A quiet little hotel nestled in the village of Far Sawrey near Ambleside and only a short walk to the famous National Trust home of Beatrix Potter – Hill Top Farm. This Lake District Inn offers good, clean and basic accommodation with hearty bar food served in its cosy Claife Crier bar. It is popular with walkers, cyclists and the weekend traveler alike, you will find a warm welcome at the Sawrey Hotel. Families and those wishing to bring their pet away to the Lake District are all welcome at this Lake District Inn near Ambleside.
Cartmel is a medieval village situated on the edge of the southern Lake District. The 12th century Cartmel Priory typifies this village both in architecture and history. It is still used for worship today as it has been for over 800 years and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The other main attraction for visitors to Cartmel is the racecourse. With the first recorded race said to have taken place on the mid 1800’s, Cartmel races continues to grow in stature and popularity year on year. The creation of a new grandstand, with the back drop of the beautiful southern Lake District coupled with catering to rival any top race event has really put Cartmel on the map.
Cartmel is very much becoming a gastronomic destination. Cartmel and its surrounding villages have some of the best examples of Lake District gastronomy in the whole of Cumbria and the Lake District. Even though many of the restaurants and public houses are located within historic buildings, the food served is right in the 21st century using the finest locally sourced produce that is found in an abundance in the south Lakeland area.
Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of the most famous exports from Cartmel. The pudding is now sold all over the United Kingdom and even world with high class restaurants in London serving this still handmade in Cartmel pudding.
With its top quality food, beautiful historical buildings, race course and spectacular scenery, it’s not hard to believe that Cartmel attracts a cosmopolitan visitor. Luckily, Cartmel offers some stunning luxury Lake District self catering properties including Ford House in Cartmel which sleeps up to 10 people. When attending the races, what better place to stay in than a beautiful Grade II listed manor house or a beautiful double-fronted period property in Cartmel.
Nearby attractions also include Holker Hall (a stately home with lovely gardens and grounds and a cafe, Cark-in-Cartmel), the Lakeland Motor Museum (In addition to vintage and classic motors, the museum now features of faithfully recreated period shop fronts and also has a themed gift shop. It is now located at its new site in Backbarrow, on the main A590) and Brantwood (an historic house & gardens which used to be the home of John Ruskin with a shop, café and terrace on the east side of Coniston Water).
Lying to the west of the Coniston Mountain Range, between the southern reach of the Duddon Valley and the wide gentle plains of the Duddon Estuary, Broughton is a bustling town, full of activities, and a perfect base for exploring one of Cumbria’s most unspoiled and dramatic landscapes.
The history of Broughton dates back many centuries with the oldest building thought to be the church of St Mary Magdelene, first built as part of an eleventh century Saxon settlement. The church today is the result of a major restoration taken place in 1873 by the firm of Paley and Austin.
Over time, Broughton became an important market town, a centre of the wool trade and the manufacture of the oak baskets known as swills. Among the little back streets you would have found blacksmiths, millers, tanners, dressmakers and cobblers carrying out their crafts in readiness for the weekly markets.
During the reign of Elizabeth I the town was granted a charter giving permission to hold fairs. To this day, each year on the 1st August, there is the ceremonial ‘Reading of the Charter’, where pennies are thrown to the children.
Today many of the houses and buildings are Georgian, centred on the elegant town square, built by the Lord of the Manor to resemble a London Square. The Market Hall, a fine structure, was built in 1766, originally housing small lock up shops and is now the home of the Tourist Information Centre, exhibiting locally produced glassware, ceramics and paintings. In the centre of the square is a fine obelisk, erected to celebrate the silver jubilee of King George III in 1810, and stands next to both the ancient fish slabs, used to sell fish caught in the River Duddon and Estuary, and the village stocks for those who broke the laws or behaved in an unseemly manner.
For day to day needs Broughton is perfectly self contained with some good shops, inns and restaurants. On Prince’s Street there is Melville Tysons Grocer and Butcher. The shelves groan with preserves, chutneys, wine and pastas; the deli counter has a fabulous selection of cheeses, hams, salami, olives and pastries and the butcher sells the finest cuts, many from locally produced fell bred stock. Next door is the Village Bakery and Cafe. Using only the finest produce to bake their wonderful fresh breads, pastries and cakes the aroma as you pass is enough to draw anybody inside. Finally on Prince’s Street, is the Post Office selling local maps, books, ice cream and general goods.
