The Westmorland Hotel is a very special Lake District wedding venue, surrounded by stunning Cumbrian fell views.

In 2009 the hotel beat off tough competition to be named a finalist for Cumbria Tourism’s Small Hotel of the Year.  The AA 3 star hotel has been awarded  an AA Rosette for the quality of food for over 10 years and by using our menu selector you can choose your very own menu at a price to suit your budget.  Our 50 contemporary bedrooms, including four Junior Suites are perfect for your guests to fall into after a day full of excitement.

From a small civil ceremony to exclusive use of the whole hotel, we welcome the opportunity to make this wonderful day truly memorable for you, your family and invited guests.

A romantic wedding day at The Westmorland Hotel includes:

• A dedicated wedding co-ordinator and team of staff working together to turn your wedding day dreams into reality.
• A red carpet welcome
• Complimentary welcome drink for the Bride & Groom
• Table decorations and personalised menu cards
• Crisp white table linen and napkins
• Master of ceremonies
• A traditional or contemporary cake stand
• Complimentary accommodation for the Bride & Groom on the night of your wedding to include a delicious Cumbrian breakfast the following morning
• Special accommodation rates for your guests *dependent on the time of year

To request a brochure, or for more information please contact our wedding co-ordinator Becky Bell by email or telephone 015396 24351.

Lake House is the latest venture for Gilpin Lodge, the award winning family owned and run hotel in Windermere.

Since opening in September 2010, Lake House has already proved a resounding success with guests who have been blown away with one couple’s comments being “it’s like a decompression chamber for stress – you simply feel your body relax”.

Lake House is comprised of six individual suites sharing this fully staffed boutique hotel with bar, dining room, lounge, swimming pool, sauna, hot tub and Knipe Tarn, a four acre right outside the door. The attention to detail is second to none at Lake House but its uniqueness is the combination of their unfussy service which creates an experience of escapism rarely found these days. Quiet, untouched, and devoid of traffic or people, whether sitting by the fire in the lounge, or in the cedar wood hot tub, Champagne in hand, or in the swimming pool, the view instils a sense of peace and calm.

The Lake House is set in 100 acres of private grounds. From the east side of the Lake, over the dam and the waterfall, a stile leads you into the grounds which are a mixture of hilly woodland, moorland, grassland and wild ponds.

Approximately half an hour’s walk from the main house, one particular hill has been named “Viewpoint”. From here you have 360 degree panoramic views of the Lake District, including the distant mountain ranges of Coniston and the Langdales. From this vantage point wild deer and birds of prey are frequently seen. Quite simply a unique location, setting it apart from other Lake District hotels.

The family and team are very proud to have been voted best small hotel in the national tourism awards held by Visit England in April 2010. This follows winning the Cumbria Tourism awards in April 2009, and the North?West England Tourism awards in November 2009.

For further information on Lake House including image galleries, visit http://www.gilpinlodge.co.uk

Cuckoo Brow is 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 accommodation with hearty bar food served in its cosy Claife Crier bar. Popular with walkers, cyclists and the weekend traveler alike, you will find a warm welcome att Cuckoo Brow. Their doors are open to families and to those wishing to bring their pet away to the Lake District.

When it comes to either Lake District Bed and Breakfast accommodation the Cuckoo Brow should be your first choice.

Lake District Hotels Ltd host fashion show in aid of the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team.

A fundraising fashion show hosted by The Inn on the Lake at Glenridding has resulted in a £400 donation to the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (MRT).  This follows donations and practical support on event and raffle ticket sales from the hotel’s staff earlier this year.

“We recognise the commitment and tremendous value of the Team,” said General Manager, Gary Wilson, “and it’s good to be able to help out where and when we can.  The fashion show and lunch was organised by the Maureen Cookson Fashion House down in the Ribble Valley and we decided that Patterdale MRT should be the main beneficiary from the fundraising.

