Creative Commons licensePhoto by flickr user alx_chief

You have to know your hotels in the Lake District: good ones need to be winkled out from the vast array of elderly, overpriced, over-chintzed places that abound in this area, especially around the most popular lakes. There is only a handful for which it would be worth making a special journey, were it not for the spectacular scenery and the renewed interest in Beatrix Potter and her world, thanks to the film Miss Potter starring Rene Zellweger and Ewan McGregor (go to www.visitmisspotter.com for specific Potter-related information from the Cumbrian Tourist Board). However, exceptional Lakeland boltholes do exist. The following suggestions include gracious waterside houses in glorious grounds, as well as simple, remote inns, perfect for walkers, plus a few fresh and contemporary newcomers. Those former icons of the British hotel industry, Sharrow Bay and Miller Howe, may be past their prime, but there is still memorable food and accommodation on offer in the Lake District, in some of the most beautiful locations in the entire country. The order by which the hotels are listed bears no reflection on our preference.

Written by Fiona Duncan