Spas date back to Roman times where relaxation, rejuvenation and healing were sought through hot mineral spring water. Still today, spas offer many of the same services offered at spas in Roman times and they still stand for the same, relaxation, rejuvenation and healing.
Combining a spa treatment with a holiday or weekend away is becoming more and more popular and thankfully now, you do not have to go abroad and spend a fortune in order to do so. With the stresses of work and family life, the ability for total relaxation and making the most out of a much deserved weekend break is a must and places such as hotels Surrey have seen high quality spas hotels opening recently.
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Bassenthwaite Lake
Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest of the Lake District at approximately 4 miles long and ¾ miles wide. Despite its size this long and narrow lake is very shallow, at its deepest point it reaches a depth of just 70 feet. The Lake is easily accessible with the A66 dual carriageway running along the western edge. The laybys are extremely popular for people wanting to take pictures and a spot of bird watching.
Coniston Water
Coniston is the third largest of the lakes and is approximately 5 miles long and ½ a mile wide. The lake is hugely popular with tourist due to its large expanse of water, which contains a number of tranquil islands, as well as the stunning scenery. The lake was famously the setting for the book Swallows and Amazons as well as the setting for Donald Campbell’s ill fated attempt to break the water speed record.
Derwentwater
Derwentwater is approximately 3 miles long and 1 mile wide making it the widest lake in the Lake District. The lake has a number of islands within, one of which contains Derwent Island House which is open to the public just 5 days a year. The huge Skiddaw overlooking the lake and the nearby market town of Keswick make Derwent one of the most popular lakes for visitors.
Ullswater
Ullswater is the second largest of all the lakes in the Lake District at approximately 9 miles long and ¾ of a mile wide. Regarded by many as the most beautiful of all the lakes, Ullswater often finds itself compared to lakes in Switzerland, such as Lucerne. This favourable comparison is thanks to the beautiful scenery with mountains to one side and green fields and woodland on the other. The lake is great for water sports, with canoeing, sailing and wind surfing particularly popular. There are also the more relaxing steamer boats that take you on a cruise of the lake.
Windermere
Windermere is the largest lake in the Lake District and is the largest in the whole of England at approximately 10.5 miles long and 1 mile wide. As well as being the largest of the lakes Windermere is also the most well known and has long been a very popular attraction for tourists. Many of the tourists who do visit end up taking part in at least one of the many on water activities available. These range from wake boarding, sailing and canoeing to a more sedate pleasure cruise.
About the Author
This article was written on behalf of Borrowdale Gates, one of the best hotels in Keswick.
It was reported that around 24% of the British adult population went away for the 2009 August Bank Holiday weekend. The August Bank Holiday weekend has always been one of the busiest and most popular Bank Holidays to go away. It is in a prime summer month and also the last Bank Holiday before Christmas. The weekend is one of the last before children return to school and the timing of it is ideal for both tourists taking their first break of the summer or as a short get away for those who have taken a holiday earlier in the summer.
Getting away for August Bank Holiday in the UK is a great idea especially in 2010. The Sterling to Euro exchange rate is still fairly poor and with holidays and prices abroad rising, staying in the UK has been a popular choice this summer. A long weekend is an excellent choice if money is tight and a holiday for a whole week is unaffordable. Another reason could be or if the time off work cannot be had.
Cumbria - The Lake District is a great place to visit for a Bank Holiday weekend as it is easily accessible, has a wide range of locations, activities and places to stay and visit and offers something different from a city break or holiday abroad. Keeping children entertained is easy in the Lake District with such a broad range of Lake District places to visit and activities. Listed below are a selection from across the region.
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For years now Windermere and its surrounding areas have been popular with a broad range of people.
Windermere is a popular destination for people of all ages, all tastes and all interests. Of course, Windermere is very famous as a base for walking the Lakeland fells and for doing many other outdoor activities but more and more visitors are coming to Windermere for a bit of luxury.
To add to the already long list of Windermere’s attributes and lures comes luxury. Windermere has some of the most stunning buildings with many of the larger residences being luxury Lake District hotels. In recent years, some of the luxury hotels have taken their attention to detail to another level. They have refurbished, redesigned, added on, decorated and paid even more attention to detail than before. Windermere now has some of the best hotels in the country and more than rival some of the famous hotels in south.
Dining has become a more prevalent factor in many hotels these days. Hotel restaurants often used to be of a pretty poor standard even when the hotel itself was of a high standard. Michelin starred restaurants are now common practice in hotels with big name chefs taking control at these luxury complexes.
Windermere couldn’t be in a better location for a restaurant to obtain top quality produce. Cumbria the Lake District has some of the finest local produce in the country from lamb and sausage to cheese, bread and cream. It really isn’t hard to understand why the Lake District is also now home to some of the finest restaurants in the north of England. Being relatively close to the coats means even the freshest seafood can be found.
Attention to detail is key for a luxury hotel from the service to rooms and outside areas. One hotel in Windermere which has seen recent refurbishment has produced a collection of rooms without compromise, most with patio doors leading onto the gardens and with either spa baths or hot tubs. They have also created luxury suites in a renovated Lake house with many having stunning views over a private lake. Constant refurbishment is essential in luxury hotels for complete perfection. Its gardens are as well looked after as the inside of the hotel with different seating areas. Their aim was to create a terrace that comprised different ‘rooms’ for people to sit in. This has been created by breaking up the terrace with different materials and features such as ponds with water features and raised beds. During the day, the south-facing terrace enjoys the sunshine, and at dusk the sunset can often be enjoyed with pre-dinner cocktails. On warm evenings the terrace is candle lit. Pathways lead from the terrace to the south gardens and to the wild meadow and llama paddock.
The special services available set luxury Windermere hotels apart from the rest. Organisation of spa treatments for example, private dining rooms, chauffeurs and touches such as the turning down of bed covers at night.
Ambleside Lodge, was originally built circa 1875 as a Gentleman‘s residence, and was named “Rothay Holme“ after the River Rothay which flows from Grasmere into Lake Windermere. Owning most of the land surrounding the church, both sides of the river and down to the lake, it commanded a respectable and enviable position in the community.
In 1912 it was then bought by the local council, and used primarily as council offices until 1978. The field was used for the local sheep auctions on the last Friday of every month, and one of the ground floor rooms was occupied by the local dentist.
The third owner of the property was the National trust, whom for 14 years used the building as their offices, and then finally after being empty for two years Rothay Holme was returned to private ownership.
Beautifully restored, and tastefully decorated, it reopened its doors to provide quality and elegant Lake District Bed and Breakfast accommodation to those visiting the National Park.
If you are searching for luxury Hotels in the Lake District, or Grasmere Hotels, consider Rothay Garden, no ordinary Lakeland Hotel. We’re one of the finest luxury Lake District hotels, the newest contemporary four star hotel in Cumbria. The hotel is situated on the edge of picturesque Grasmere village, nestling in two acres of classic Lake District riverside gardens, surrounded by the majestic Lakeland fells.
Wordsworth made Grasmere his home and it is easy to see why he was inspired by the Lake District views. The recent £2 million redevelopment has ensured we are one of the highest rated of all hotels in Grasmere and Ambleside, challenging the very best luxury Lake District hotels. The hotel has 25 beautiful bedrooms, five loft suites, an elegant candlelit conservatory restaurant overlooking the gardens, chic lounge bars and two AA rosette dining, which all combine to ensure you have the Lake District short break or holiday that you deserve.
Just outside our Grasmere hotel, the renowned Lake District awaits you - Grasmere really is the ‘jewel of the Lakes’ and Rothay Garden is the most centrally situated of the Lake District boutique hotels for the Ambleside, Windermere and Keswick area.
Mojos Bistro in Windermere serves superb, freshly prepared food in a relaxed and inviting setting. They offer a wide range of meals including modern European dishes such as Swordfish, mixed together with traditional classics such as beef & ale pie, Cumberland sausage & mash and a range of high quality Fillet and Sirloin steaks.
This Windermere restaurant is owner managed so you can be assured of consistently high quality food, plus friendly and attentive service. Mojos is open 6 days a week (Monday to Saturday), except Bank Holidays (Tuesday to Sunday) and we serve food between 6pm and 9pm.
There is a beautiful function room available on the first floor for private dining, groups and birthday parties.
Hansons Used Caravans specialise in the buying, selling and transporting of quality used mobile homes and static caravans throughout the UK and Europe.
They provide second hand static caravans and quality used touring mobile homes to a varied customer base including;
- Full ownership on or off a holiday park
- Additional storage units
- Temporary accommodation
- Self build / renovation projects
- Staff accommodation for companies with seasonal work
Mobile homes range in price from £500 to £20,000 and should they not have a suitable caravan in stock, they guarantee to source one.
Various layout options are available (e.g. 2 or 3 bedrooms, double / single glazing) and all used static caravans and secondhand tourers are fully cleaned and prepared to a very high standard before they are delivered, enabling our customers to be able to move straight in.
