www.golakes.co.uk

Winter 2009

Lake District News

newsletter for travel writers

The recent floods in Cumbria

Dear Travel Writer, I am writing this article with two purposes - to update you on the recovery programme here in Cumbria since the recent floods and with a specific request for help in terms of your future reporting of this area. The most extreme weather you will have seen reported centred on a small part of West Cumbria, namely the towns of Cockermouth and Workington. Both of these areas are outside the Lake District National Park. The recovery in these towns is already gathering momentum but will take some time. Although there was some disruptive flooding in the Lake District in places like Keswick and Windermere, it has not been so severe and widespread as to bring tourism here to its knees. There are also many hotels, visitor attractions , pubs, restaurants and events totally unaffected by the weather, as the hardest-hit tended to be in very low-lying lakeside and riverside locations. Indeed many businesses are open and I want to take this opportunity to remind you of this. It is vitally important to the economic health of Cumbria that your readers realise that it is safe to visit and the worst of the weather has gone. Our own experience of foot-and-mouth tells us that consumer confidence is incredibly fragile. Visitors see coverage of a major story like this and make assumptions that because one part of this area is affected, then it all is. Our view now is that unnecessary cancellations could cause more damage to tourism than any weather system. To that end, could I please make a request not to overlook the Lake District or Cumbria in your coverage of the UK’s holiday offer? You continuing to feature us in your round ups and profiles would be greatly appreciated as part of our recovery process. We have a dedicated press team at your disposal and are able to service any request for information you may have. We can easily put you in the picture with news and developments from the industry in this part of the world. You can contact Julie Darroch, Nici Hewitson and Ellis Butcher directly on 015398 25075 or at pressoffice@cumbriatourism.org. The reason tourism is so important to this area is very clear. Around 36,000 jobs rely on visitor spending and the tourism industry is one of the county’s biggest employers. Tourism brings in a vital £1.1 billion to Cumbria each year. The Lake District is one of the UK’s best known tourism brands and it therefore goes without saying that visi-tors are vital to its future success. If you are able to help or would like to arrange a specific visit, simply get in touch. Thank you.

Ian Stephens, Chief Executive, Cumbria Tourism

www.golakes.co.uk

Wonderful winter pubs

Roaring fires, flag floors, low beams, delicious lo cal produce, good wines and great ales… Sound temping? Cumbria has a range of gorgeous cosy pubs offering warm welcomes and fabulous

food, ideal for enjoying whatever the weather...

The Masons Arms, Strawberry Bank Recently one of only five pubs short-listed by Country Life Magazine for the Country Pub of the Year Award… A wonderful, atmospheric Lakeland inn perched on the fell side overlook-ing the beautiful Winster Valley. As well as the traditional bar and dining room they have a lovely outdoor ter-race complete with canopies and heaters just perfect for enjoying a relaxing drink at sunset. They offer good, local, wholesome food, freshly prepared using top quality produce. www.masonsarmsstrawberrybank.co.uk The Bitter End, Cockermouth Situated in Cockermouth- birthplace of William Wordsworth, this welcom-ing pub is open for business as usual. It comes complete with its very own micro brewery where the whole brew process can be seen through a glazed partition in the pub. With roar-ing open fires, superb home made meals and fantastic real ales this is a very appealing place to relax. www.bitterend.co.uk The Sun Inn, Kirkby Lonsdale A welcoming 17th century inn set in the heart of the town, overlooking St Mary’s church, close to Devil’s Bridge and Ruskin’s View. Enjoy a drink in front of the log fires or relax in the lounge and wine library. The chic restaurant offers excellent food cre-ated using fresh local ingredients and is fast gaining a well-respected repu-tation for quality. www.sun-inn.info The Vagabond Whitehaven

A popular pub right on the pretty har-bourside in Whitehaven. They spe-cialise in good comfort food using local ingredients and often fish fresh from the fishing boats docked nearby. It offers a great atmosphere, friendly staff and there are often blues and folk bands playing there so you can enjoy live music as you eat.

