Ambleside, #1 on this list · Photo: Lewis Clarke · CC BY-SA 2.0

Cumbria rankings · Walkability

Most walkable towns in Cumbria

Ambleside ranks first on walkability among Cumbria’s 23 towns of 2,500+; 15 of the 23 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

Ambleside

2,624 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#31 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Keswick

4,465 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#34 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Penrith

16,705 people

A⁺

Better than 97% of UK towns·#104 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 23 towns, ranked

Walkability grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.

Every town in Cumbria →

Find a town

23 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Ambleside2,624 peopleA⁺#31 of 2,515 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

2Keswick4,465 peopleA⁺#34 of 2,515 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

3Penrith16,705 peopleA⁺#104 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

4Windermere4,819 peopleA⁺#148 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

5Kendal28,939 peopleA#155 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

6Barrow-in-Furness55,260 peopleA#163 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

7Millom5,690 peopleA#200 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

8Carlisle77,729 peopleA#254 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

9Wigton5,396 peopleA#302 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

10Silloth2,542 peopleA#340 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

11Ulverston11,219 peopleA#477 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

12Workington21,276 peopleA⁻#543 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

13Cockermouth8,859 peopleA⁻#565 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 83% of UK towns

14Maryport8,526 peopleA⁻#633 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 81% of UK towns

15Brampton4,187 peopleA⁻#713 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

16Appleby-in-Westmorland3,233 peopleB⁺#880 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 74% of UK towns

17Grange-over-Sands4,047 peopleB⁺#968 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

18Egremont5,791 peopleB⁺#983 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

19Whitehaven22,952 peopleB⁺#1,079 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

20Dalton-in-Furness7,551 peopleB⁺#1,133 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns

21Cleator Moor6,671 peopleB#1,358 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 59% of UK towns

22Askam in Furness3,172 peopleC#2,194 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 25% of UK towns

23Seaton5,051 peopleC⁻#2,338 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 16% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most walkable town in Cumbria?

Ambleside ranks first on walkability among 23 towns, with an A+: better than almost every UK town. Keswick and Penrith follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Cumbria’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Cumbria is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Cumbria lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Cumbria rankings →

Best places to live23 towns · #1 Grange-over-Sands Best small towns16 towns · #1 Grange-over-Sands Most affordable towns23 towns · #1 Cleator Moor Safest towns23 towns · #1 Seaton Towns with the best schools23 towns · #1 Kendal Healthiest towns23 towns · #1 Keswick Best towns for jobs & income23 towns · #1 Windermere Towns with the lowest flood risk23 towns · #1 Millom Best towns for the outdoors23 towns · #1 Keswick Most historic towns23 towns · #1 Appleby-in-Westmorland Towns with the most civic life23 towns · #1 Grange-over-Sands Towns with the highest household incomes23 towns · #1 CockermouthDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax23 towns · #1 CarlisleDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters23 towns · #1 WorkingtonDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers23 towns · #1 CarlisleDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers23 towns · #1 Cleator MoorDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts23 towns · #1 Barrow-in-FurnessDescribed, no letters Driest towns23 towns · #1 CarlisleDescribed, no letters Wettest towns23 towns · #1 AmblesideDescribed, no letters

Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.