Homegrown Delights

T he UK’s largest National Park offers some of the most iconic landscapes that define our island identity. It was the inspiration for the great poetry of Wordsworth, the background for some of our finest artworks and the backyard for the endearing antics of Beatrix Potter’s animal creations. The ultimate draw to the region is perfectly described in the title - its magnificent, sinuous lakes around which lie timeless villages of whitewashed cottages. Stray from the water’s edge and the countryside lifts upwards to craggy fells off which the rains plummet through tumbling waterfalls to feed the verdant valleys. It’s heady stuff indeed, and so not surprisingly attracts flocks of visitors. Even when it’s damp, and it frequently is, the scenery merely acquires a dewey layer of misty romanticism. Its compact size (around 30 by 40 miles), together with its easy access (20 minutes from the M6), makes it one of the best places in Britain to enjoy the great outdoors whether ticking off the fells (including England’s highest), strolling a lakeshore or taking to the water. It is also home to many, fine countryside hotels, a selection of which we hope will tempt you to dig your walking shoes out of the cupboard and head up for a breeze with nature. Pooley Bridge Glenridding Windermere Hawkshead Ambleside Coniston Ravenglass Keswick Grasmere