www.thevagabondwhitehaven.co.uk

The Strickland Arms, near Kendal

This has an impressive reputation for superb food, good service and lovely surroundings. Stylishly contemporary and airily spacious with two log fires, the menu is simple and seasonal and the food fresh and delicious. Definitely worth a visit.

www.ainscoughs.co.uk/Strickland-Arms/strickland-arms-home.html

The King’s Head Hotel & Inn, Thirlmere

Situated at the foot of Helvellyn, this 17th century coaching inn enjoys an idyllic setting surrounded by spec-tacular scenery. The Kings Head offers both bar and fine dining with an extensive menu featuring tradi-tional English dishes and local speci-alities created from the finest pro-duce. The on-site local produce store offers a wide range of Cum-brian food and drink. www.lakedistrictinns.co.uk

The George and Dragon, Clifton, near Penrith

The recently opened George and Dragon Inn nestles in a charming vil-lage on the edge of the Lowther Valley This former coaching inn, built in the late 18th century, has been lovingly restored by local craftsmen who have reused stone, slate flags, design and colours sympathetic to the early Geor-gian period. Comfy sofas, bare wooden tables, intimate alcoves and open crackling fires make it a perfect place to relax and unwind and the freshest local, organic ingredients, sourced within 20 miles of the inn, make the menus mouthwatering. Drinks are incredibly reasonably priced too, with glasses of good wine starting from a little over £2.50 each. www.georgeanddragonclifton.co.uk

Tower Bank Arms, Near Sawrey

This pretty little pub is next door to Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s gorgeous former home and can be seen in one of the sketches for The Tale of Jemima Pud-dleduck. The cosy 17th century Lake-land inn offers friendly professional service, quality fresh food and an ex-tensive selection of traditional local ales and organic soft drinks and wines. An idyllic location for a pint !

www.towerbankarms.co.uk

The Drunken Duck Inn, Barngates, Ambleside

A multi award-winning family-owned inn which serves the finest local pro-duce imaginatively prepared and served. The food is complemented by fine local beers, top wines and spirits and a chic but traditional interior with an open fire and Brathay Black slate bar top. The inn site is within 60 acres of private land high above Lake Win-dermere, providing a scenic setting for a relaxed lunch. They offer a range of stylish rooms too, so if you don’t fancy the long drive home you can stay over.

www.drunkenduckinn.co.uk

www.golakes.co.uk

Cumbrian Christmas delicacies Christmas is a time for loading up your larder with sweet treats and spicy snacks. There are few

places better for stockpiling your festive delicaci es than Cumbria. Combine a winter weekend with a festive forage by visiting the dozens of small, a uthentic, independent food shops which make

Cumbria so very special. Here’s a tour of the top f estive foods and where to get them...

Rum Butter Whether it’s croissants on Christmas morning or livening up moreish mince pies, the deliciously thick Wilson’s Cum-berland Rum Butter adds a sweet-spirit kick to any snack. This golden-brown sugary paste sold in retro, cup-cake-like tubs, is a Lake District speciality. You’ll find it hiding on the corners of shelves in many quaint food shops like The Honey-pot in the storybook village of Hawk-shead. www.honeypotfoods.co.uk/ Damson Gin Christmas Pudding The Winster and Lyth valleys are home to some of England’s most spectacular and productive orchards whose branches bloom snow white in Spring and hang heavy with baubles of the purple fruit by September. Damson is used to make everything from jam to gin and one of the new specialities is the Fruity Damson Gin Christmas Puddings. These are made by Cowmire Hall based at Crosthwaite on the outskirts of Kendal. Try its ruby red liquor gin, available through Fortnum and Mason’s, London and if you fancy a trip to the Lakes, you can stay at Cowmire’s delightfully cosy bothy. www.cowmire.co.uk Cumberland Smokey Cheddar If you’re tired of endless steamed stodge or sweet things over Christmas, spice up your water biscuits and oatcakes with a few slices of thick cheddar. The multi-award winning Lake District Cheese Com-pany makes a range from the dairy herds feasting on the lush Lakeland grass. Try its Cumberland Smokey for starters. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, head to Churchmouse Cheeses, Kirkby Lonsdale, which has a range of superbly-named products like How’s Yer Father, Admiral Collingwood and Blacksticks Blue. If you’re really lucky, they may even play “Little Donkey” on the in-shop piano as you explore. www.churchmousecheeses.com