The event sold out quickly – there was even a waiting list for tickets at one point – and raised a significant sum for charity.

John Williams, Patterdale Mountain Rescue Association Chairman, and Team members, Mike Blakey and Martin Cotterell, recently received a cheque for £400 from Gary at The Inn on the Lake, part of the Lake District Hotels Ltd group.

“We get tremendous support from so many businesses around the valley, many of them members of the Ullswater Association,” said John. “We really appreciate this donation and would like to take the opportunity to thank the team at The Inn on the Lake hotel in the Lake District and the organisers of the fashion show for their work, enthusiasm and effort on our behalf.”

For more information on the Lake District Hotels Ltd group events visit http://www.lakedistricthotels.net

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 5 star 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).

Newby Bridge sits on the banks of the River Leven which issues from the southern basin of lake Windermere and is overshadowed by the Finsthwaite Height. Leaving the A590 you cross a handsome, five arched, stone bridge spanning the Leven, and are immediately confronted with the Swan Hotel. Smartly refurbished, the Swan has a good bar and dining, with gardens and grounds running down to the river The village is very small, a few houses dotted along the lane leading toward Lakeside.

The Leven is for the most part private fishing, however there are reasonable areas, both from the Swan’s grounds and a little west of the bridge, where you can get down to the waters edge.

Walk around to the western shore and you have Fell Foot Park, a National Trust parkland, with lakes shores where you can swim, fish, hire boats and rent mooring.

The Leven is famed for salmon, and about a half a mile beyond the bridge, towards Backbarrow, it becomes fierce and turbulent, with impressive rapids and white waters. These rapids are a draw to canoeists, where throughout the year scores of these fragile little craft, all brightly coloured, can be seen struggling against the river’s might.

Along the river lane is the Newby Bridge Halt, one of the stops where you can take a short journey on the steam railway line. Volunteers keep the Halt in immaculate order, with flowers and shrubs and lickerty spit paint work, and when the train is standing at the platform huffing and puffing the picture is one of a more genteel age.

To take full advantage of Newby Bridge and the surrounding villages visitors should look to stay the week in one the area’s fine Lake District cottages and self catering holiday homes.

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.

Many who have stayed at the Best Western Castle Inn Hotel before, may already know that Bassenthwaite is home to The Lake District Osprey Project.

Bassenthwaite Lake, a key habitat for the ospreys, is 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 and this Easter was made ‘eggstra’ special by the return of our male and female Osprey 2 weeks ago.  The female osprey laid her first egg of 2009 at the nest near Bassenthwaite Lake on Thursday 16th April.  The female bird is now incubating the egg and it is hoped that further eggs will be laid in the coming days.  Ospreys normally lay a clutch of three eggs.  Incubation is carried out mainly by the female and takes between 34-40 days.

Peter Wells, General Manager of The Castle Inn Hotel Keswick said: Staff at the hotel are very ‘eggcited’ that the first egg has been laid.  We are hopeful that there will be more eggs and that the clutch will hatch in time for our Spring Bank holiday visitors in May.
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Hotels are having to think even more creatively in order to entice guests in these tough times. With so many Lake District hotels offering discounted rates, which one do you choose? A clever marketing department should be looking at quirky offers or adding value which is something that many tourism businesses are heading towards these days. In 2008, the high quality 3 and 4 star Keswick hotels reported a good year and it is thought that the added value received from such establishments was one of the leading factors.

Of course, it isn’t just leisure guests that need to be lured. With businesses cutting staff and budgets, the business guest is just as important to target. Cumbria is an excellent stop off for business guests from the south on their way to Scotland. Another market is conferencing. Conferencing facilities and packages are offered in most of the larger hotels Lake District now. With most conferences held on week days, it is an excellent market to target. Creative marketing campaigns are springing up such as the Best Western ‘message focussed menu options’ where bread and water is an option if a team has recorded poor performance. This is an eye catching campaign but which saves the business money but helps to improve the performance of their team as the same time.
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High Bracken Lodges provide the ideal place to own a second home or holiday home in Cumbria - the Lake District. High Bracken Hall is a working farm set in the picturesque South Lakes. It truly is a gateway to the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales and the beautiful Cumbrian Coast. Access couldn’t be easier with the M6 just 5 minutes away.

