If you’re gasping for a breath of fresh air, and longing to get into the wide open spaces of the great outdoors, there’s nowhere better than Cumbria. When it comes to natural beauty, this county in the far northwest of England is completely spoilt. The magnificent Lake District National Park, which boasts the country’s highest peaks and largest lakes, is located here, as are parts of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the North Pennines and the Solway Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty make Cumbria a sight for sore eyes. But once you’re here, what are you going to do to make the most of a landscape? How about taking up a bow and arrows and letting the peace and quiet, and the inspiring surroundings, hone your aim on an archery target.

This activity has been part of the human story for thousands of years, and it’s no surprise that people come to places like this, where breathtaking landscapes move us on our most primal level, to try their hand at this sport. Anyone can excel at archery because it’s an accessible activity. Strength is useful when pulling back the bowstring, balance is essential to fire straight, and mental discipline that brings greater focus on the target can be the defining factor of a master archer. Will you be England’s next Robin Hood? Or will you just have a wonderful experience with your friends or family in a stunning part of the world? Find out here!

Where are the best places to do archery in Cumbria?

• Kendal: Known as the gateway to the lakes, this town is the starting point for many adventures into the national parks. But it’s a fantastic place for fun in and of itself. There are two places in the area where you can enjoy this activity. One of them specialises in field archery - taking the action away from a range and onto rough terrain where model animals serve as targets. The other one, near Old Hutton, has a wide variety of target sport activities, from traditional archery, to crossbow shooting and axe throwing, to the combat simulation sport of Archery Tag.

• Windermere: The largest lake in England is famous for historic water speed records. Henry Seagrave’s famous attempt in 1930 in the boat Miss England II set a record at just shy of 100 miles per hour. But that seems rather sluggish when compared to the 150 miles an hour at which professional archers can launch arrows. If you take part in a session on the banks of the lake, you might not reach that speed, but you’ll feel like a champion. You can also try axe throwing here.

• Eskdale Valley: Deep in the Lake District, you can get your hands on a bow and arrows in the beautiful Eskdale Valley. The setting is spectacular, and the equipment is top notch, including modern olympic style recurve bows - what a combination!

• Keswick: Keswick is one of the outdoor adventure hubs of the county. But we all know that northwest England isn’t always the nicest place to be outside. Don’t worry, when the skies turn grey and rain threatens to fall, an indoor range is waiting for you near the town so that the fun doesn’t have to stop. Rain never lasts forever, and when the weather is fine you can enjoy archery at a number of locations, including the shore of Derwentwater, one of the prettiest lakes in the park.

• Carlisle: Right up against the Scottish border, Carlisle’s position on Hadrian’s Wall has given it a strong tradition of archery. Nowadays, the best place to get involved is Talkin Tarn, a glacier lake with wooded banks. You can enjoy firing arrows on site, or bring the action to you! The team can bring a mobile range to your special event if you’ve got a suitable outdoor space, to spice up your party, fete, or even your wedding!

What are the options for organising a session?

- If you’ve always fancied yourself as a Legolas, a Katniss Everdeen or any of the other heroic archers of the silver screen but have never had the chance to try using a bow and arrows, number one: what’s your excuse? And number two: don’t you know that archery ranges around Cumbria are just waiting to welcome you to a session that’s specifically designed for beginners? That’s right, this is the perfect place to take your first shots and find out if you’ve got a hero hiding inside you. You can find quick taster sessions that last just 25 or 45 minutes minutes, as well as longer activities that last an hour or two. You’ll start out with an introduction to the equipment and an explanation of the rules to keep everyone safe, before your instructor gets you aiming the bow and firing the arrows. Of course, fun is one of the top priorities, and you might take part in some games, shoot at a variety of different targets, or even pop some balloons during the experience.

- Why not make a day of it by combining this activity with other outdoor pursuits? There are other target sports that pair with this, like axe throwing, crossbow shooting or even clay pigeon shooting and air rifle sessions. Or get out into the rugged landscape of this region with activities as diverse as rock climbing, quad biking, and raft building.

Requirements to do this activity

As you penetrate deep into the Lake District National Park, you can leave behind restrictive health and safety restrictions and let common sense and respect for the environment guide your decisions. Here, archery is a fun and safe activity that the whole family can enjoy, and even 5 year olds can take their first shots. At other locations around, the equipment isn’t suitable for such young archers, but you can easily find activities that are suitable for kids from 7 or eight years of age and older.

The characters from the Hunger Games and the Lord of the Rings that we mentioned above are great role models in some ways, but the fact that we often see them working alone isn’t a good reflection of the enjoyment and effectiveness of taking part in this experience as a team. You can organise an activity for a youth or corporate group, or as a fun way to mark a birthday, stag or hen party, or any other celebration.

Why don’t you practise your aim by clicking on the booking button? That’ll take you one step closer to a shooting session.