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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 Keswick Hotels providing luxury base for your Lake District holiday.

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. 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).

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.

Goosemire Cottages, the family owned and run Lake District self catering business, are pleased to launch their January sale.

Everyone is looking for a bargain at this time of year so why should the sales be confined to the high street? Goosemire Cottages are offering discounts on full weeks booked in each of their 46 self catering properties. The discounts range from £30 – £50 depending on the property size.

The number of self catering holidays in the UK has risen quite dramatically in the last 2 years. Various factors have contributed to this for example the poor Euro exchange rate resulting in tourists staying in the UK and the cost savings of self catering compared with a hotel stay. A self catering holiday allows freedom, the ability to cook within the property so saving on restaurant bills and is an excellent type of holiday for families and pet owners.

Goosemire Cottages have available 46 traditional Lake District cottages for discerning visitors (Ranging from 1 to 7 bedrooms, sleeping up to 10). Most are rustic 17th or 18th Century Lakeland cottages or lovely barn conversions, where antiquity and modern comforts have been beautifully combined. The atmosphere and idiosyncrasies of each property are reflected on their website which offers full online booking facilities and information and images on each of their properties.

For more information on the Goosemire Lake District cottages January sale or their last minute booking discounts, visit http://www.goosemirecottages.co.uk/special-offers

Recent years have seen a tremendous rise in the number of self catering properties to choose from.  No longer is a self catering holiday spent within a dingy flat. Lake District self catering cottages can be found for 2 persons right up to 16 and from the basic small house to luxury cottages complete with flat screen TV’s, wood burners and luxury interiors with all the modern conveniences of TV’s, DVD players, washing machines, dryers and dish washers.

Self catering holidays benefit the environment too. The carbon footprint of a self catering holiday is significantly less than a hotel based holiday. Many factors contribute to this, the amount of lights, sheets and towels washed and spa and swimming pool facilities. Some self catering property owners and developers are creating a more eco friendly property, for example, installing solar panels, wind turbines and worming and composting facilities.

In areas such as Grasmere and Ambleside there some idyllic self catering properties such as traditional Lakeland houses dating back years. Staying in Grasmere cottages or Ambleside cottages means there are views in every direction.  Located at the heart of The Lake District National, some properties have views of Helvellyn also Silver How, Steel Fell and Helm Crag. Grasmere is an idea base for walking with the foot of Helvellyn just minutes away and located on main A591 road which leads right up to Keswick for the highest concentration of fells in the Lake District.

The Eden Valley is a beautiful, yet little known area in Cumbria, which lies between the Lake District National Park and the North Pennines – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. To the North of the Eden Valley lies Carlisle and Hadrian’s Wall, whilst to the South you will find the fabulous Yorkshire Dales.

There is an excellent choice of accommodation available within Eden including hotels, guest houses, Cumbrian cottages and caravan parks. Away from the main holiday season many of the Lake District holiday cottage offer the flexibility of short breaks rather than just whole weeks, so visitors can enjoy a long weekend in the area and perhaps buy some fresh local produce to cook yourself at the property. However your eating requirements are catered for by the many excellent restaurants and traditional pubs that reflect the local flavour.

Historic Penrith, often referred to as the “Gateway to the Northern Lakes”, is the major town in the Eden Valley, with a good mix of traditional shops selling locally made products and crafts, including famed Cumberland Sausage and Penrith Toffee.

When it comes to places to visit during your stay the Eden Valley offers a wide range of historic houses, castles, gardens, craft workshops, galleries and museums. In fact there are over seventy visitor attractions in Eden. For the more active there are many sporting facilities including sailing, windsurfing, horse riding, golf, squash, tennis and fishing.

One of the area’s key activities is Appleby Horse Fair, which takes place every June. The Horse Fair gathers together travelling folk from all over the country, buying and selling horses, keeping alive a 300 year old tradition. This is Britain’s largest gypsy gathering, with hundreds of tradition horse-drawn caravans converge on nearby Gallows Hill.

Walkers will find Eden is wonderful walking country, either a leisurely walk along river banks and lake shore or you can take to the higher paths over the Pennines and Lake District fells. In fact, the Pennine Way National Trail reaches into the Eden Valley at Appleby-in-Westmorland as it winds its way towards Scotland. Cyclists can follow the coast to coast (C2C) and Cumbria Cycle Way, both routes are clearly marked along the way.

The River Eden provides challenging fishing, and has in place a “Go Wild” scheme to enable visitors to try wild fishing on the river.

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.

A warm and friendly welcome awaits you at Firgarth Guest House in Windermere. Firgarth is an elegant Victorian house built in Lakeland stone around 1875, with views to the rear over Wynlass Beck.

Firgarth Windermere Guest House has the advantage of car parking, and is situated just a short walk from Windermere centre, with its many shops and restaurants and rail/bus station. We make an ideal base for touring, walking or just a relaxing break at any time of year.

Just take a 15 minute walk through ‘Millerground’ to the shores of Lake Windermere or alternatively climb to ‘Orrest Head’ from where stunning views of Lake Windermere and Morecombe Bay can be enjoyed.

Firgarth offers eight bedrooms comprising of double, single, four poster and king size double which are all ensuite. All rooms are centrally heated and decorated in a combination of modern and traditional design, all have colour TV, tea and coffee making facilities, hairdryer and a range of toiletries.

Borwick Fold Cottages are situated in Hawkshead, near Ambleside at the heart of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, high above a tranquil, pastoral valley, with superb panoramic mountain views. Surrounded by fells, lakes, tarns, woodland, ancient hamlets and villages and with its land managed for wildlife, it offers a superb base for many outdoor activities, and in which to unwind. Our visitors return again and again.

Three rather special Ambleside cottages have been imaginatively converted from the barn and stables of our 17th century farmhouse. The Hawkshead cottages are set above a quiet country lane [National Grid Reference: 33420,49970] on the edge of Black Fell [a ‘Wainwright’ fell] close to Tarn Hows, near Hawkshead.

Each of the Hawkshead cottages has its own individual character and is centrally heated for all year round comfort. Benches outside the cottages and on the fell side, as well as the al-fresco dining area and barbecue, make an ideal location in which to absorb the peace and tranquillity of the area whilst enjoying the views and abundant wildlife.

Holidaycottagescumbria.com are pleased to announce the addition of Hardcragg Hall to their portfolio of Lake District self catering properties.

Hardcragg Hall is the latest addition to Holidaycottagescumbria.com Cumbria portfolio of 5 individually owned luxury Lake District holiday cottages. Hardcragg Hall is the pinnacle of 5 star luxury self catering accommodation and can facilitate large groups of up to 14 guests with its 7 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. This stunning Elizabethan manor house makes an excellent choice for luxury family holidays, short breaks, celebrations, special occasions, wedding guests, parties, large groups or for a get together of family or friends.

Hardcragg Hall is steeped in history and dates back to 1563 and this grade II listed country manor house is reputed to be the oldest building in the local area. There are several spacious reception rooms that all interconnect, including the dining room, drawing room, bar area, breakfast room, library, the oak panelled entrance hall area with its roaring log fire and the snug lounge with patio doors leading out into the landscaped gardens and grounds. The recently furnished farmhouse kitchen is superbly equipped with everything you will need to cater for large groups or couples alike and boasts a four oven Aga.

This large Lake District self catering accommodation sleeps 10+ is ideally located in Grange-over-Sands on the Southern edge of the English Lake District. Grange over Sands is one of Cumbria’s secret gems and is the Lake District’s principle sea side town. This is an ideal location for scenic fell and woodland walks, together with a mile long, traffic free promenade overlooking the sands of Morecambe Bay.
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