Sadly, though, there's no lake view - our vista contains the car park, a kaleidoscope of trees and shrubs and the A-road ploughed by the No.6. Our quarters have elegance, too, thanks to an antique desk and drawers and luxuriously thick curtains. Other mod cons include a flatscreen TV and a Dualit coffee machine. Our room is gigantic, with a plush king-sized bed, comfy sofa bed for the little one and a bathroom with a tub big enough for a small regatta of its own, and a walk-in rain shower with dual showers. Step across the threshold and one follows in the footsteps of Beatrix Potter - who lived on the opposite shore and attended several parties at the property in the 19th century when it was a private house - and Wordsworth, who was a guest at a Storrs Hall regatta bash in 1825. On the outside it’s grand-looking but slightly shabby in places – not surprising given the Lakeland weather it has to endure – with a decorator there during our stay touching up the masonry.īut inside, as mentioned, it’s a timeless joy. Storrs Hall serves as a superb base for these lake-themed forays. One of the café staff members elaborates on this, saying that he was much loved, but a bit of a nuisance, with a habit of stealing food and fronting up to pet dogs. The café was once frequented by Henry, who died in 2022 aged 57 as Britain’s oldest swan.Ī blue plaque at the cafe dedicated to the bird describes him as a ‘hardcore legend’. Is there a café anywhere in Christendom with a more bucolic setting? I very much doubt it. The day ends with tea and ice cream at the waterside Faeryland Grasmere café, which offers dreamy views across lake Grasmere. Here we wander past poet William Wordsworth’s grave – he lived in Grasmere, at Dove Cottage, and wrote some of his greatest poems there – stroll along the river and the little one has dollops of fun in a playground backdropped by dramatic mountains. Frequent customers include the kitchen team from nearby Michelin-star restaurant The Old Stamp House - the best restaurant in the world, according to Tripadvisor.įrom Ambleside it’s north on the 599 bus to idyllic Grasmere village, which shares its name with the adjacent lake. Then it’s lunch at Tacos del Sol, a tiny eatery that offers astonishingly good Mexican street food. Here we gaze upon fairytale Bridge House, an impossibly cute and curious 17th-century building that stands over a river called Stock Beck. Instructor Calum guides my partner for a gentle paddle around the calm waters by the hotel, with my daughter joining in afterwards, kneeling down on the board as curious geese and swans look on.Īll three of us take to the water on a delightful boat trip with Windermere Lake Cruises from Bowness-on-Windermere, two miles north, to charming Ambleside. Ted's nicely presented ham hock, served on the terrace (In fact, after the trip, she declares that playing with Dusty is the top holiday highlight.) My daughter is a bit unnerved by the eagle, but friendly hound Dusty, a valued member of the SUP Watersports Lake District team that visits for a complimentary guest paddle-boarding session is a huge hit. We’re told that golden eagles have no fear of humans, with the ornithologist revealing that he must ‘stare him out’ to maintain dominance. We also enjoy a visit arranged for guests by the hotel of a bird expert, who introduces us on the lawn to a barn owl, peregrine falcon and a mighty golden eagle. The temple was dedicated to Britain’s 18th-century naval heroes and constructed by the man who built Storrs Hall in 1790, Yorkshire landowner Sir John Legard. In the hotel grounds we discover a rope swing on a hidden beach and investigate the ‘Temple of Heroes’, an ornamental octagonal building that stands at the end of a small causeway and offers spectacular views of the lake and its lumpy surroundings. The outdoor pleasures continue without pause. However, once we ensconce ourselves on the terrace at the back it speeds up rapidly when my daughter insists I leave the coffee I’m enjoying with mum and race her to the shoreline – and back. I palpably feel my pulse slowing as we enter the grounds. Which makes for a slightly hair-raising arrival. Then it’s a three-mile trip south on a No.6 bus, which off-loads us by the side of a pathless busy A-road 200 metres from the entrance of the hotel. Storrs Hall sits on a prime elevated plot, with epic lawns running from the main building down to the Windermere shore
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