The Lake District has honeypots to support some sort of network- Keswick, Ambleside, Bowness, even Coniston. Many of the routes are out-and-backs a relatively short distance from Keswick, the bus alternating between different routes during the day. The 555 is supported by passengers switching between honeypots.
Away from those honeypots, it's not so good. Even Carlisle-Wigton-Keswick only supports 4 returns a day, with the last bus back to Keswick from Carlisle being a commuter-friendly 1600.
My 9yo lives with her mum in Hesket Newmarket in the north of the National Park. Other than a summer-only walkers bus, there's nowt to there or Caldbeck; their nearest regular bus is in Dalston or Wigton, a mere 10 miles away. I drive to visit her, there's no other way.
Stagecoach do a brilliant job in the Lakes- make no mistake, they do, the timetable book itself is a thing of pure Stenning joy- but they have the tourist market to fund it. Away from the tourists, it's worse than even in the Dales or North York Moors.