Six Great Stays in the Lakes
Escape to the Lakes
Lindeth Fell Country House
In brief: A newly revamped, five star country house in the Lakes.
Our highlight: The two-course breakfast, an ideal start for a day of exploring.
Insider guide: Sitting high on the hill above Lake Windermere, this Arts and Crafts house has 14 bedrooms with either lake or garden views. Sitting rooms face over the gardens and the light-filled dining room looks out over the cascading garden terraces to the mountains beyond. A two-course breakfast is included (full English is optional) and the Restaurant menu offers three courses with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients.
Lyth Valley Road, Windermere LA23 3JP
01539 443286
lindethfell.com
Storrs Hall
In brief: An award-winning, family-owned Georgian Hall on the shores of Lake Windermere.
Our highlight: The amazing location in the heart of the Lake District.
Insider guide: This elegant lakeside property has 36 rooms and suites spread across the Grade II-listed main house, the lakeland stone Boathouse and contemporary lakeside suites. Relax in the hotel’s pub-style bar with a roaring fire, and dine in the Bistro which serves lunch and dinner, as well as iconic afternoon teas, or in the Lake Edge restaurant with its carefully-curated set price menu for a refined dining experience.
Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria LA23 3LG
01539 447111
storrshall.com
The Forest Side
In brief: A multi award-winning restaurant with rooms.
Our highlight: The innovative dishes served in the Michelin-starred restaurant, with 90 percent of the ingredients sourced within 10 miles.
Insider guide: This fairytale, gothic Grasmere mansion has been renovated into a gorgeous restaurant with rooms. There are 20 beautiful bedrooms to choose from, in either cosy, superb or master sizes, with views of the spectacular surrounding gardens and grounds. The food is the real draw here, with chef Paul Leonard’s exciting tasting menus of either four or eight courses inspired by the Cumbrian countryside.
Keswick Road, Grasmere LA22 9RN
01539 435250
theforestside.com
Another Place
In brief: A cool, contemporary hotel on the shores of Ullswater.
Our highlight: The activities, which include moonlight swimming and paddle boarding on the lake.
Insider guide: The original house here is home to 40 bedrooms, three restaurants and a library. There’s also the option to stay in a treehouse among the oaks, or in one of six shepherds huts with stargazing roofs above the beds. Their take on a spa, Swim Club, has a stunning lake view swimming pool, treatment rooms and outdoor hot tub and sauna. The Victorian-style Glasshouse restaurant serves up pizzas by the lake, and the more formal Rampsbeck Restaurant showcases heritage ingredients from the surrounding landscape. Despite the spectacular hotel facilities, it’s all about the outdoors here, and it’s the perfect place to try wild swimming, paddle boarding and kayaking under expert guidance.
Watermillock, Ullswater CA11 0LP
01768 486442
another.place
Gilpin Hotel and Lake House
In brief: A luxurious hotel with spa and Michelin-starred restaurant.
Our highlight: The spa suites, bedrooms which float over the ponds and have spa rooms complete with sauna, steam room, infrared lounge bed and massage chair.
Insider guide: There are 30 rooms at Gilpin, 22 of which have their own hot tub. In the 21-acre grounds, alpacas and llamas graze and there’s a range of amenities here including a Champagne bar and a dedicated couples spa, Spa Space. Michelin-starred restaurant SOURCE is headed by Ollie Bridgwater, while the more casual two-AA Rosette Gilpin Spice offers pan-Asian dishes prepared in an open kitchen. For ultimate privacy, stay at the Lake House, a tranquil haven with just six bedrooms, set in 100 acres of land and centred around a private lake.
Crook Road, Windermere LA23 3NE
0153 948 8818
thegilpin.co.uk
L’Enclume
In brief: A three Michelin-starred restaurant with a number of distinctive rooms.
Our highlight: The rooms are lovely, but the food is the real draw here.
Insider guide: Rooms at L’Enclume are dotted around the village of Cartmel, all within walking distance of the multi-award winning restaurant, and unique in character, with decorative references to the area’s local history and craftsmanship. The restaurant itself is the big draw here, where Simon Rogan and his team serve a creative tasting menu that changes with the season. Booking a room guarantees you a reservation at the restaurant, as well as including breakfast at sister restaurant Rogan & Co.
Cavendish Street, Cartmel LA11 6QA
01539 536362
lenclume.co.uk
