Wonders of Windermere

Cragwood County House Hotel looks just the part.

Set on the Windermere shore, it’s the kind of place you’d expect Poirot to find the colonel slumped in the library, revolver in hand.

To be honest, I actually was to be found slumped in the lounge but that was the result of their lavish four-course dinner, not a fiendish plot for the fastidious Belgian to bother his “leetle grey cells” with.

Put it this way, when the waiter asked if we’d like our after-dinner coffee on the terrace, I had to tell him: “Sounds good, but you’ll have to roll me out there, mate.”

That’s what feasting on guinea fowl will do to a chap. Indeed, the memsahib who so enjoyed her beef she didn’t spare me so much as a morsel said the menu groaning with local Cumbrian produce could have been written especially for me.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, as this was merely the end to a sensational first day spent in the Lake District.

Now, we’re old hands when it comes to the area as we’re down there two or three times a year fell-walking.

But we’re always based in Keswick in the northern lakes so we jumped at the chance to see what we were missing southwards, and loved what we found.

Our first stop was in the village of Grasmere and, as it was home to several of the Lakeland poets, it seemed only sensible to visit Dove Cottage.

This was the first family home of William Wordsworth y’know, Daffodils, the “I wandered lonely as a cloud” fella and from the outside it’s the quintessential chocolate box country cottage.

But when you get in you realise it’s surprisingly dark and, with upwards of a dozen people living there during the poet’s heyday, the word “cosy” would be an understatement.

Your ticket gets you into the next-door Wordsworth Museum, too, and this has some fascinating stuff on Wordsworth and his old pal Coleridge, but what I liked best was the chance to try a genuine quill pen.

I had a few goes dipping it into the inkwell and scratching out my signature, but even the best of them looked like a two-year-old had attempted a join-the-dots puzzle.

We then headed for Cragwood as I had an idea for how to spend the rest of the afternoon.

The hotel is just five minutes’ walk from Brockhole jetty, where you can catch one of the Windermere Lake Cruises boats.

The big steamers which sail the length of the lake don’t call here but on a bright, late summer afternoon we hopped on to a launch for the Red Cruise around the top half of Windermere.

Feeling somewhat thirsty, I nipped “below” to the bar and quickly discovered the best pub in the Lake District what could be better than warm sun, cold beer and constantly changing but always beautiful scenery?

“When does the bar open?” “As soon as we go forward, sir.” “Well, full steam ahead I think!”

We jumped off back at Brockhole, just in time for G‘n’Ts on the terrace at Cragwood and if there’s a nicer spot, overlooking the lake with a couple of ladies regular guests who could both play Miss Marple chattering away at the next table, I’ve yet to find it.

You’ll need to work off both dinner and the full Cumbrian breakfast and, if you’re a golfer, the nearby Windermere Golf Club is one of the most picturesque in the country being surrounded by fabulous fells.

We’re happier walking those hills as opposed to looking at them so we set off for the cracking village of Troutbeck, just 10 minutes away, and traipsed contentedly for a few hours.

We just had time for a pint in the Mortal Man before it was time to head for Cragwood’s sister hotel Briery Wood, just two minutes along the road.

Dinner was just as good and I’d go as far to say I actually preferred our room here but that was maybe down to the whirlpool bath in the en suite.

Perfect for easing legs made weary by a day on the fells.

Just one minor quibble, it was a bit of a stretch to reach the Prosecco chilling in the ice bucket from the tap end…