Truffles Make a beeline for Hutton’s a traditional, specialist hand-made chocolate confec-tioners which makes claims to being “the oldest shop in the village.” If you’ve pre-sents on your mind, mix and match your own specially-made gift box for someone special. If you’re more interested in how the goodies are made, go to Kennedy’s Fine Chocolates at Orton, Penrith. This tiny factory allows you to view the choco-late makers at work. huttonschocolates.co.uk/ Cold Cuts of Lakeland Lamb You might never make it through the door of Yew Tree Farm due to being struck by the awesomeness of its setting. Inside you’ll find a farmhouse once owned by Beatrix Potter, now providing locally made jams and relishes. Its real industry though is its 600-acre farm, specialising in prime cuts of its free-roaming Herdwick Lamb, perfect with roasties and sprigs of Rose-mary. Alternatively, bag a tender beef joint from its Belted Galloway cattle (cows with black belts). If you can’t visit in person don’t worry, they now deliver anywhere in the UK. www.yewtree-farm.com / www.heritagemeats.co.uk Chutneys The Hawkshead Relish company really knows how to “do” Christmas with its fes-tively-named lines of products. Try its gin-gery Boxing Day Chutney with turkey sandwiches or coat your crackers with Michaelmass relish. Those that like their food spicy can try its decadent Chocolate Chilli Fudge and wash it down with some Lakeland Lager or, at 4.9%, Brodie’s Prime real ale. For festive snacks, try its cross between piccalli and chilli – Chillilillli. Alternatively, prepare your Turkey Curry with a dollop of its Orange and Red Onion Marmalade to give it extra zang, or rein-vigorate your “pigs in blankets” with its Hot Garlic Pickle. www.hawksheadrelish.com

Ginger Bakers When she’s not collecting food awards, Lisa Smith makes a range of cakes, bakes and Brownies There’s no shop to visit but she supplies the likes of local coffee shops, retailers and delis. You can order online too. All the products are glu-ten free and she uses the freshest ingre-dients, organic and locally sourced where possible and always free range eggs. Try the luxury 1lb loaf fruit cake for £6 – shin-ing with brandy and topped with glistening fruits and nuts. www.gingerbakers.co.uk Festive Fizz Pick up your Christmas Day plonk at Or-ganico – a state of the art wine house in Ambleside offering over 200 organic wines. Run by the Jackson family – Peter, Sue and son Chris – the store is like step-ping into a vineyard with its grapes, soft wood and rustic presentation. There’s a resident Sommelier on hand to help you find your way around its shelves and ex-plain its special cases. For Christmas, pick up a bottle of its 1996 Champagne Vintage for £41 from the Fleury vineyard or at the other end of the price range its £19.95 for an effervescent Champagne Premier Cru Brut. www.organi.co.uk

Holker Hall Christmas Hamper Head to historic Holker Hall – country seat of Lord and Lady Cavendish – home to 17,000 acres of estate and carefully-cultivated courtyard. The estate has blaz-ing braziers on special Christmas week-ends and is decorated by London’s Euro-pean designer Gisela Graham, with twi-light illuminations. As well as its deer-roaming parkland, gardens and the man-sion itself to explore, there’s a gift shop and fantastic Food Hall. This is the place to snap up unique treats like rich Christ-mas Coffees and quality Christmas Ham-pers. www.holker.co.uk

