Short study programmes for schools in the Lake District and Cumbria

Hidden Lakeland Discovery Programmes Coniston Water

The stunning natural beauty of the English Lake District provides a wonderful destination for educational trips and multi-day excursions for boarding students at UK independent schools.

The UK’s Adventure Capital offers excitement alongside the rich cultural and literary heritage, wealth of places of historical interest and natural diversity to be expected of an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Together, these things make the English Lake District a great choice for schools seeking to develop their offering of both curriculum-based and extra-curricular activities.

We welcome enquiries from any UK school and can provide options for short trips of two or more days to the Lake District and the surrounding region.

Hidden Lakeland work with an extensive range of partner organisations in Cumbria to provide a ‘full service’ offering, including:

  • Proven track record of delivering educational programmes and tours
  • Transfers from the West Coast Mainline railway station at Oxenholme – the Lake District or Windermere station
  • Accommodation through a range of providers, from independent hostel or guest house to large hotels with full dining and leisure facilities
  • Fully guided activities and excursions, including Japanese-speaking guides
  • Transport between accommodation and attractions and places of interest
  • Optional ‘free-time’ activities arranged through approved local activity providers
  • Return transfers as required

Our complete service approach to organising and running tours saves on hands-on involvement and administrative tasks for school teachers and pastoral staff. Being a ‘one-stop-shop’, we take care of as much or as little as you need – dealing with hotels, attractions and transport providers for you, and designing complete itineraries and supporting literature to meet your students’ needs.

To illustrate our services for schools and education providers, we have created two programmes as an example of what’s possible. These can be tailored to meet the requirements of your school and provide a truly bespoke experience for your students to enjoy.

We suggest that students reach us by Friday evening to best enjoy a full weekend encompassing a mix of education, discovery and leisure time before departing Sunday afternoon.

Literary Lakes for Schools

There really is nowhere better to fully understand the inspiration behind so many literary and cultural classics than to experience the landscape and environment which has captured the imagination of writers for centuries.

Our Literary Lakes programme focuses on the region’s best-loved writers, poets and artists – the historical figures whose work has inspired generations and prompted visitors from all corners of the world to visit the Lake District.

  • Delve into the intriguing lives of William and Dorothy Wordsworth, visiting the poet’s homes at Dove Cottage, Grasmere and Rydal Mount in Rydal
  • Take a Coniston voyage, including John Ruskin’s home at Brantwood and Peel Island (aka Wild Cat Island) from Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons
  • Explore Hill Top and Sawrey where Beatrix Potter was inspired to write so many of her beloved children’s stories.

Download Literary Lakes Discovery Programme for Schools (PDF)

Sustainable Lakes for Schools

Discover the Lake District as the birthplace of the National Trust and landscape conservationism through some of the visionary figures who made their home here and learn about the National Park’s vision for a zero-carbon future.

Sustainability is a primary tenet of Hidden Lakeland, with founder Tracey Gannon a former associate professor at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies.

The Lake District’s unique and precious landscape, shaped by both nature and man and industry over countless generations, was recognised by inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2017. Efforts to sustain not just the landscape but also the communities living here make the Lake District’s future as important as its past.

Our Sustainable Lakes programme can be tailored to meet the school curriculum or designed to suit specifics of course work and academic projects, with itineraries including:

  • Discover William Wordsworth’s conservation legacy through his homes and gardens at Dove Cottage, Allan Bank and Rydal Mount on an UNESCO World Heritage walk along the Coffin Trail and Loughrigg Terrace
  • Journey from Wray Castle to Tarn Hows via Claife Viewing Station, Hill Top Farm and the grammar school at Hawkshead and discover how the Lake District came to be “for everyone, forever”.
  • Explore the Low-carbon Lakes Discovery Trail on a Langdale fell walk starting from Allan Bank in Grasmere, going via Easedale Tarn and Harrison Stickle to Sticklebarn.

Download Sustainable Lakes Discovery Programme for Schools (PDF)

What size of groups can be accommodated?

We can accommodate groups of up to 20 members, depending on the accommodation provider and method of transportation chosen for your visit.

 

What days are the Discovery Programmes available?

We can host groups at any time but typically we suggest a midweek option works best.

 

What time of year should we visit?
There are things to do in the Lake District at any time of year. Autumn and spring can be particular attractive.

 

What age range are these Discovery Programmes suitable for?

Although we suggest that children in the 15- to 18-year-old age group will benefit most from our tours, study programmes can be designed for younger children upon request.

 

What kind of students will benefit most from these study programmes?

These tours will appeal to students with an interest in geography, local community, environmental communication, conservation, nature and literature, tourism and sustainable tourism.

In addition, Hidden Lakeland’s Japanese language expertise and our provision of exciting educational content during weekends and the school holidays makes our tours particularly suitable for Japanese students studying at boarding schools or universities in the UK who are unable to return home in the holidays.

Are Hidden Lakeland qualified and accredited to provide these activities?

Hidden Lakeland work exclusively with qualified and accredited providers to provide safe and exciting activity programmes of the highest standard, led or facilitated by Hidden Lakeland’s guides, Tracey Gannon and Konomi Nagashima.

Tracey – Hidden Lakeland’s founder – taught environmental communication and sustainability to high school students and graduate students during the 13 years she worked as a tenured associate professor for the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University. Konomi has guided tours of the Lake District for five years, working both independently and for local tourism operator, Mountain Goat. She also has six years’ experience planning itineraries and school exchange programmes for JTB Europe Ltd, in addition to qualifications in Tour Leadership and Tourism Management.

Tracey and Konomi have post-graduate and graduate degrees from the universities of Cambridge and Bournemouth respectively, specialising in literature and tourism management.

 

What additional activities can be included?

Language tuition and communication workshops are available upon request, along with a host of additional outdoor activities which include but are not limited to hiking, canoeing, cycling, sailing, ghyll scrambling. Rest assured that all the partners chosen to provide such activities come with the relevant qualification and accreditation to ensure your students’ safety, education and enjoyment.

 

How much does a Discovery Programme cost?

Prices vary depending on the transport and accommodation chosen for your stay, and any optional activities requested as part of your activity programme.

Typically fees start at £250 per head which includes a two-night stay with full board.

Please contact us today for a quote.