Lakes breaks come no greater than Coniston comfort

Coniston Water may be Lake District's third largest lacustrine attraction but nearby bolthole that takes its name is second to none.
The Coniston Inn rural idyllThe Coniston Inn rural idyll
The Coniston Inn rural idyll

Benefitting from 2020 multi-million pound restoration, fearlessly reopening months into first coronavirus lockdown, The Coniston Inn affords prime position to explore surrounding captivating Cumbrian countryside, picture postcard views available with every vista.

Boasting 42 beds, the shore-hugging hotel shows welcome signs of benefitting from 18-month revamp, grand grounds featuring impressive paddock and sheltered woodland trail private jetty direct access with pergola, perfect for indispensable outdoor clothing drying as well as essential backpacks and boots storage.

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Open-plan redesigned bar and restaurant await guests, as does private dining room for larger parties and corporate clients.

Good pub grub, including belly-buster breakfasts, beckons in fine dining areaGood pub grub, including belly-buster breakfasts, beckons in fine dining area
Good pub grub, including belly-buster breakfasts, beckons in fine dining area

Extension houses 21 bedrooms featuring interconnecting family rooms, all en-suite, replete with owner The Inn Collection Group’s trademark tartan carpets and classic photo prints.

Their signature style currently extends across 32 establishments straddling Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and North Wales ... at the time of going to press, that is, as additional acquisitions are bought by the burgeoning business more often than Monopoly champions.

Creating new work for 40, boosting this jobs-starved region, the facelift was hailed by company chiefs as "massive boost for hospitality and tourism for the local community surrounding the inn in what is truly one of the most breath-taking and unique addresses in The Lakes.”

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They're not wrong. The venue, embracing families and dogs in equally accommodating measure, proves ideal mecca for national park climbers and walkers, keen to see impressive sights after scaling The Old Man of Coniston, towering dramatically above as the area's high point.

Venue splashed out on sheltered woodland trail private jettyVenue splashed out on sheltered woodland trail private jetty
Venue splashed out on sheltered woodland trail private jetty

Post-op new knee would have seen this fell walker fall at very first stile so sensibly, for once, less demanding route was traversed to explore Tilberthwaite Slate Quarries.

Far from the madding crowds, two-night special deal extras Walk-Inn Breaks continue to prove particularly popular with dedicated Bridgedale and Berghaus brigade.

Rechargeable lanterns to light night skies are available from rural refuge, whose green credentials include sustainable reed bed water purifying system, biomass boiler and herb garden feeding kitchen.

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Rich and famous have made the Lakeland slate hideaway, formerly The Waterhead Hotel, their home for over a century, none more celebrated than philosopher poet John Ruskin, whose visiting associates included arguably Victorian era's foremost novelist Charles Dickens.

Inn Collection Group’s trademark tartan carpets and classic photo printsInn Collection Group’s trademark tartan carpets and classic photo prints
Inn Collection Group’s trademark tartan carpets and classic photo prints

And Sir Malcolm Campbell stayed here during 1939 World Water Speed Record success, speeding 140 mph-plus in Blue Bird K4.

Today the neighbourhood moves at safer slower pace, one allcomers can best enjoy within cosseted comfort of The Coniston Inn.