THE LAKE DISTRICT

Helen Pickles

Last summer, the Lake District was bursting at the seams. Now, according to Cumbria Tourism, 55 per cent of holiday businesses are reporting lower bookings than usual. There is decent availability, and good value, if you know where to look.

While Windermere, with its touristpacked hubs of Bowness and Ambleside, may be the star, there are around a dozen more lakes to choose from. Ullswater, 20 minutes from the M6, offers cruises and fell walks, including climbs of Helvellyn: camping and glamping park the Quiet Site (thequietsite.co.uk) offers three-night stays in its “gingerbread houses” (sleeping six) for £480 in August. Close to Lake Bassenthwaite, 10 minutes north of Keswick, the dog-friendly Pheasant Inn (inncollectiongroup.com/pheasant-inn) is offering two-night summer breaks (including dinner) from £319.

The Yan (grasmereglamping.co.uk), a 15-minute walk from Grasmere, has glamping pods priced at £460 for three nights (£895 for a week), while the Cuckoo Brow Inn (cuckoobrow.co.uk), between Windermere and Hawkshead, has availability from £122 a night. And if you move fast, the riverside Swan Hotel (swanhotel.com), five minutes from the quieter southern end of Windermere and featuring a new spa, is offering a 15 per cent reduction on rooms booked eight weeks ahead (from £132).

Widening your search area can also bring benefits. Guests at the Queen’s Head in Askham (queensheadaskham. co.uk), a traditional pub with rooms from £130 a night, get free entry to the gardens and outdoor pool of sister hotel Askham Hall. In lesser-visited Eskdale, near the west coast, the friendly Woolpack Inn (woolpack.co.uk) offers threenight midweek stays from £120 per person. It’s just a mile from the popular Ravenglass and Eskdale steam railway.

Soak it up: the Swan Hotel on Windermere has a new spa