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You need to be determined to get here, although it’s only 10 minutes from the southern end of Windermere. Bowland Bridge, a handful of whitewashed cottages with the inn at the centre, is on a quiet back road to Kendal in the peaceful Winster valley, and off the main tourist trail. The 17th-century pub may look traditional from the outside yet inside it’s a subtle re-working of a country inn. There are slate-flagged floors, exposed-stone walls, low-beamed ceilings and log-burners but also green-and-cream ticking curtains, bright-patterned window-seats, a dining area with pea-green walls, and a Tracy Emin amongst the more conventional Victorian watercolours and sepia village photographs.
Upstairs, the five rooms are a gently stylish update of cottage bedrooms with deep-hued walls, velvet throws on beds, faded floral rugs, and a careful sprinkling of vintage furniture - perhaps a cane-seat chair or a florid console table beneath a baroque mirror. Most are on the small side but bathrooms (apart from one) are extravagantly large with claw-foot baths and separate walk-in showers. And all but one room has glorious valley views which, even when the weather is damp (as it was on my visit), are a serene way to start the day.
Dinner is a short choice of elevated pub classics such as smoked haddock and cheese soufflé, beer and ale suet pudding with parsnip purée, and pork and chorizo cassoulet with tomato salsa. Puddings are pure comfort food: lemon posset, Eton mess, and - their speciality - steamed sticky date pudding.
Just what’s needed after a day’s hiking or, frankly, a day of just enjoying some rare peace in the beauty of the Lake District.
Sights nearby
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Country Escape
Local exploring
Great walks
Museums
Restaurant
Pet friendly
Full of character
Sit-out Terrace
Family Suites
Conference facilities
Views
Intimate
Charming
Traditional
Child friendly
Village
Inn
In/by a Nature Reserve
Rooms
5 rooms in this hotelRestaurant
A cosy, rustic atmosphere with a menu featuring hearty, traditional British dishes made from locally sourced ingredientsPet friendly
Four-legged friends are welcome, additional charges may applyParking
Free parking is possible on site, no reservation neededFamily Suites
Sit-out Terrace
Garden
Bicycle hire
Meeting Room
Outdoor dining
Fireplace
Communal Dining
Bar
Safe
Conference facilities
Wifi
Suites
Sitting Room
Child friendly
Other Activities
Sights nearby
Great walks
Museums
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