www.golakes.co.uk

Fabulous house party houses

Stoneview House, Kirkby Stephen The latest addition at Stonetrail Holidays is Stoneview House which offers chic self catering accommodation. Sleeping up to ten people the stunning barn conversion is carefully designed to offer a contempo-rary interior and an exceptional high stan-dard of comfort. Wood burning stoves, power showers and crisp white linen blend easily within the original architec-ture of the open trusses and exposed stonework. With prices from £355 for a 4 night break, this stylish accommodation can work out from as little as £8.80 per person per night, making this an incredi-bly affordable break. www.stonetrailholidays.com Staffield Hall, Kirkoswold Taking over your very own stately home is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most people, if you fancy a break with a differ-ence you can make Staffield Hall your own. This 150-year-old historic hall has been carefully divided into eight romantic and very distinctive apartments but you and your friends can take over the whole affair, dining together either in the Great Hall or in the dining room of the biggest apartment, Manor Hall. Banquets and buffets, snacks and gourmet dinners can all be arranged for you, as can a wide range of activities. A very grand place for a very special gathering. www.staffieldhall.co.uk Gossel Ridding, Windermere This fabulous Arts and Crafts mansion boasts magnificent views across Lake Windermere to the mountains beyond. Sleeping up to 14 people, the house stands in eight acres of its own grounds and is decadently decorated to the most luxurious standard. Groups can enjoy a full concierge service, an impressive cin-ema room, a grand piano tuned to concert standard, state of the art kitchen, big open fires and numerous plush reception rooms and bedrooms. The house can be taken on a self catering basis or a private chef can be arranged, meaning this is a perfect destination for those who’d like to be waited on in the lap of luxury this fes-tive season. www.gosselridding.com

Townson Ground, Coniston 400 year old Townson Ground House offers comfortable and beautifully styled accommodation for up to 14 people on the eastern shore of Coniston. All the bedrooms here are individually designed, one has a striking copper bath, another has a rare antique bed and Colefax and Fowler wall papers along with reclaimed Belgian tiles bring colour and detail to cool en-suite bathrooms throughout. The stunning location, lakeside access, south facing garden, huge sofas, open fires and relaxed style make this an ideal place for a house party break. www.townsonground.co.uk Ann’s Hill, Cockermouth Ann’s Hill Cottage and Ann’s Hill Lodge and Secret Suite collectively sleep 8-10 people and offer gorgeous accommoda-tion full of chic chandeliers and rustic character. With wood-burning stoves, big beds, range cookers, hot tub, and a Ro-meo and Juliet balcony, it’s a lovely place to hide away and unwind. Situated in peaceful countryside just a few miles from the pretty town of Cockermouth, this is open as usual, providing a comforting escape. A delicious breakfast basket is delivered to your door each morning and your arrival greeted with chilled cham-pagne and tempting chocolates; a private chef can even be arranged to prepare your evening meals. www.annshill.co.uk Augill Castle, Kirkby Stephen If you don’t have a castle of your own then Augill invite you to use theirs! Augill Castle was built for house parties and they can provide you with everything you need for a fully catered, relaxed weekend. The unstuffiest of castles, Augill offers decadent accommodation but is decid-edly family-friendly providing playrooms, toys, a trampoline, interconnecting rooms and baby listening. The opulent rooms are complete with thoughtful touches such as home-made biscuits, fresh ground coffee, decanter of sherry and Molton Brown toiletries and meals are leisurely and sociable, made with good local ingredients. www.stayinacastle.co.uk

The Samling, Windermere Few hotels of this quality allow you to take them over exclusively, but the Samling does…A few hundred feet above beautiful Lake Windermere beckons this gorgeous gem of a hotel. For the ultimate in private indulgence stay in their luxurious Manmire Suite – A duplex cottage suite with breath-taking views, spacious sitting room, private terrace and a bedroom set on a raised deck. All rooms are individual and incredi-bly stylish. The food here is sophisticated and the wine list impressive but for the ultimate treat you must take a dip in the outdoor hot tub, this bubbles away all year, no matter what the weather and has the most beautiful view over the lake and beyond. www.thesamling.com The Lodge, Brampton This award-winning self catering cottage sits in serene, open parkland and offers a lovely family friendly escape. Sleeping up to six people plus cots the accommodation here is very spacious. Each bedroom boasts its own bathroom and the sociable kitchen is huge, light and welcoming, with sofas and a sitting area, perfect for long leisurely meals together. Cots and high chairs can be provided and a wine delivery service, meal delivery service and child-minding can also be arranged for you. Included in the price are thoughtful touches such as hand-made soaps, fresh flowers, a welcome box of toffee fudge and locally made beer. www.selfcateringcottagescumbria.co.uk Lakeland Stone Cottage, Patterdale The award-winning Stone Cottage is a boutique-style cottage surrounded by stun-ning mountain scenery just a couple of miles south of Ullswater. A painstaking refurbishment programme has breathed life into many original features creating a chic cottage which feels at home in its glorious Lakeland setting. Farrow and Ball paints and fabrics from Liberty and Os-borne & Little, complement the finest local materials and artist’s works. Sleeping up to six people, Lakeland Stone Cottage also offers a selection of payable extras such as luxury hampers, childminding ser-vice, private chef service and activity days. www.lakelandstonecottage.co.uk

This winter why not get together your friends and f amily for an indulgent house party break in Cumbria and celebrate the festive season in style. Stay in a c astle, on the edge of a lake, in a farm house or en joy a pri-vate house complete with your own personal Michelin -starred chef. Over Christmas, for New Year or for a

February escape, a house party break can be both in dulgent and affordable...

www.golakes.co.uk

News for 2010

The Lakes on ITV The Lake District, Cumbria will hit the nation’s TV screens in early 2010 when it will take the starring role in a 12-part series on holidaying at home. The ITV 1 programmes will be voiced over by comedian and recent Lake District convert, Rory McGrath and will feature a number of different businesses from hotels to attractions and highlights from some of the summer’s key events and festivals. The crew filmed in the Lake District for around seven weeks during the summer of 2009. The UK’s First Storytelling Laureate Renowned Cumbria based storyteller, Taffy Thomas will be the country’s first laureate for storytelling and will take up his post from January 2010 for a period of two years. The position will be celebrated and launched at three public events during the 10th National Storytelling Week in early 2010. The position was awarded and organised by independent production company ‘kindandgenerous’. Taffy Thomas MBE is the most experienced English storyteller and is artistic director of Tales in Trust, the Northern Centre for Storytelling, in Grasmere. www.taffythomas.co.uk Lonely Planet ‘Best in Travel’ 2010 The Lake District is the only UK holiday destination to make it into Lonely Planet’s Top 10 regions to visit in 2010. ‘Best in Travel 2010’ is the travel company’s fifth in its annual collection of the best places to go and best things to do in the year ahead, and is one of Lonely Planet’s biggest sellers. The Lake District features alongside; Alsace, France; Bali, Indonesia; Fernando de No-ronha, Brazil; Goa, India; Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, Cambodia; Lake Baikal, Russia; Oaxaca, Mexico; Southern Africa; and Southwest Western Australia. GoSkimming iPhone application Cooped-up office workers are being encouraged to get rid of executive stress this autumn by skimming a stone across some of the Lake District’s most famed and picturesque lakes. Cumbria Tourism has introduced a brand new virtual reality game which transports users to the stunning pebbled-shores of either Windermere, Ullswater, Wastwater or Derwentwater, where they can have a go at stone skimming. The innovative GoSkimming app has been introduced as part of the launch of Cumbria Tourism’s brand new official mobile site www.golakes.mobi. The site provides tools and information so that people can plan their trip to Cumbria from their mobile phone, as well as accessing up to the minute information while they are actually here. For more infor-mation about the new Goskimming application please visit www.golakes.co.uk/mobi. William Wordsworth/St George’s Day anniversary St Georges Day – The 23rd of April 2010, marks the 160th anniversary of William Wordsworth’s death. And the same month also marks the 240th anniversary of his birth. The romantic poet was born in Cumbria and much of his well loved poetry, including the famous ‘Daffodils’, was inspired by his life here. www.wordsworth.org.uk Wainwright walk anniversary June 2010 will see the 80th anniversary of legendary fell walker Alfred Wainwright’s first walk in Cumbria, at Orrest Head in Win-dermere. www.wainwright.org.uk Steam Yacht Gondola, Coniston June 2010 will also mark 150 years of the gondola that sails on Coniston Water.

Visit www.cumbriatourism.org for more developments...