Hansons Used Caravans are always looking to purchase static caravans and touring mobile homes. If you are looking to sell your mobile home or tourer, then please call Hanson on 01759 304996 / 07980 669774 for a quotation.
In additon to caravan sales, Hansons also provide caravan transport throughout the UK and Europe and they provide timed deliveries. This is a very specialised service, which can be difficult to source as various “wide load permits” are required. Hansons offer free quotations and site surveys regardless of whether you purchased your static caravan from them.
The border city of Carlisle not only the most northerly city in England, it is also the only city located in the County of Cumbria. It is also the largest city in England by area because it includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown as well as many outlying villages including Dalston and Wetherall. In total the city of Carlisle covers an area totalling four hundred and two square miles. The city is traversed by several major rivers, including the Caldew, Eden, and Petteril.
Commercially, Carlisle is linked to the rest of England via the M6 motorway, and to the Scottish Lowlands via the A74(M) and M74 motorways. By rail, it is located on the main West Coast line that runs between Glasgow and London.
Carlisle is an historic city and its origins can be traced back to a 1st-century Romain outpost associated with Hadrian’s Wall. The Brythonic settlement that expanded from this outpost was destroyed by the Danes in 875. Thereafter the region formed part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland, until colonised under King William II of England in 1092. William II built Carlisle Castle, which houses a military museum. Carlisle Cathedral, founded in the 12th century, is one of the smallest in England.
Along the City of Carlisle’s northern extent is the Solway Firth, which forms the western section of the Anglo-Scottish border, and thus divides the city from Dumfries and Galloway, one of the council areas of Scotland. To the east is the English county of Northumberland; to the south is the district of Eden and to the west and south-west the borough of Allerdale, both in the county of Cumbria.
Carlisle is a great place to visit as the city offers great shopping potential as well as an excellent choice of bars, restaurants and visitor attractions including Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle Castle, The Millennium Gallery and Carlisle Cathedral.
When it comes to places to stay, visitors will find Carlisle offers a wide range of quality accommodation, from friendly budget priced Carlisle bed and breakfast right the way through to luxury Carlisle hotels. Whether you want a peaceful country retreat or a convenient city centre stop over you are sure to find the ideal place to stay.
The Lodore Falls Hotel raised £700 at a “Lancashire Ladies Luncheon” which was presented in a very poignant fashion to Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.
Stephen Johnson, General Manager at the Lodore Falls hotel decided to raise funds for the Keswick Mountain Rescue because of a very dramatic rescue concerning two of the hotel guests. Trudy Edgar and her husband Tom became stuck under a 70 ft tree trunk after a freak accident up the mountain behind the hotel. It took Keswick Mountain Rescue, RAF helicopter, local police, fire and ambulance service to rescue her.
The money raised at the Lancashire Ladies luncheon was presented to Keswick Mountain Rescue by Stephen Johnson who invited Trudy Edgar to come along to help present the cheque and meet some of her rescuers again.
Trudy, who lives locally still loves coming back to stay at the hotel “It is a magical place. I have stayed in some fantastic places all over the world but the Lodore Falls is still one of my favourites - you could be in any luxury location and it’s only 30 minutes from home. What makes it special is the fantastically friendly customer service, the lovely food and a simply stunning location. The fact that the Lodore staff where part of my rescue team only makes me love the place even more”.
Summing up the presentation, Stephen said “The Lodore Falls Hotel regularly supports the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team because we often see them travelling up the valley to help people. It is unusual for us to have such firsthand knowledge and we will certainly continue to support them in the future.”
Anyone interested in organising charity events at the luxury Lake District Hotels Ltd Lodore Falls Hotel should contact Stephen Johnson on 017687 77285 or visit http://www.lakedistricthotels.net
Radio or wireless fire alarm systems first became available in the early 80’s. In these days the early radio or wireless fire alarm systems began to gain a poor reputation for reliability, mainly related to the radio transmissions and battery life of the devices. However over time the technology involved in these systems has steadily advanced to where we are today. Today’s Radio or Wireless Fire Alarm Systems are light years ahead of their early 80’s ancestors. Interestingly the advance in technology with the radio fire alarm systems has occurred as a bi-product of major advances in technology in the computer, battery and mobile phone industries. Radio Fire Alarm System designers and engineers have embraced and harnessed this technology to create a new generation of radio fire alarm systems that are much more sophisticated in terms of performance, fault monitoring and reliability. These new systems are fully compliant to BS5839 and EN54 and are fully monitored.
