It was time for a winter break as Christmas loomed and as relaxing as it should be, it never turns out that way. So to soften the blow we headed to the Lake District. Leaving before sunrise having packed up the car the night before, we drove from Brighton all the way to Lake Windermere.
Arriving at our first hotel – Beech Hill Hotel, we were welcomed by friendly staff who suggested we spend time in their lounge while we waited for our room to be available. Somehow we’d made it there early and the trip had only taken us 6 hours. We sat by the crackling fire in big snuggly Chesterfields and gazed out over the lake.
Eventually we were shown to our room, which was spacious with a very comfortable bed and views out across the lake. The bathroom had a corner bath with jets (so basically our own mini jacuzzi) and a large walk in shower.
That night we dined in the restaurant on juicy steak and devilishly good chocolate puddings.
The next morning we popped down to the spa for some much needed relaxation. As it was during the week there were only a few other people there, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. We had a swim, steam and sauna and then skipped outside to the huge hot tub overlooking the forest and lake. It was so misty while we were there, which made it all seem mysterious and wild!
Feeling super relaxed we drove 10 minutes or so to the local town which was full of cute little shops and perfect for having a browse. You can get boat trips on the lake from there, but it was too foggy for us to bother.
Once we were back at the hotel we took a walk from outside our private terrace down to the lake. The views were incredible and it was brilliant having what felt like private access to the lake.
The following day (after a quick spa morning) we drove we moved on to Lyth Valley, a short 20 minute drive away through tree covered hills and spectacular views across the landscape.
From the outside Lyth Valley looks like a pub, and it maintains that warm and welcoming feeling as you walk inside. However it feels rather luxurious at the same time; They’ve managed to strike that balance between homely and luxurious, which is tricky to do!
Our room was like a self contained apartment with a living room, dressing table area and the most beautiful bathroom. Our bedroom looked out undisturbed over the hills.
Realising we hadn’t done much walking at all in the Lake District, we decided to go on a walk over the hills in our bedroom view. We came across horses, pheasants, brooks and streams which was all pretty idyllic.
That evening we dined in their restaurant. The food was incredible and the restaurant was rather full considering it was a weekday. All of the courses were delicious, but funnily enough the one course that stuck out the most was their homemade soup, I can honestly say I’ve never eaten a soup that tasted so heavenly.
As part of our stay we had access to the spa and gym we decided our tummies were starting the get a bit podgy, so we drove back to the town to have a session in the gym, which has all the weights you’d need and also my favourite – vibro plates. Then we had a swim in the pool which overlooks the lake, finally a steam and then a “refreshing” scrub down in the ice room.
For our final night we decided to eat out in the local town and then made the most of the Sky TV in our room and watched Christmas films.
Both hotels offer different experiences of the Lake District so if you’re planning a few days, try staying in both if you can. It was the perfect way to spend our time in two very relaxing environments with all the scrumptious food and revitalising spa time you’ll need.
To book your stay at either hotel, just head to their websites:
