Wet and very windy all week. Stay low, head indoors, and grab Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning for a short sheltered walk.
Monday is damp and grey, with steady rain early and drizzle hanging on, heaviest in the south and west, and cloud down to 400 to 500m. Tuesday starts with heavy rain that clears east by late morning, then showers return, some heavy with hail, as the wind rises. MWIS calls Wednesday and Thursday very unsettled, with gales on the tops and spells of heavy rain; the Met Office gives Wednesday a brighter, drier start in the valleys before rain later. Friday looks changeable and breezy. Leave the high fells for another week. Woods, waterfalls, valleys and good roofs are the plan.
Sunset 6.21pm on Monday, 6.16pm on Wednesday, 6.14pm on Thursday. Full mountain forecast (Mountain Weather Information Service)
The weather has packed for a week of wind and rain, so this edition leans on warm rooms: Ayckbourn twice, a talk on common land, harps in Grasmere and a man who looked after the Queen's horses. When the rain eases, the waterfalls will be showing off.
About 45 minutes, longer if you linger at the falls
Start: Start on Stock Ghyll Lane, behind the Salutation Hotel on Lake Road, Ambleside. Park at Rydal Road car park, LA22 9AY (pay and display, public toilets on site)
A week of heavy rain is exactly when this one is worth doing. The path climbs through old woodland beside the beck to a viewing platform over the falls, and the trees keep off the worst of the wind. Go on Tuesday after the morning rain clears, or first thing Wednesday while it is drier. It starts in the middle of Ambleside, so there are cafes for the brew afterwards, and the town is on the 555 bus between Kendal and Keswick.
It is short but uphill all the way to the falls, about 90m of climbing, and the path gets muddy and slippery after rain. Wear proper shoes and take the return leg steadily.
Sizergh, near Kendal LA8 8DZ; meet outside Visitor Reception Free (car park is pay and display, free for National Trust members), Adults
Volunteers lead two hours through Sizergh's ancient limestone woodland and farmland, with views over the Lyth Valley, ending with a look at a mural in a local church. Booking is essential on 015395 69818. Boots and waterproofs this week, without question. Details and booking
The Kirkgate Centre, Kirkgate, Cockermouth CA13 9PJ See the Kirkgate box office, Adults
Emeritus Professor Angus Winchester on the commons of the fells, moors and wetlands, and how they shaped farming, walking and conservation. He wrote the book on it, quite literally. An early start, so you are home before the worst of the night's wind. Details and booking
Coniston Tourist Information Centre car park, Ruskin Avenue, Coniston LA21 8EH Free (car park is paid), Adults
A volunteer-led national park walk of 4.5km through Yewdale, taking in a limekiln, a bank barn, a 17th-century cottage and a Victorian folly. There are stiles, steps and some muddy stretches, and the morning may be wet, so dress like you mean it. The 505 bus from Kendal ends in Coniston. Details and booking
Allan Bank, Grasmere Free with Allan Bank admission, All
A quartet of Celtic harps playing folk, classics and arranged pop in the Wordsworth Study, and you can ask to have a go. It is on the ground floor with level access. A gentle way to hear the rain on the windows without minding it. Details and booking
Clints Quarry Nature Reserve, off the A5086 near Egremont CA22 2SZ; meet at the layby by the entrance Free volunteering day, Adults
Clear scrub with Cumbria Wildlife Trust to give the quarry's wildflowers room next spring. Bring layers, full waterproofs, a packed lunch and plenty of snacks. Steep steps are the only way in. Book on 01539 816300. Details and booking
Gosling Sike, Houghton Road, Houghton, Carlisle CA3 0LD Not listed; no booking needed, Adults
Cumbria Wildlife Trust's book group for nature lovers talks over Roger Morgan-Grenville and Edward Norfolk's book on bringing back the grey partridge. Wheelchair access and accessible toilets. First time? The trust asks you to get in touch first on 01539 816300. Details and booking
Lakeland Canoe Club's evening of paddling films, from a jungle river in Gabon to a 1,000-mile canoe trip from the Pacific to the Arctic. The ideal night to enjoy water from a dry seat. Details and booking
Lowther Castle and Gardens, near Penrith; meet at the Heronry Free with Castle and Gardens admission, Adults
Senior gardener Andrew Sagar explains the Benjes, or dead, hedge: garden waste stacked into a home for wildlife. Half an hour, so short enough to stand through a shower. Booking is needed. Details and booking
Theatre by the Lake (Studio), Keswick £11 to £16, Adults
Derwentwater Drama Group serves three short comedies by Alan Ayckbourn and Jean McConnell about love, infidelity and food. Small studio, local cast, and a menu where every course goes slightly wrong. Details and booking
Rheged, near Penrith See Rheged booking, or call 01768 868000, Adults
Former jockey and Household Cavalry rider Terry Pendry spent 28 years as stud groom and manager to Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Mews. An illustrated life story, with all profits going to the Fell Pony Society. Details and booking
Tue 13 to Sat 17 Oct; 7.30pm Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat; 2.30pm matinees Wed, Thu, Sat
The Victoria Wood Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere £35; matinee with soup and sandwich lunch £41.95; £17.50 hardship tickets, 12+
Alan Ayckbourn's new courtroom drama from the Stephen Joseph Theatre: in 2194 an android stands trial for murder, and the jury has to decide what makes us human. About three hours with an interval, staged in the round. The lunch-and-matinee ticket is the weekday treat. Details and booking
Early mountain photographs by Vittorio Sella, who took the first photograph of Everest in 1899, shown beside new large-format pictures taken from the same spot. Pair it with the Terry Pendry talk on Thursday. Details and booking
Until Fri 16 Oct; Wed to Sat, 10.30am to 3.30pm, around room bookings
Swarthmoor Hall, Swarthmoor, near Ulverston Check with the hall on 01229 583204, All
The local camera club's autumn show in the Conference Room at this old Quaker hall, with the cafe open on the same days. Ring ahead to check the room is free, then let the rain do its thing outside. Details and booking
Rain-proof
Tip. Sunset is about 6.15pm by Thursday, so start any walk by 3pm. In winds like these an umbrella lasts about as long as a biscuit at a talk, so pack a hood instead.