This exclusive development of Lake District lodges for sale offers you a tranquil retreat with nature and luxury sitting side by side. Each of the log cabins for sale in Cumbria is finished to the highest standards, ideal for comfort. It is the perfect holiday base to get out and enjoy the many wonders of the English Lakes.

Whether it is relaxing, getting back to nature, outdoor pursuits or sight seeing, High Bracken Lodges provide ideal Lake District holiday homes for sale. The farm boasts fantastic open views of the fells, with walks through bluebell woods and a river to splash your wellies in.

The seasons bring many changes on the farm from new lambs in Spring, to the Summer grass mowing, right through to Winter cattle feeding, find out all the latest with the news and pictures on The Farm page.

The Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales are filled with things to do and it is all on your doorstep here, the local tourist board site has lots of information.

If it’s shopping, restaurants or culture you want then these lodges lie just a short distance from Kirkby Lonsdale with its boutique shops, delis and pubs or the historic market town of Kendal.

For more information and to arrange a viewing please call Eileen or Stephen on 015395 67219. We have regular open days and are open for viewing every weekend 12 - 4pm. We look forward to hearing from you.

Open for viewing every weekend 12 - 4pm.

With the Lake District being named most romantic destination this Valentine’s, it isn’t surprising that couples then want to return to get married. A staggering 31% of couples interviewed voted for the Lake District over destinations such as the Cotswolds, Bath and York.

The romantic nature of this area unsurprisingly attracts couples looking for a wedding destination. Year on year the Lake District is attracting more and more couples with hotels in the Lake District seeing steady increases in weddings throughout the year. There is an excellent choice of Lake District wedding venues due to the high number of hotels. Having this choice enables a wedding party to select the best venue for the size and theme of the wedding. Many hotels offer a cruise on one of the lakes on the wedding day. This can be for the bride and groom only or for the whole wedding party.
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The western Lake District is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK and which is also the location for the highest mountain in England.

The western Lake District covers a large area from the Solway Firth at the northern most tip right down to Barrow-in-Furness. It is extremely diverse in its landscape having some of the largest mountains but also having miles of coastline. It is the most enriched areas of Cumbria but which offers real escapism from the hugely busy South Lakes.

Silloth-on-Solway on the very northern coast is home to a championship golf course and which holds Open qualifiers. It attracts many visitors to play this links type course. Still on the coast and moving down to Whitehaven. Whitehaven has undergone much regeneration in the last few years and the harbour there is really worth a visit especially the biennial Whitehaven Maritime Festival. Further down the coast and you get to St Bees. St Bees has one of the best beaches in the UK. Clean sand and wonderful views towards St Bees Head. Heading down the A5395 for around 14 miles and you get to Muncaster Castle. The Pennington family have resided there since 1208 but early indications are that the castle has been around since 1026. Set on roman foundations, Muncaster Castle offers tours inside of the castle, an owl centre, playgrounds, a wildlife pond, ghost sits and is one of the most popular Lake District attractions.

The mountain and lake panoramas are the most dramatic of the whole of the Lake District. The market town of Keswick is a haven for walkers attracting thousands of visitors each year to walk the famous fells of Skiddaw and Helvellyn and hence there are many Lake District B&B venues to choose from. It also situated next to the beautiful piece of water, Derwentwater and only 3 miles away is Bassenthwaite. Bassenthwaite Lake is the only piece of water that is officially a “lake”. All the other bodies of water are either a “mere” or “water” for example Buttermere and Crummock Water.

