Our Lake District Library

When we're planning walks these are some of the books we like to read, and some other books we love which have a connection with the Lake District.

Walk Planning

Guide Books

Other Books

Swallows and Amazons

Buy Swallows and Amazons from Amazon

Five of Arthur Ransome's "Swallows and Amazons" books: Swallows and Amazons, Swallowdale, Winter Holiday, Pigeon Post, and The Picts and the Martyrs; are set in the Lake District where he lived for some years. We love all the Ransome books but if you want a Lakeland setting these are the ones to enjoy.

Ransome's fictional geography combines real features to fit his stories but you can pick out many of them from the stories. For example the lake appears to a combination of Windermere and Coniston.

Christina Hardyment's book Arthur Ransome and Captain Flint's Trunk delves into this subject in some depth identifying many places like Kanchenjunga and Grey Screes from Swallowdale which are The Old Man of Coniston and Wetherlam.

WalkLakes recognises that hill walking, or walking in the mountains, is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death.
Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions.