TRAVEL: A weekend in the Lake District

“BE prepared” are not words of advice I have readily accepted when it comes to weather.

A weekend in the Lake District with Storm Dennis set to hit did get me thinking that a decent coat might be in order. Only thinking mind — I actually had to buy one when I got there.

The drive up on the day preceding the full furious mix of rain, wind and sleet was pleasant enough and as we arrived at the townhouse Waterhead hotel in Ambleside the rain stopped.

Brilliant, straight out then. But maybe not. It quickly became clear that Waterhead, overlooking Lake Windermere and the pier from which the cruisers depart, the fells in the distance, would do a pretty good job at tempting you to stay inside.

My partner Ness and I were made to feel at home by the friendly reception team and checked into our luxurious room, Birkside Fell, which turned out to offer a perfect view of the lake and beyond.

A large space, the extras within it were more than enough to keep you entertained should the weather really be so bad you did not want to venture outside. A couple of Lakes Gins with Fever Tree tonics, bottles of local water, Sarah Nelson’s gorgeous Original Grasmere Gingerbread — the quaint shop in Grasmere is well worth a visit — nuts, jelly beans, fruit, Tea Pigs, a Nespresso coffee machine, a range of luxury toiletries, bathrobes, slippers, a trouser press, a DVD player (DVDs in reception and details of local walks in the reception area), comfortable furniture, walls decorated with the work of local artists — and that view.

The hotel has a real boutique feel and nothing is too much trouble for the genuinely helpful staff. There’s even a luxury turndown service.

There is, obviously, plenty to do in the Lake District and we took advantage of the decent spell of weather to walk into Ambleside, a bigger place than I remembered, packed with restaurants, hotels and bed and breakfasts — many vegan and vegetarian — decent pubs, art galleries, gift shops, bakeries, lots of shops selling walking and climbing gear, and plenty of places to take in a stroll, strenuous or not, all with a decent view.

Ambleside attracts tourists by the thousand, but there are plenty of locals in town, living in dramatic grey slate houses ranging from small terraces to large grandiose mansions, built by industrialists and now mostly transformed into hotels.

We enjoyed a drink in the Lily Bar and would return again later for some live music, but for now it was the 15-minute walk back to Waterhead, a gin and tonic while taking in the view, and dinner in the hotel’s lake view bar and grill.

An inventive menu featured lime and coconut dhal, baked whole camembert and smoked mackerel bruschetta among its starters and roasted hake fillet, burgers, steaks and pan fried duck breast within the mains, all cooked with locally sourced ingredients under the guidance of head chef Adam Graham.

I went for the fantastically crunchy crisp tempura vegetables with sweet chilli sauce to start while my partner loved the smoked salmon with sloe and mulberry gin-infused beetroot puree, lemon and dill gel. Ness had braised blade of beef with blue cheese potato gratin, wild mushroom crumb and red wine jus for main, while my Thai green vegetable curry with fragrant rice and fresh lime easily bettered any such meal I’ve ever had in a Thai restaurant. We just managed to share a gorgeously refreshing ice cream dessert and an Irish coffee before enjoying a drink in the elegant and cosy bar area.

You could hear the wind whipping up throughout the night and over an excellent vegetarian breakfast grill in the morning we discovered the lake cruises were restricted for the day — they were later cancelled. By the way, as well as cooked and continental options, there’s home-made porridge with the option to smother it in whisky. I did. A great start to a day!

We headed to Grasmere, braved a wander to view Wordsworth’s grave and daffodil garden, looking a bit sorry in the rain (I bought a coat from a shop with a 70 per cent off sale!), before deciding it was time to visit the spa at sister hotel Low Wood Bay.

The indoor facilities looked good enough to me, not that I was put off by the belting rain that was on the verge of turning into hail. A quick run and descent into the steaming infinity pool was well worth the effort, the increasingly powerful winds blowing the rain and steam around, providing a truly invigorating experience as you looked over the lake. The shielded outdoor hot tubs, with a bar service available just to add that touch of luxury, were equally exhilarating and the Fellside Sauna was just yards away for calming and warming relaxation with a view.

We left feeling the bad weather had actually made our day. We managed to book a taxi before any roads were blocked and enjoyed a few drinks in the Unicorn pub, which was staging a charity folk event, and a wonderful meal in Zeffirelli’s vegetarian Mediterranean-inspired restaurant.

It was even dry enough to walk back to the hotel afterwards and to head back into Ambleside for a last walkabout in the morning. We left feeling there was still plenty more to do, with attractions galore left unexplored, and will definitely be back.

* Waterhead and Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa are part of the English Lakes group, which also includes The Wild Boar inn, Lancaster House and The Midland in Morecambe. Go to www.englishlakes.co.uk or telephone 01539 433773 for more information. Waterhead Hotel, Lake Road, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0ER, tel 0333 2203106. Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, Ambleside Road, Windermere, LA23 1LP. Tel 0333 2203105.