It's a Lake District - it rains a lot, or else the lakes wouldn't be there...

I wouldn't describe the main bus services as sparse - most are hourly from 7am to 10pm (the busier ones, like the 555, running every half hour). The one to Low Lorton is less regular:

https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/...1823102835.pdf

but a taxi journey from Keswick or Cockermouth isn't prohibitive. (Perhaps it's a question of perspective - I'm used to relying on an hourly bus service, and one that runs 4 times a day, so see the main Lakeland ones as pretty solid...)

Agree that it's easier to access Low Lorton from Keswick or Cockermouth (but I still find Kendal a better base for the area as a whole). Personally, I don't like Keswick at all, particularly in high season. Cockermouth is a nice little town, hopefully recovering well again, having been hit by bad flooding over the winter.