Majestic fells, glittering lakes, craggy valleys and comely white-washed villages – you’d need a heart of stone not to be beguiled by the Lake District. With England’s highest mountain, longest lake and deepest waters, not surprisingly it’s the country’s second-most popular national park.
And it’s not just for adrenaline junkies. The area’s beauty can be enjoyed from lake cruises. There are grand houses with grand gardens, plus the homes of writers, poets and artists to explore (poet William Wordsworth, arguably, put the region on the map). What’s more, there is an astonishing food and drink scene, with 13 Michelin-starred restaurants, and numerous craft breweries and distilleries.
To match the variety of things to see and do, there’s a variety of places to stay: swanky hotels for the spa-lovers, restaurants-with-rooms for the foodies, country inns that welcome walkers, keenly priced B&Bs with brilliant breakfasts, town-centre pubs with buzzing atmospheres, and glorious one-offs with funky designs and a proud Lakeland character.
Best hotels in the Lake District
At a glance
Gilpin Hotel
Crook, near Windermere
This is indulgence with a capital I. A modern country-house hotel, 10 minutes from Windermere’s lakeshore, it has expanded from the original Edwardian house at its core to offer a variety of rooms and suites across its 21 acres. These vary from the lavishly cossetting (bright colours, thick fabrics, plump cushions, plants and books; most with hot tubs) to apartment-sized, stand-alone chalets with floor-to-ceiling windows, and personal spas including sunken hot tubs. A separate six-bedroom ‘Lake House’, a mile away and wrapped in woodland and with an indoor pool as well as a lake, offers a more homely – though still grand – style.
Both the main hotel and Lake House have small spas: the former with a roof-top garden; the latter overlooking the lake. Service levels are very much ‘your wish is my command’ and there’s a choice of Michelin-starred dining at SOURCE or pan-Asian tapas – in fun-coloured surrounds – at the well-named, Spice.
Address: Crook Road, Windermere LA23 3NE
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