After the rolling news coverage of the recent flood ing in Cumbria, it is more important than ever for visitors to know that Cumbria is very much open for business . With the new year comes a new start and with the se exciting developments, impressive accolades and sig nificant anniversaries, the months ahead look full of

promise.

Here’s to 2010...

www.golakes.co.uk

24 hours in Carlisle Carlisle is one of over 20 cities bidding to become the UK’s Capital of Culture in 2012. Here are some

ideas for how to make the most of your time there...

Getting There Catch the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway which is widely regarded as England’s most scenic train journey. In November 2009, it was named by ABC Television in America as the second greatest railway journey in the world. The Settle to Carlisle route is 72 miles long and took 6,000 men seven years to build, starting back in 1869 and is a fitting monu-ment to Victorian engineering. It has nine stations between start and finish along with 14 tunnels and over 20 viaducts to cross as well as some of the most jaw-dropping scenery in England. If you fancy a more direct journey take the West Coast Mainline which shut-tles passengers between Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh several times a day stopping in the heart of Carlisle city centre. Direct trains from London to Euston take from just over three hours. http://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/

Where to stay If you fancy peace and quiet but want easy access to the city, base yourself at Dalston less then 10 miles from the historic centre. Stay at the lovely Hall Hills which is in the run-ning for best Self-Catering Holiday of the Year Award in the 2010 Enjoy England awards. It won the North West regional title competing against the likes of Manchester, Liverpool and Cheshire. These are four and five-star self catering cottages named after the ancient Cumberland dialect of counting sheep – Yan, Tan, Tethera or one, two, three. Right by the river Roe, it’s all exposed beams, solid oak floors, private patios and uninterrupted views. http://www.hallhills.co.uk/index.html

Where to eat Bijou means “small jewel,” and is an intimate 25-seater sociable restaurant in the heart of Carlisle’s historic quarter on Fisher Street. Definitely a place to go for an evening meal it’s all mellow tones, understated lighting, big plates and huge wine glasses. Expect some city panache on Lakeland staples like Cumberland sausage with a creamy mash and sweet thyme and onion sauce, or a roasted beetroot and brie salad with pine nuts. http://www.bijou-restaurant.co.uk/# The Gilded Lily, a stylish bar and brasserie, with its mouth-watering parma ham salads and grilled vegetable ciabattas, is the place for lunch. http://www.gildedlily.info/

Carlisle Culture

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery is a nationally-recognised museum which hosts sig-nificant collections, exhibitions and events. Tullie House also has its own restaurant and landscaped Jacobean and Roman gardens and charts the social history of the Carlisle area with ancient coins, clothes, photos and recordings. Tullie House is the lynchpin of Carlisle’s City of Culture bid with over 188,000 exhibits including Bronze-Age spears, Saxon swords and objects recovered from Viking burials. It also shows over 4,300 paint-ings, watercolours, drawings, prints and sculpture from Pre-Raphaelite to 18th, 19th and 20th Century works. It’s not all for adults either, kids can fire a roman weapon or climb a life-sized section of Hadrian’s Wall as well as checking out the soldiers in their garb.

http://www.tulliehouse.co.uk/

One for the kids

Four miles out of Carlisle at Crosby-on-Eden is Walby Park Farm, a vast 430-acre working farm in low-lying countryside reminiscent of France. Here you’ll find all sorts of story-book farm animals for the little ones including lambs, baby goats, piglets, Shet-land Ponies and donkeys. In 2009, the Milbourn family, who’ve farmed there since 1928, took home the prized Best Visitor Attraction title, beating some of the biggest tourist attractions in the Lake District in the 2009 Cumbria Tourism Awards. The park itself covers 30-acres and often has falconry displays, ferret-racing and events on. There’s fun whether it’s rain or shine. Outside it has nature trails, swings, trampolines, go-karts, aerial slides, tractor rides and animals, and indoors, a giant, soft play barn with fun for adults too including the Astral sack-slide and the 24-foot Demon Drop slide. Family tickets for two adults and two kids is £21. http://www.walbyfarmpark.co.uk/