To take full advantage of Broughton in Furness visitors should look to stay in one the area’s fine Lake District cottages and self catering holiday homes.
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.
Bassenthwaite Lake is the only true “lake” in the Lake District with the other bodies of water actually being “waters”, “meres” or “tarns”. It is large at approximately 4 miles long but is the shallowest piece of water in the Lake District. Bassenthwaite Lake is linked to Derwent Water by the River Derwent. Bassenthwaite Lake is a key habitat for the ospreys, a National Nature Reserve and a Special Area of Conservation owned and managed by the Lake District National Park Authority.
Each year these beautiful and rare birds return to nest. The female osprey laid her first egg of 2009 at the nest near Bassenthwaite Lake on Thursday 16th April. Ospreys normally lay a clutch of three eggs. Incubation is carried out mainly by the female and takes between 34-40 days.
Hundreds of people visited the Bassenthwaite area over the 2009 Easter weekend to get a glimpse of the Lake District Ospreys. Visitors can get great views of the birds from a Viewpoint in Dodd Wood, only 400 metres away from the nest. The Viewpoint is open all daylight hours, with staff on hand with telescopes from 10am-5pm daily, as part of the RSPB’s ‘Dates with Nature’ Project.
It is also possible to see the birds on the nest on a giant videowall at the Visitor Centre on the Forestry Commission estate at Whinlatter Forest, near Braithwaite. Live pictures from cameras overlooking and inside the nest are also beamed to the screen and can also be viewed on the Project’s website ospreywatch.co.uk and the BBC Cumbria website at bbc.co.uk/cumbria. It is now easier than ever before to visit Dodd Wood and Whinlatter thanks to the Osprey Bus which was launched in 2008. The liveried bus service named after the spectacular birds of prey operates around Bassenthwaite Lake taking in the Whinlatter Exhibition and the Dodd Wood viewpoint and runs weekends from 4th April to 31st August 2009, except during the following school holidays, 6-17 April, 25-29 May and 18 July - 31 August when it runs every day.
As well as the Osprays, Bassenthwaite is a popular location for sailing. The Bassenthwaite Sailing club has been in operation since 1952 with RYA, or RYA Affiliated Club members entitled to sail on the lake at a cost of £10 per day. The tranquillity and exclusivity of this lake make it an amazing sailing experience. When staying the sailors are lucky enough to stay in some of the best hotels Lake District has to offer.
Mirehouse is most definitely worth a visit. Alfred Lord Tennyson stayed at Mirehouse whilst writing his poem ‘Morte D’Arthur’ in 1835. It is a private house but open to the public on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. The grounds and a tea shop are open daily though. Further on from Mirehouse is an open air theatre erected by the Tennyson Society is the location where Tennyson was thought to have written most of that famous poem. All around the lake and the surrounding area is a strong literary feel along with a popular place for artists. The landscape is perfect for painting and photography. Work by local artists can be found in the excellent galleries in nearby Keswick. There is a selection of Keswick hotels to stay in whilst visiting.
Hotels in the Lake District offer so much these days. Not only to they offer so many services and facilities but they offer great deals on short breaks combined with sampling the local produce of the area in their restaurants. What has been great to see in the last few years is the use of the magnificent local produce from Cumbria – the Lake District in the hotels in the county. Cumbria is known for a variety of produce but none more so than lamb. Herdwick and rough fell lamb has a very distinct taste and is extremely high quality. This lamb is now revered within the food industry with many top London restaurants requesting Herdwick and markets such as the famous Borough Market stocking it. Cumbrian rose veal is also being championed by top chefs and restaurants for its quality and it is great to see veal back in favour and on menus.
