“Because it’s there” has been called the most famous 3 words in mountaineering. That was, of course, the response of the English mountaineer George Mallory, when he was asked why he wanted to climb Everest. (more…)

Our hotels in the Lake District and surrounding areas have hundreds of miles of public footpaths, tracks and trails and hopefully a growing desire to make access easier for those using wheelchairs, mobility scooters or parents with buggies. We all have a right to enjoy the countryside. Here are five short walks which are accessible to all.  (more…)

There is so much to see and do in the Lake District, so whether you are here on a short hotel break in the Lakes or just visiting the area for the day, here are five of our favourite easy walks with children. (more…)

In theory, walking with children in The Lake District should be a delight and a family bonding activity. However, the reality can sometimes fall a little short.
If memory serves me correctly (and it is a few years ago now), getting my young children out on a family walk in the Lake District could be as painful as sticking pins in my eyes! Apart from the initial wails of protest followed by the multitudinous reasons why they couldn’t possibly join their parents on a pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll, there was the inevitable and literal dragging of heels and the prolonged sulks which seemed to evaporate only as we reached our tea shop destination.
Despite the initial moans and groans, once the kids are out in the fresh air they soon discover there is so much to explore. So if you are planning a family day out here are our top 10 suggestions that might be worth experimenting with … (more…)

Lancaster House General Manager and keen fell walker, Tim Bell, tells us why this mountain is deserving of a special place in his heart.
Growing up in the North Cumbrian town of Penrith, the view directly west from my home was the distinctive and unique shape of “Saddleback”, or better known as “Blencathra”. It rises majestically and powerfully on its own from the gently undulating, low-lying moors which separate Keswick and the market town where I spent the first 18 years of my life. (more…)

In November 2014 Colin Fox, Marketing Manager at English Lakes, attended Destination Britain in Guangzhou, China with the clear intention of putting the Lake District firmly on the Chinese traveller’s map. Here he expresses his informed belief that we could become the Chinese destination of choice.

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Colin Fox, Marketing manager here at English Lakes Hotels will fly out to Hong Kong and also visit Guangzhou at the end of this month to join a group of UK tourism professionals promoting their businesses at Destination Britain China.

This is my third promotional visit to the country having been on previous trips to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2011 on a VisitBritain mission and an independent trip to Shanghai back in 2003, prior to the UK having Approved Destination Status. Whilst planning for the upcoming visit I have met some really interesting people who are also linked to China and tourism in one capacity or another and I thought it would be great to share some of our collective thoughts and experience. In this first blog I spoke to Bob Cartwright.
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When Tim Bell, General Manager at Lancaster House isn’t exploring local Lancashire walks and attractions on his doorstep, he also enjoys hoping across the boarder to Cumbria. Making the most of the fine weather, Tim heads up one of our most famous mountains…
With the heralding of summer, and the (theoretical) elimination of the risks of ice and snow in the Lakeland fells, for me this change of environmental conditions opens up the ability to tackle walks that one wouldn’t even contemplate undertaking in wintry conditions.
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The environment is an essential part of life in the Lake District and like most popular areas; it needs constant care to maintain the beautiful surroundings. Freddie Tedstone, a student from the Wirral, has been challenged with the question ‘Who should care for the environment?’
The Lake District is renowned for its breath-taking scenery, including the traditional towns and villages that are centres of regional culture and history. The lakes can provide stunning reflections on a still day yet are used for sailing when there’s a breeze. There were more than 1.2 million boat cruise passengers in 2012 which shows how well-used these wonderful resources are. Along the mountains of the Lake District National Park are many of the UK’s best walking routes and are used all year round come rain or shine. If these valuable natural sights are used by so many, who should look after them?
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Naturally, as a Cumbrian-based company, we’re a little biased sometimes celebrating the seasonally changing beauty and countryside of the Lake District. Lancaster House, our hotel in the Lake District also lies just 20 miles from another great National Park, the Yorkshire Dales, and I’ve been out with my family exploring one of the jewels in the Yorkshire crown.
A little under half an hour’s drive from the hotel is the picture-postcard village of Ingleton. Home to many a quaint gift shop, tea room, but also one of the Yorkshire Dales’ most iconic attractions, the famous Waterfalls walk.
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