, and well worth visiting, as much for the fine Georgian building as for the connections with Wordsworth. 

The town also retains a commercial brewery – Jennings – which has a picturesque site beneath the castle walls.  The brewery may be visited for tours, and to sample their produce.  Jennings is served in most of the area’s pubs and restaurants, but there are also a number of micro-breweries in the locality, the nearest to Stanger being at the Bitter End pub in Cockermouth.

Moving further afield, the coastal towns of Maryport, Workington and Whitehaven were once the industrial centre of the area.  The great industrial age of mining (coal and iron ore), steel-making and shipbuilding has now ended, but again the region’s relative isolation means that Maryport and Whitehaven in particular retain an old-fashioned charm. 

These two towns were also once major sea-ports, Whitehaven having a short period of great importance in the Georgian era.  The town prospered for a while as a result of trade between Britain and the Caribbean, before Bristol and Liverpool became the pre-eminent Western ports.  Whitehaven’s involvement in this trade, and the disgrace of slavery, can be discovered at The Rum Story.  There is also a museum and information centre at the Beacon.  Also in Whitehaven is an industrial museum at Haig Colliery – West Cumbria’s last deep mine (closed in 1986).  The town has many fine Georgian buildings, and a very interesting, and charming, seafront and harbour.

Maryport also has an extensive (Victorian) harbour, and small Maritime Museum.  There is also an excellent aquarium on the docks, along with playgrounds and other activities for the younger visitor.  Maryport was the site of a major Roman fort and settlement, and the Senhouse Museum houses many Roman artefacts relating especially to the fort.  Maryport has a small late Georgian quarter on the cliff tops – from here there are superb views across the Solway to the hills and mountains of Dumfries, Galloway and Wigtownshire.

These are just some suggestions – there are many places of interest within a few miles of Stanger, and of course there is open access to the lakes and fells all around.

For more information about local attractions please visit http://www.cockermouth.org.uk .