Cumbria Life magazine carried a big article about How to design and create peaceful, eco-friendly retreats* and it featured the gorgeous Another Place, The Lake, at Watermillock. Their writer said that the boom in wellness tourism – where travellers seek self-care, stress relief and a deeper connection to nature – is particularly important for tourism in the Lake District because it aligns perfectly with the region’s natural assets and visitor appeal.

“Wellness travellers seek eco-friendly, slow travel experiences that promote all aspects of wellbeing, minimising their environmental impact and respecting the natural landscape, aligning with conservation efforts in the Lake District National Park.

“A skylight in a Shepherd Hut at Another Place, The Lake, designed by Matt Hulme from Dynargh Design, transforms the guest experience in this bijou space. From the comfort of the cosy bed, guests are directly connected to nature and natural systems beyond the walls of the hut. Perfectly positioned, this skylight allows for star gazing, watching fluffy clouds roll or listening to the soothing sounds of rain.”

The Another Place group of hotels is all about connecting its guests with the outdoors, and this thread continues through to the design of the hotel’s spaces. In particular the Outside area of The Lake which launched in 2023, which includes the Victorian-style Glasshouse with a wood-fired pizza oven, and six shepherds’ huts with large stargazing windows above the beds, and a two-bedroom architect-designed treehouse nestled among the trees.

Another Place, The Lake is the first in a new collection of hotels set in 18 acres with a private lake shore and views over Ullswater and the fells (the second being Another Place, The Machrie on the Hebridean isle of Islay).  There's a rebuilt ‘Sheep Shed’ lakeside cabin, for warm year-round changing, showers and wetsuit drying post-swim, paddleboard, kayak, and everything else that beckons on Britain’s second largest lake.

“The treehouse is one of a kind, and the biggest accommodation on offer in any of our locations,” says Another Place, The Lake’s CEO Will Ashworth. “But the whole set – the treehouse, shepherd huts, Glasshouse and Sheep Shed – brings a new energy and buzz. We’re blending great hospitality and novel experiences with a sublime natural environment.”

Meanwhile the upmarket online magazine Tripreporter sent a writer to stay for a few days at Storrs Hall. “When the sun pours down over Lake Windermere and the distant fells, it’s hard to imagine anywhere more beautiful,” wrote journalist Stephen Kelly.**

Storrs was built purposely to host entertainments and enjoy the lakeside setting. Its outstanding location was specifically chosen by Sir John Legard for being the best spot on the lake. He had it built in 1797 as a replacement for his home in the Swiss Lakes, and it became known as one of the grandest buildings in the Lake District.

It became a hotel in 1890, and In 1943 it was bought by North British Hotels, who added the characterful mahogany and stained glass bar from Blackpool Tower.
It is now a luxury four-star hotel with 36 rooms: “We chose a lakeside hot tub suite for our stay. These were luxurious rooms in a small, quiet complex, a stone’s throw from the main building. Inside you’ll find a super king-sized bed, a large settee, a small dining table and chairs and a dressing table with an illuminated mirror. There’s also air conditioning and for those chilly evenings an eco-living flame fireplace.”

Kelly loved watching the world go by: “If you should happen to arrive at the hotel by yacht, (and why not when you’re on a lake?) you can enjoy a luxurious suite at the Boathouse where you can moor your yacht, light a pit fire, and have all your meals brought to you if you so wish.

“But there are other ways of arriving as we discovered when we heard the roar of rotor blades and spotted half a dozen helicopters heading in our direction before gently swooping down over the lake to land delicately on the lawn. Their lead pilot tells me they come every year as part of their week-long holiday, just for the afternoon tea. Two hours later they were up and gone, on their way to Carlisle, no doubt stuffed with finger sandwiches, cakes and scones. Well, no lakeside hotel would ever be complete without afternoon tea on the menu.”

*https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/magazines/cumbria/25066513.design-create-peaceful-eco-friendly-retreats/
**https://www.tripreporter.co.uk/storrs-hall-reviewed/