British breaks Cumbria

They've got a licence to thrill in the Lake District

Want to see 007's mean machines, or wrestle a Westmorlander? Make your way to England's North-west.

What's on

The heat is on at the Lakes Chilli Fest (chillifest.co.uk) at Levens Hall near Kendal on 15 and 16 August. Fiery food from Cumbria and further afield will be served up at a variety of food stalls, with live music, fire-eaters and the like.

Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling, hounds trails and fell races are just some of the sports to watch at the Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show (grasmeresports andshow.co.uk) on 30 August.

The Streets and Ash are among the groups at Kendal Calling (kendal calling.com) from 31 July to 2 August. Pitch your tent in Lowther Deer Park, the festival's new venue. Meanwhile, classical works headline Lake District Summer Music (ldsm.org.uk) at venues across the county from 31 July to 15 August, with a programme that includes Indian compositions as well as traditional favourites.

Solfest (solwayfestival.co.uk), at Silloth, will mix live music with artistic workshops and a market from 28 to 30 August. And Mintfest (lakesalive.org) champions the best contemporary international street arts in Kendal, from 28 to 30 August.

See the sights

High-wire, pyrotechnics and more high-energy arts events will bring the streets and shorelines around the county to life throughout August with Lakes Alive (lakesalive.org). Catch Dance Daze today in Penrith, when dancers will take to the market town's streets, or see Workington turn into a giant pantomime set, on 15 and 16 August, for Once Upon a Summer's Day.

Get active, if only for an hour or so, with kayaking, ghyll-scrambling or a bit of plain old horse riding. Destination Cumbria (destinationcumbria .co.uk) is offering cut-price deals on a huge variety of challenges.

Just open, The Bond Museum (thebondmuseum.com) in Keswick showcases 007's favoured modes of transport, from Aston Martins to a Russian T55 tank. Open daily.

See the new bronze sculpture of Ulverston's famous son, Stan Laurel, and his comedy partner, Oliver Hardy. And call in at the museum dedicated to the comedy duo at its new home at the Roxy Cinema. (laurel-and-hardy.co.uk).