Lake Disctrict (Photo: mariusz kluzniak)

Once the engine room of industrial Britain, the North West fell on hard times until relatively recently, when an economic revival began to change all that. Culturally the North West has consistently produced some of Britain’s best creative talent. You may have heard of The Beatles for example? Many of the big cities like Manchester and Liverpool, often the vortex for musical movements, are in the south of the North West region. From this area hail the biggest cluster of professional football teams outside of Greater London. Much of the north of the North West region consists of small towns and open moorland. It is here that the Lake District, often voted one of the prettiest regions in Britain, spans across much of Cumbria.