Cumbria and The Lake District are very lucky to have a diverse range of small and artisan producers from lamb, beef and sausages to chutney’s and real ales. Such produce can be found in abundance and the inhabitants and visitors to the area are very spoilt. There are even hotels that have their own Victorian kitchen garden and farms. Such gardens supply as much fresh fruit and vegetables as possible to their hotels and the farms supply as much meat. Not only do many of hotels use local produce but they are taking it one step further and supplying themselves. This is a great marketing tool for a hotel and there are guests now having Lake District short breaks as much for the food as the scenery. In the south lakes especially, there are a huge number of local producers and suppliers.
Christmas is approaching fast and many people are starting to think about gifts for friends and family. Each year this task gets harder and harder!
Often, the gifts people remember the most are gift experiences not objects. Lake District Hotels Ltd are pleased to offer a solution to the age old gift buying problem in the form of gift vouchers which can be selected for use in any one of their six hotels.
The gift vouchers have been created to suit every taste, requirement and budget. For example, the hotel break vouchers are available for one or two nights and range from a standard room right up to a luxury four poster room. Other vouchers include food and drink vouchers which incorporate a two course lunch for four people voucher or a £25 wine voucher, vouchers for afternoon tea and spa vouchers which include luxury massages and manicure treatments or full “well being” spa breaks. If you aren’t sure or simply can’t decide on which voucher to buy, a monetary gift voucher for one of the hotels in an excellent idea. They come in values starting at £25 up to £250. Gift vouchers take away the worry of buying the correct size or colour for a present and they allow the versatility to be used at a time that suits them.
The Lake District Hotels Ltd group consists of six luxury hotels in the Lake District, The Inn on the Lake on the shores of Ullswater, The Lodore Falls on the shores of Derwentwater, The Borrowdale Hotel in the Borrowdale Valley, The George Hotel in Penrith and finally the Kings Arms and Skiddaw Hotel in Keswick.
For more information visit http://www.lakedistricthotels.net and http://www.lakedistricthotels.net/giftvouchers/.
The Lodore Falls Hotel played host to ladies from Lancashire and the Lakes at a luncheon where over 100 guests enjoy a three course lunch and fashion show. The event raised over £750 which will be donated to Keswick Mountain Rescue.
The event was organized by Kit Graves in conjunction with Hilary Cookson from the renowned dress shop Maureen Cookson from Whalley in Lancashire and a regional a lifestyle magazine. Whilst there were a number of ladies from Lancashire, Liverpool and beyond, there were also tables of local ladies from Cockermouth and Keswick.
The fashion show was presented by Hilary Cookson from the Maureen Cookson shop and during her show she also gave a humorous talk about what to pack in a suitcase for holiday.
Local ladies include Susan Farrell and her team from Solway Heaters in Workington, they regularly book their Christmas parties but took the opportunity to have a look at the autumn clothing from Maureen Cookson. Her collection included a mix of practical and very stylish clothing and of course, some sparkle for Christmas.
Kit Graves, managing director of the group of hotels in the Lake District said “it was a wonderful opportunity for ladies outside the Lake District to experience what we have to offer. The autumn weather was lovely so they had a fantastic drive through the lakes. We were especially pleased to see a group of ladies who had been dropped off by their husbands for a surprise treat - they went on to do some walking and collected their wives on the way home!”
During the lunch, £750 was raised to support Keswick Mountain Rescue. Anyone interested in finding out more about organizing charity events at the Lodore Falls Hotel should contact Stephen Johnston at the Lodore Falls Hotel on 017687 77285.
Windermere Marina Village are offering cycling enthusiasts a £50 discount on self-catering cottage breaks if they ditch their cars and arrive by bike.
With Windermere station a mere 10 minute ride away and numerous trails on our doorstep you won’t need a car to get the most out of your biking break. Four-star Windermere self-catering cottages, secure bike storage and a wash down station ensure you and your bike are well catered for at Windermere Marina Village.
Occupying an enviable position on Windermere Lake, the marina is the largest in the North of England offering not only moorings but self-catering accommodation too. The cottages overlooking the marina are spacious, well-equipped and offer you a little luxury after a day out cycling. Many of the cottages have double rooms that can be converted to twins offering flexibility for groups and can be booked for 3, 4 or 7 night breaks. Throughout your stay you will also enjoy full use of our onsite bar, bistro & leisure club; soothe those aches and pains with a dip in the Jacuzzi or pint on the terrace.
