Rothay Garden Hotel

"This family home in the Vale of Grasmere was built in the 1850s and didn’t become a hotel, the Rothay Bank until the 1960s at which time it was only open to vegetarians. In 1990 Chris Carss bought the 21-bedroom property and set about creating a more contemporary style and eliminating the omnipresent chintz, a hangover from the Lake District’s nineteenth-century heyday."

"Horse Riding in Cumbria: Until 18 months ago Olympic dressage winner Charlotte Dujardin had never ridden at the highest level of dressage, let alone at an Olympics. The last 18 months have seen her go through a gruelling training regime in order to claim Britain’s first ever gold medal in the sport. Dressage is an extremely disciplined form of riding, often referred to as ‘horse ballet’. However, horse riding doesn’t have to be so serious. At the Cumbrian Heavy Horses centre (www.cumbrianheavyhorses.com) riding is all about fun. With a prime location on the Cumbrian coast they offer a range of exhilarating riding experiences from hacking through the steep fells to adrenaline-fuelled gallops along the local beach. Towering above you these enormous creatures are gentle giants and they are the perfect way to experience the local countryside. Stay at Rothay Garden which offers comfortable accommodation under an hour from the centre."

"The Rothay Garden Hotel is situated in both the geographic and cultural heart of the Lake District, the playground of the 19th century romantic poets and paradise for nature lovers and climbers, walkers and sailors to this day. It’s enduring appeal is quite simply the breathtaking beauty, and the Rothay Garden Hotel, with its 30 elegant rooms, overlooked by the fells in the Vale of Grasmere, is the perfect point from which to explore - or simply relax with a glass of wine while drinking in these spectacular surroundings."