The Lake District has always been thought of as a popular holiday destination in the north of England.  Historically it was where only visitors interested in outdoor activities headed, popular for its mountains, or fells as they are known locally and lakes.  This is still the case, however today it is also popular with visitors on a quest for a more chilled out luxury break and with those interested in literary history and the 19^th century writers and poets such as Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth.

Wordsworth lived the most significant parts of his life close to the lakes and there are a considerable number of places for visitors with an interest in his life to visit, amongst them Dove Cottage in Grasmere and Rydal Mount.  Rydal is the site of ‘Dora’s Field’ where Wordsworth intended to build a family home, the house was never built and when his treasured daughter died Wordsworth and his family planted the site with daffodils in rememberance of her.  The field is now owned but the National Trust, and if you visit in spring you will be welcomed with a magnificent sight of thousands of daffodils in all their glory, sit here and wonder if the poet himself came here to recite his most famous verse .

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils

There are of course a large number of other places in the Lake District to visit; one of the most popular is the market town of Keswick.  Situated right on Derwent Water, Keswick has become a place to base exlorations of the northern lakes of the Lake District National Park.  The area is great for both relaxing and exhilarating activities for all ages and from here it is possible to discover the mountains of Scarfell Pile and Skiddaw, explore the surrounding towns and villages as well as visiting some other beautiful lakes.

For visitors staying in the area a Keswick hotel can be anything from a clean and comfortable bed and breakfast to a superior Keswick country house hotel with sweeping grounds and lake views.  The Swinside Lodge Hotel Keswick is a hotel which comes highly recommended.  Situated in beautiful  gardens this Georgian country house hotel has been included as one of the Sunday Times’ top eleven Valentines Day hotels, making it an ideal romantic retreat . If you enjoy wildlife the hotel has its own resident red squirrels and pheasants or just a five minute stroll away are the shores of the Derwent Water and a regular boat service around the lake.  Other popular Keswick hotels include the traditional Borrowdale Hotel in the Borrowdale Valley, the refined Victorian Keswick Country House Hotel set in large grounds, the amazing Lodore Falls Hotel with lake views and its own falls and the Skiddaw Hotel situated in the heart of the town.

Whichever of the Keswick hotels you decide to choose, your stay will be just what you need for a romantic break, exhilarating hiking holiday or a literary trail in the footsteps of Wordsworth.