 | |  |  | Lake DistrictFrom around £125 per person in June 2004 at L'Enclume and from around £240 per person at Stanley Ghyll cottage in June 2004
We went with: L'Enclume hotel on 015395 36362,
Select Cottages on 08700 735 328
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|  | Tess Daly got back to her country roots in the Lake District.
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Tucked in between the industrial Northwest and the Scottish borders, the Lake District national park covers some 880 square miles of picturesque Cumbrian countryside. It's one of the UK's most popular destinations, attracting around 14 million sightseers, walkers and climbers to the area every year. Tourism to the area was severely hit with the Foot and Mouth outbreak but two years on, visitors are returning and the lake's are right back in fashion. Hollywood stars Brad 'n Jen are rumoured to have paid a visit, Sir Paul McCartney proposed to Heather Mills here and when Posh and Becks came to stay, they rented the whole of the L'Enclume hotel. The hotel is situated in the historic village of Cartmel in South Lakeland which is dominated by it's 12th century priory. This is not your run of the mill establishment in fact its more like a 'restaurant with rooms attached' but this is an eaterie-cum-hotel with a difference. Tess talked to owner and chef Simon Rogan about L'Eclume's unique gastronomic experience- a 16 course tapas-type meal making use of the natural ingredients and herbs found in the neighbouring valleys. The hotel's rooms are individually styled - and named. Tess took a particular liking to a room called Trouve, 'gorgeous' and 'girly' in an 18th century French design. Crumpet CruiseCartmel's closest lake is Lake Windermere, only 5 miles away, where visitors can enjoy the beauty of the surroundings afloat on 34 foot yacht Excalibur, courtesy of husband and wife sailing team John and Julie Surridge. Visitors can choose from going on a 'crumpet cruise' - a morning sail with breakfast laid on or an evening trip with dinner under the moonlight. After all that fresh air, Tess fancied a spot of culture and headed to the Blackwell Arts and Crafts House, the only one of its kind in Britain. Tess likened the interior with its oak panelling, intricate plasterwork and stained glass, to a Shakespearean theatre. One of the most popular things to do is to take a trip on the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway known affectionately as La'al Ratty. It takes 40 minutes to travel through 7 miles of valleys and fields to end ups at Dalegarth station near Boot - a perfect trip out for the kids. As a country girl born and bred, Tess put her walking shoes on and took to the hills with Eric Robson, Lakes resident for 20 years and chairman of both the Tourist Board and the Wainwright Society. Eric explained how the outbreak of foot and mouth had detrimentally affected valleys like Eskdale, where tourism practically closed down, but ironically, how it prompted farming and tourism to cooperative more effectively. For those who can't afford the celebrity lifestyle there's more affordable self catering accommodation at Bridge End Farm cottages in Boot. The charming Stanley Ghyll an upside down cottage Tess visited even came complete with a private garden. For stunning scenery, A-list accommodation and even sunshine if you're lucky then the Lake District is for you. If you liked the Lake District, why not also try the Scilly Isles?
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