Jason Dearden, Managing Director of Windermere Marina Village & mountain biker says “We want to provide cyclists with the facilities they need and are keen to encourage people to leave their cars at home, reduce their carbon footprint and enjoy the stunning Lake District landscapes; so we’ve installed secure bike storage, provided flexible accommodation and an incentive to book”.
For further details of the facilities on offer please check out the Lake District cycling holidays section of the website at or call the reservation team on 015394 46551. Please quote “Car Free” to receive your £50 discount and ensure the bike storage is booked along with your cottage.
The trout fishing in the Lake District on Esthwaite has been tricky over the last couple of weeks with fish remaining deep between 10 and 20 feet down. This has reflected in the rod average which stands at 2.1 fish per angler. Early mornings and late in the evenings the fish have been abit more forthcoming near the surface. Hatches of buzzers and sedge have been good, but top of the water sport has been restricted to either end of the day! The trout are also feeding hard still on the daphnia and the fry bashing has been frenetic with vast shoals of coarse fish. One things for sure the trout do not go hungry at this time of year, with a myriad of foodstuff available to them.
Someone who has had no problem catching the fish lately is Swedish angler Tomas Spur who boat fished the venue and in 2 consecutive days landed 37 trout on the fly. In complete contrast to the English approach of Di – 7 and lures, Tomas adopted a floating line approach with a 20 foot leader and fished a gold head hares ear nymph on the point with very small nymph patterns on the droppers. Fishing an extremely slow retrieve Tomas took 37 rainbows and browns over a 2 day stint.
Peter Wilde from Kent fished from the boats also and took a cracking rainbow of 3lb+ from around the cages area of the lake on fly!
Worm and spin anglers though have been producing altogether better results. Fishing around the cages Andy Foreacre and Glen Brian from Bolton used worm fished 15 feet down to take 5 rainbows to 3lb+.
Grasmere is a village situated in the central region of the English Lake District. Grasmere is located approximately 5 miles north of Ambleside along the A591 and 13 miles south of Keswick.
Grasmere is stunning village, one of the most picturesque but what Grasmere is most famous for is one particular past inhabitant, William Wordsworth. Wordsworth lived in Grasmere for 14 years and was quoted in saying it is, “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found”. Dove Cottage is where he lived until 1808 and it is now a museum and art gallery dedicated to the life and work of Wordsworth and other influential poets and artists. Approximately 70,000 visitors walk through Dove Cottage every year with tours, exhibitions and children’s activities.
Grasmere is also famous for its gingerbread. Dating back to 1850, Sarah Nelson’s gingerbread is now sold all over the world. The Grasmere Gingerbread shop is located in the same building that the first batch of gingerbread was made all those years ago. It also has connections with Wordsworth.
Grasmere is an excellent base for fell walking on some of the most famous fells in the Lake District. Scafell, Helvellyn, Skiddaw and the Langdale Pikes are all very near. There is a number great hotels in Grasmere to stay in. The village is so geared up for tourism that there is accommodation of all types from luxury Grasmere hotels to small bed and breakfasts. All are used to having walkers stay and accommodate them readily but should complete peace and quiet be required, there are some lovely Grasmere self catering cottages. Many being traditional Lakeland slate cottages.
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The Lake District Hotels Group is still attracting strong demand for wedding bookings despite the effect of the recession.
The recent wedding fairs at The Lodore Falls Hotel and Inn on the Lake attracted over 650 of mothers and ‘brides to be’ - which only goes to highlight the importance of the Lake District wedding venues.
Kit Graves, Director of Lake District Hotels Group said “We decided to hold a Wedding Fayre at the Lodore Falls Hotel because it gives us the chance to show off the venue and is real opportunity for our Chefs to show off their culinary skills; offering taster samples from our wedding menus and displaying some of THE most temptingly delicious deserts. Chef Nigel Harper was the most popular man on the day - in charge of the tasting sessions and there were queues for one to one chats.
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