Finally, panoramas do not get any better than the view from the southern end of Wast Water looking towards Great Gable and Scafell Pike. This view won “Britain’s Favourite View” on the ITV’s television programme in 2007 out of 16 views around Britain. Wast Water is the deepest lake in the Lake District at 260 feet deep but only 3 miles long. Wasdale Head offers some of the most remote Lake District accommodation but which is always busy with walkers attempting Scafell Pike.

Nestling in southern Cumbria – the Lake District are the hidden treasures of Cark-in-Cartmel and Allithwaite. Both locations providing access to the Lake District fells and Morecambe Bay.

Cark-in-Cartmel and Allithwaite are both located at the southern end of the Cartmel Valley and are classic ‘working’ Lakeland villages. This area is beautifully quiet without being remote and has a gentle pace of life. With its location so close to Morecambe Bay this area brings a milder climate than the rest of the Lake District.

The medieval village of Cartmel lies just 1½ miles north and is the oldest and most picturesque village in South Lakeland. The 12th century priory escaped destruction during the Dissolution of Henry VIII and remains one of the finest ecclesiastical buildings in the north of England. The ancient village square is home to two good pubs and is a lovely place to sit and enjoy a drink and watch the world go by. There are another two good pubs just around the corner to visit when staying in Cumbrian cottages.

Cartmel Valley is a gentle, undulating landscape of lush green fields, rolling hills, leafy lanes and tranquil forests. The woodlands are an ideal base for easy access of the whole of the Lake District, Morecambe Bay, the rolling sand dunes of the Cumbrian coast, the Forrest of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Walkers can put away their car keys as there are dozens of walks from their Lake District self catering cottage. The ancient Cistercian Way pass through Cark village and links up to all major walking routes in the Lake District. The Cumbrian Coastal Way also goes through both Cark and Allithwaite and provides spectacular coastal and fell walking for mile after mile. Morecambe Bay, with its vast areas of sand and marshes is a popular haunt for bird watchers, as is nearby Leighton Moss bird sanctuary. The Bay and the Cumbrian coast are great for windsurfing, with clear winds from the south.

If walking is not on the agenda when staying in one of these Lake District cottages then a visit to Holker Hall is a must. Holker Hall is Cumbria’s premier stately home, the home of Lord & Lady Cavendish. Residents and visitors of the village are granted permission to walk freely around the extensive parklands stocked with herds of deer and rare breed cattle and sheep. They also have a farm shop on site where produce from the estate can be purchased.

And finally, for families, a 10 minute drive north leads you to the nostalgic Haverthwaite to Lakeside Steam Railway. This connects to the awaiting Lake Windermere steamers and cruise boats that travel the full length of England’s longest lake where stops can be made at Waterhead (for Ambleside) or Bowness-in-Windermere.

It is becoming more and more of a requirement for businesses to provide a niche service or offer something that is just that little bit more specialised than its competitors. This is especially apparent in the highly competitive hotel and leisure industry.

Taking an environmentally conscious approach is one such way. This approach most obviously benefits the environment but is an excellent marketing tool to help a business grow and attract new customers.

The hotel and leisure industry is notorious for its energy consumption. There is the lighting, the washing and laundry, all the electrical goods within the rooms, the heating, kitchens and then Jacuzzis and swimming pools in the Lake Disitrict spa. All contribute to a huge carbon footprint but also high energy costs. The cost of electricity and gas has increased by 20 % in the last year which is creating a huge impact on the profits of a hotel or bed and breakfast. With the economy being in such a bad way at present and customer confidence in spending is decreasing, this industry can’t afford to put up its prices. After all, it is a highly competitive industry to start with.

Hotels have for some time now put notices in the bathrooms relating to the towels situation, in the bath if you would like them changing, on the rail or elsewhere if they are ok to be used again. This of course makes a difference if you think of how many hotels there are in the world but there is so much more that can be done.

