WEEKEND BREAKS: Spring into the Lake District

Mike Cheetham | 12th February 2019

With Spring in the air the Lake District is the ideal escape destination, with rolling hills and follies, breath-taking scenery and lake boat trips you could be a million miles away from the everyday.

 

It’s just over an hour’s drive from the city  to the Lake District – the Ying to the city Yang. You can feel the pace of life slow down, you immediately start to relax and appreciate the wonderful scenery as you drive past the world-renowned lakes and through some of the most picturesque villages and hamlets the country has to offer.

 

We had chosen two different hotels for our two night stay, only twenty minutes apart, both offering country house retreat stays but both delivering on this in a completely different manner.

 

The first was Rothay Manor in Ambleside. With a 2 Rosette restaurant and a hotel 4 star rating, we were looking for luxury and we were not disappointed.

 

Rothay Manor

 

 

This privately owned hotel has wonderful charm and homely feel to it. The two sitting rooms to your left and right as you walk in are plush and nicely understated. With crackling wood fires to take the chill of the lakes away and comfy chairs with plumped cushions to sit on as you rest while reading your favourite book or in our case drinking tonka bean espresso martinis  – you really could be a million miles away.

 

 

 

 

The individual designed bedrooms, all of which are newly refurbished, have a cosy country feel to them but with all the mod cons you would expect from an inner city hotel. The 4 star status is definitely deserved.

 

The hotels charm and character really shows as you walk around and explore your surroundings. The polite and friendly staff are never far away if you need anything like more drinks.

 

Dinner is £45 for three courses per person, but as we found out it is actually five courses and canapés. The canapés, which were delicious by the way, were served in the drawing room along with our pre-dinner drinks. The dining room adjacent to the drawing room was bright and nicely laid out with crisp linen clothed tables and polished cutlery. Now sat and eagerly awaiting food we were given warm artisan bread accompanied with homemade nasturtium and lemon butter and presented with the bottle we chose earlier. All the tell-tale signs of a good meal.

 

The Bouche was a mushroom consommé with black garlic puree and pickled mushrooms. Nice and light, strong garlic flavour but it all worked and left you wanting more.

 

 

 

 

My starter was Sole Veronique. A clever play on a timeless classic and it did impress. My wife chose the scallops with squash, fermented strawberry and coriander. Again, classic combinations of flavour and a touch of the extraordinary made the dish one to remember.

 

My main was the Lavington lamb with sweetbreads, cucumber and potato. Again, an accomplished dish overall but the lamb fat could have been rendered down a little more to make it crisper. The Venison with red cabbage, faggot and pomme mousseline was ‘amazing’ being the first time my wife has had venison – she now says it will not be her last as long as it tastes like that.

 

The pre-dessert was plum, pecan and rosemary. This was unfortunately not as good as the rest of the meal. The rosemary syrup was just too sweet and killed the plum. But fear not, as all was forgotten and forgiven when my damson soufflé with spiced ice cream was served. This was very, very good! The pear, ginger, chocolate, celeriac and parsley dessert my wife chose was quiet an eclectic mix of ingredients, but it was a very enjoyable plate of food and was finished off well before I had a chance to taste it. 

 

After a very comfortable nights sleeping feeling well rested, breakfast was served in the main restaurant. Breakfast was a relaxed and quiet affair with all the usual buffet accompaniments you would expect and of course the full cooked breakfast which I chose. Even though I wasn’t really hungry from my meal only hours earlier.

 

Checkout was simple and easy which lets you concentrate on what you came away for to explore the lakes.

 

Being in Ambleside you are perfectly positioned to venture out to Windermere or Coniston Water the two most famous lakes of all. Windermere was our choice for the day followed by Bowness-on-Windermere, Hawkshead and then on to Grassmere.

 

After several hours of ambling around shops, drinking over-priced coffee, been cut in half nearly by the cold breeze of the lakes and hearing all about Wordsworth it was  time to head to our next destination.

 

For rates and more information on Rothay Manor visit https://rothaymanor.co.uk/ 

 

 

Lancrigg Hotel

 

 

 

Still in Ambelside but a little further out just through the beautiful village of Grasmere is Lancrigg hotel. This hotel is steeped in history and has some impressive connections to some of British History’s most famous writers. The likes of William Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, Robert Burns have all been guests here.

 

As you approach the hotel just before you enter the front door you need to turn around and take in the view that is before you. This view has undoubtedly inspired some of the greatest literature this country has ever produced. It is truly inspiring.

 

The hotel has a sign by the door ‘muddy boots welcome’ this is a fitting and accurate statement of intent. The hotel is a little remote from the village but perfectly located along multiple walks or hikes and is often frequented by passing walkers and ramblers. The Poet’s bar serves food and drinks all day to those who are weary but it’s the view that captivates them.

 

Sitting outside with our large glasses of Malbec soaking up the ambiance and the drama of the scenery you don’t have a care in the world. This is the appeal of this hotel it is a total escape from reality and a welcome one at that.

 

Our room was Silver Howe right at the front of the hotel with the view we had been looking at since we arrived. It was a comfortable room with an old-world charm to it, definitely in keeping with the feel of the hotel.

 

Downstairs the study was a quiet almost reflective place, old handmade wooden furniture, ornate fitting and the smell of a real fire set the scene for this country house.

 

 

 

We had pre-dinner drinks in the study and were then shown to the dining room for dinner, which was three courses for £35 per person. 

 

The menu although not vast it had several choices for starter and mains. We chose the rabbit and black pudding croquette and Mackerel and beetroot as our starters. No bread which, was a bit of a shame but when the starters came they were both good size portions and left us looking forward to our mains.

 

I had ordered the pork with fondant potato and squash, my wife the steak, which came with wild mushrooms and truffle chips.

 

Again the portion size was very good indeed but the execution was a little off. My pork was a little chewy and the puree and fondant were under seasoned. The steak was very good and the truffle chips were only just scented by truffle oil.

 

For dessert,  I ordered apple crumble and my wife the cheese, my crumble was actually apple compote spooned on a plate with what looked very, very similar to breakfast granola sprinkled over it.  The cheese was good but colossal in portion size for one person.

 

 

 

 

Breakfast was served in the same dining room as dinner the night before. We ordered the full breakfast and a poached eggs on toast. The poached eggs were perfectly cooked. It was delicious. 

 

Lancrigg has a truly wonderful and charismatic charm to it. Of that there is absolutely no question.

 

This hotel is a perfect retreat, an escapist hotel, the place you go to when you want nobody to find you…your fortress of solitude.

 

What Lancrigg Hotel offers it excels at.

 

Visit https://www.lancrigg.co.uk/ for more information.