One of the main benefits of A Radio Fire Alarm System is that they reduce the needs to run cables to each individual device on the fire alarm system. Modern radio fire alarm systems will only need cables to be installed to the control and signal booster panel positions to provide a mains supply. This benefit of radio fire alarm systems means that have been ideally suited to listed type buildings. It allows the installation of a fully functioning fire alarm system within the building while not ‘running’ cables where it is impractical to do so. Examples of installations of this type are in Windsor Castle and The Ritz Hotel, both of which have radio fire alarm systems installed. In some instances conservation bodies would also prohibit the installation of cables within protected buildings and radio fire alarm systems may be the only solution to allow the building to comply with current regulations and standards.
Lying with the Pennines to the east and the Lake District Fells to the west, the beautiful Eden Valley
The Eden Valley situated around the River Eden and is a mix of lush green countryside, traditional towns and attractive sandstone villages some dating back to Viking times. To the south are the peaceful Howgill Fells, a favourite of Wainwright.
The River Eden which has its source in the Mallerstang Valley, is one of the finest salmon and trout rivers in the North of England and you can enjoy some great riverside walks. Look out for Lacy’s caves, carved out of sandstone right on the riverbank or go in search of the Eden Benchmarks, ten intriguing sculptures in dramatic settings which act as welcome seats.
The most scenic railway in England, the Settle to Carlisle line runs through the Eden Valley with stations at Appleby and Kirkby Stephen. Penrith, a welcoming market town makes an ideal base to explore the area.
Alston and the North Pennines
Alston in the North Pennines is surrounded by a unique landscape of moorland, hills, rivers and waterfalls and is England’s highest market town. This intriguing town with its cobbled streets and fascinating nooks and crannies was the location for the ITV’s production of Jane Eyre and the Oliver Twist.
Enjoy marvellous views over the Eden Valley, Lake District hills and Scottish borders as you climb up to Alston via Hartside, a route named as one of the World’s Top Ten Most Scenic drives by the AA.
Alston and the North Pennines have long inspired artists and writers, the poet and writer W H Auden loved the area and today Alston is an inspiration to the craftspeople who live and work there. There’s a host of unusual shops in the town including quality crafts and galleries.
There is a good choice of Alston accommodation including hotels and guest houses to Alston cottages - many with great views and there’s a Youth Hostel in the town.
Take a ride on one of the lovingly restored steam and diesel engines on the South Tynedale Railway, a round trip from Alston to Kirkhaugh takes around 50 minutes through the beautiful scenery of the South Tyne valley. Visit The Hub Museum with its interesting local history and bygone transport collection.
The North Pennines used to be one of the wealthiest lead mining centres in Europe and you can go down a real lead mine today at Nenthead Mines Heritage Centre-a great family day out with interactive exhibitions.
Designated Britain’s first UNESCO European Geopark, the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a haven for special wildlife and plants.
Alston is an ideal walking and cycling centre with the Pennine Way passing through the town and great opportunities to get away from it all in the surrounding countryside. The C2C, Walney to Wear and Pennine cycle routes all pass near the town making their way through some stunning scenery. You can also go horse riding or fishing on the River South Tyne.
Ullswater Valley
Ullswater is known as one of “England’s most beautiful lakes” and at nine miles long is surrounded by dramatic mountains and inspiring Lake District countryside, featured recently in the “Miss Potter” film.
The perfect place to unwind, you can choose to stay in traditional farmhouses, cosy Ullswater cottages, welcoming guesthouses, fine Ullswater hotels or well run caravan and camping sites around the lake-all offering quality Lake District accommodation. Local restaurants, cafes and inns provide local fare and cuisine to suit all tastes.
The village of Pooley Bridge, at one end of the Ullswater valley is linked by a lovely drive along the lake to the villages of Glenridding and Patterdale at the other the end of the valley. Enjoy a cruise and soak up the atmosphere of this peaceful lake on one of the Ullswater “Steamers” which carry passengers all year round. There are piers at Glenridding, Pooley Bridge and Howtown.
Ullswater is a great lake for sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, fishing and skindiving and you can hire rowing, sailing or small motor boats to explore the islands and bays at your own pace. There’s an active sailing club, various activity centres and pony trekking too.
Follow one of the many scenic paths which skirt around the lake, much admired by Wainwright or head up to the nearby fells such as Helvellyn for a full days hike. Look out for red deer or red squirrels along the way!
Go in search of the Spring daffodils on the shore line around Glencoyne which inspired Wordsworth to write his famous poem or visit the National Trust’s Aira Force, where a series of waterfalls plunge through an attractive wooded ravine.