The English Lake District is a haven for walkers and people relocating to live and work to provide a better standard and healthier living than in a city. It is understandable that the Lake District has a high number of environmentally conscious hotels. There are various levels of implementations that can be put into practice within Lake District hotels and accommodation providers from recycling and reusing of materials, to sourcing materials, services and supplies locally. There is then a next step that can be taken for example in the form of creating a renewable energy source for the hotel. One of the hotels in the Lake District that has installed a biomass energy production system which has been enabled by its location amongst a 35 acre managed woodland area. Such a system requires expert input but with the correct guidance, an economically feasible and attractive alternative to the use of LPG can be achieved. After a report had initially been produced, it was summarised that a biomass system would be far more efficient than a new high efficiency LPG boiler, an anaerobic digestion system or solar power system. To put this biomass system into context, the saving made should be at least £35,000 per year for this hotel and leisure complex when comparing it to its previous gas boiler system.  With such a saving, it is extremely evident the amount of unsustainable energy that will be saved.

There are over 80 bodies of water in the Lake District National Park which includes the largest, Windermere to the small tarns such as Angle Tarn.

There is in fact only one piece of water that is officially a lake and that is Bassenthwaite Lake 3 miles from Keswick. All the other bodies of water are either a “mere” or “water” for example Windermere and Ullswater or a tarn which means a small body of water.

There are 20 major lakes of which the largest and busiest is Windermere. Windermere is a thriving tourist destination with an excellent choice of Windermere bed and breakfast venues but there are many Windermere hotels available as well. Windermere the town is located 1.5 miles from the lake but Bowness-on-Windermere sits right by the lake swarming with boats, tourists and tours. At nearly 11 miles long, Windermere can fit a lot on it including 14 islands. The speed limit of 10 miles per hour maximum has caused some controversy but of course it has also pleased some people. Another very fascinating fact is that in the heavy rain of January 2005, Windermere rose by nearly a meter overnight. That equates to an extra seventeen thousand litres of water!

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Goosemire Cottages, the family owned and run self catering accommodation company based in Kendal, Cumbria are pleased to announce the launch of four new cottages for 2009.

The new cottages are in four different locations all offering different forms and sizes of accommodation. The first, Rosegarth Cottage at Newby in the Eden Valley. The second Lake District cottage is Edenfold Cottage, Bolton near Appleby. The third cottage is Pheasant Cottage in the Eden Valley and the fourth of the Lake District cottages is Stonegarth also in Newby.

These cottages are the latest additions to their already 35 strong cottage portfolio. This amount of cottages lead to the need for a new website which was put live last year and which enables the visitor to check the live availability of each cottage. It also gives clear information on each particular property with either “available”, “booked” or “a please phone” status. If one of the cottages is “available”, indicated under the availability status is the price for that week. This enables the visitor to know instantly the cost and eliminates the need to telephone or email for a price.

Goosemire Cottages are a small family run agency offering holiday cottage accommodation in the Lake District, UK (with just a few exceptions) an all-inclusive rental price. Their limited overheads mean low prices and they pride themselves on their value for money approach. There are open all year round and offer out of season or last minute breaks. To help you relax, Goosemire Cottages adopts a “nothing is too much trouble” approach, ensuring a welcoming, informed and personal service. On arrival you will find your cottage carefully prepared, to give your holiday a perfect start. In fact from the point of your initial enquiry onwards they guarantee they will give both you and your holiday the warm friendly attention deserved.

Goosemire Cottages have available over 39 traditional self-catering holiday homes for discerning visitors (Ranging from 1 to 7 bedrooms, sleeping up to 10). Most are rustic 17th or 18th Century Lake District self catering cottages or lovely barn conversions, where antiquity and modern comforts have been beautifully combined. The atmosphere and idiosyncrasies of each Lake District cottage property are reflected on our website, and while some maybe more luxuriously appointed than others, all are carefully prepared and maintained.

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