Recommendation on northern England

The Lake District is great place for walking and mountain biking

http://www.golakes.co.uk/adventure-capital/cycling-lake-district.aspx

Base yourself in or around Keswick.

As an alternative what about Northumberland? Less visited than the Lakes or Yorkshire but stills lots to see. Smaller towns like Rothbury, Alnwick, Hexham.

http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/cycling

And you can't go wrong with Yorkshire either the less visited area would be Swaledale

http://www.yorkshire.com/places/yorkshire-dales

I think it will be really hard to avoid tourist in Cumbria if you stick to the Lake District part of it, which is where most of the walks are. I visited quite a few years ago as my grandmother is from eastern Cumbria--Gamblesby just north of Penrith. There were no B&B's in Gamblesby at that time so I stayed at a farmhouse B&B near Melmerby a very few miles away. I enjoyed it. I don't think that they are doing B&B anymore. I booked through the Hexham TI. There was nobody on the east side of the M6 and I explored the villages and lanes with the only danger being how many scratches the car would get from the hedgerows and whether I could squeeze between walls! But when I headed west to Keswick and Castle Rigg, there were lots of tourists. And this was the first week of September. I'm not saying don't go to the Lake District as it is beautiful and has lovely walks, but there will be tourists.

On the same trip I was over in Yorkshire. I stayed first in York and toured the city and the Cathedral, Howard Castle, and Rivaulx Abbey. Then I headed north to the Dales. I am trying to remember if I stayed in Ripon or Richmond. Sigh it was nearly 20 years ago, but I think it was Ripon. I think I would consider staying further into the Dales if I went again. This was my first driving trip in the UK. I loved the area. There are lots of walks. I did some wonderful drives as well. Check out this link. The above mentioned Swaledale looks great. BTW I also enjoyed visiting Bolton Castle for a little bit Mary Queen of Scotts history.

Pam

You don't say how long you have.

It's difficult to avoid tourists in the Lake District, unless you head west to areas such as Eskdale, which is good for walking, but there isn't much accommodation.

I would recommend Northumberland. Gorgeous scenery and fewer tourists. Mountain biking around Kielder Water. Hiking in the Cheviot hills and walks on the long, sandy beaches. Castles aplenty and Holy Island is a must. Take a boat trip out from Seahouses to view the seals. There are some good National Trust houses and castles to visit too, including Gibside, one of my favourite properties.

I would recommend the Yorkshire Dales - Beautiful country and there are plenty of places to Hike. We tend to stay near Settle, Yorkshire. The famous Ribblehead Viaduct (Settle to Carlise railway) is a nice ride. the Waterfalls walk at Ingleton and Malham Cove are nearby as many other walks. Check out http://www.walkingintheyorkshiredales.co.uk. We stayed at a wonderful farm B&B. http://www.settlebedandbreakfast.com. (Scar close Farm House, Feizor). Its in a tiny hamlet just 3 miles outside of Settle. With a car you could also head over to the Yorkshire Moors and check out Helmsley, Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay. There will not be very many American tourist is this part of England. We went the 2nd week of July just before the school vacation time starts in England. We lucked out and had 80 degree weather this past summer.

I love Northumberland! There is so much to see. Also enjoyed the Borders (if you haven't been to that part of Scotland). Don't miss Hadrian's wall. And don't miss Durham Cathedral.

Thank you, everyone! I have about 2 weeks to enjoy and I am sure that wherever I end up, it will be fantastic!