IT’S World Book Day tomorrow (4 March)- which is the perfect time to look back at Cumbria’s literary history and share some of our favourite books which were set in our humble county.

Cumbria’s literary presence is world renowned, home to the Lake Poets and Beatrix Potter just to name a few.

You might have heard of some of these books and authors- but others might be completely new to you.

So, if you fancy starting a new book (or if you’re just curious about which books have featured the county), here are eight books that are set in Cumbria.

Beatrix Potter novels

If you’re from Cumbria, then you probably know all about Beatrix Potter.

Potter and her family stayed in the Lakes when she was a teenager- and the beautiful surroundings certainly made an impression on her and her novels.

Over the years, she stayed in Wray Castle, at Holehird and Lingholm just to name a few locations.

As a result, several Cumbrian locations featured in her literary works.

According to the Visti Cumbria website, ‘Squirrel Nutkin’ had background views which were based on Derwentwater, Catbells and the Newlands Valley.

Fawe Parkin Keswick also featured in The Tales of Benjamin Bunny.

However, Hill Top Farm in Ambleside is the most recognised Cumbrian location in her books.

The Westmorland Gazette: Hill Top FarmHill Top Farm

Hill Top Farm, Near Sawrey, Cumbria
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Marion Dutcher - geograph.org.uk/p/43164

Several of her books are based in or around Hill Top; characters Tom Kitten and Samuel Whiskers live here.

All Quiet on the Orient Express, Magnus Mills

(Twitter/ @magnus_mills)

This is the second novel by the Booker shortlisted author, Magnus Mills.

It’s described as a ‘tragi-comedy’ that features an unnamed narrator who is dealing with increasingly sinister and unnerving situations.

The surreal novel is set in the Lake District and focuses on a lone camper who is enjoying the solitude of his surroundings before embarking on a trip to the East.

But then the owner of the campsite asks him to paint a fence and he innocently obliges- unaware of the path that this will take him down.

Synopsis: As the wet Lakeland fells grow misty and the holiday season draws to a close; as the tourists trickle away from the campsite, along with the sunshine, and the hot water, and the last of the good beer - a man accidentally spills a tin of green paint, and thereby condemns himself to death.

The Soldier’s Return, Melvyn Bragg

If you love a war novel, then make sure to add this one to your list.

It’s largely set in protagonist’s home of Wigton, which he returns to after fighting in the Second World War.

The author himself was born in Wigton back in 1939

Synopsis: When Sam Richardson returns in 1946 from the "Forgotten War" in Burma to his hometown in northern England, he finds little changed.

The war has changed him, however, broadening his horizons but also leaving him deeply scarred with traumatic, often hellish, memories.

 In addition, his six-year-old son Joe barely remembers him, and his wife has gained a new sense of independence from her wartime job.

As all three strive to adjust, the bonds of love and loyalty are stretched to the breaking point in this taut and profoundly moving novel that captures what millions of families experienced in the aftermath of World War II.

The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins

The Westmorland Gazette: The Woman in White coverThe Woman in White cover

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ Harper & Brothers Publishers, New York)

This is Wilkie Collins’ first novel and it was written in 1859.

Interestingly, it is considered to be one of the first mystery novels to be published and an early example of detective fiction.

In 2003, it was ranked 23rd in The Observer’s ‘the 100 greatest novels of all time’.

It is set in Cumberland in the fictional Limmeridge house.

The BBC even adapted the book into a TV show back in 2018- but it was shot in Northern Ireland opposed to Cumbria.

Synopsis: Walter Hartright, a young art teacher, encounters and gives directions to a mysterious and distressed woman dressed entirely in white, lost in London; he is later informed by policemen that she has escaped from an asylum.

The Night Book, Richard Madeley

This book is set in the Lake District and features the Cumbrian mountains and valleys.

However, the picturesque background doesn’t reflect the grizzly happenings in the novels.

In the summer of 1976, people start to drown- and it’s up to the reader to discover if these are purely accidental or if something more sinister is going on…

Synopsis: From the author of the bestselling Some Day I’ll Find You comes a novel of dark suspense set in the Lake District where, beneath the inviting water of the lakes, danger and death are waiting.

Postman Pat series, John Cuncliffe

The Postman Pat books are far more child friendly than most of the listings featured here.

You might have read this children’s books yourself or even watched the television show.

Pat delivers his post to the fictional village of Greendale which the author said is based on Longsleddale near Kendal.

The author was born in Lancashire but grew up near Kendal.

These children’s books were released between 1981-1997 and include titles such as ‘Postman Pat Paints the ceiling’ and ‘Postman Pat follows a trail’.

The author was born in Lancashire but grew up near Kendal.

These children’s books were released between 1981-1997 and include titles such as ‘Postman Pat Paints the ceiling’ and ‘Postman Pat follows a trail’.

Swallows and Amazons, Arthur Ransome

The Westmorland Gazette: An illustration from the book seriesAn illustration from the book series

(Photo: An illustration from the book series/ Wikimedia Commons, wwoods)

Did you ever read this children’s adventure book?

It was the first in a series of books and it was first published in 1930.

The novel is set in the summer of 1929 in the Lake District.

It follows the adventures of four children as they embark on a summer holiday in the Lakes, exploring the surrounding island on their boat.

It was turned into a BBC TV series back in 1963- it was primarily shot on Coniston Water in the Lake district.

Synopsis: The Walker children - also known as Captain John, Mate Susan, Able-Seaman Titty, and Ship's Boy Roger - set sail on the Swallow and head for Wild Cat Island.

There they camp under open skies, swim in clear water and go fishing for their dinner. But their days are disturbed by the Blackett sisters, the fierce Amazon pirates.

The Swallows and Amazons decide to battle it out, and so begins a summer of unforgettable discoveries and incredible adventures.

Lake District Mysteries, Martin Edwards

(Twitter/ @medwardsbooks)

There are seven books in this collection of mystery novels, including: The Frozen Shroud, The Cipher Garden, The Arsenic Labyrinth, The Serpent Pool, The Coffin Trail, The Hanging Wood, The Dungeon House.

They are considered to be the first series of crime novels by a British detective novelist to be set in the Lake District.

Coniston Lake and Hawkeshead Hill are just some of the Lake District settings in the novels.

Have you read any of these books?