HF Holidays, the UK’s largest walking and leisure activity holidays provider, and the National Trust have completed extensive restoration projects at Coniston in the Lake District.

At Monk Coniston on the Coniston Estate, HF Holidays – who have leased this lakeside property from the Trust since 1945 – have just finished a £600,000 restoration programme including roof repairs and exterior and interior renovations.

HF Holidays operates the property as Country House Hotel base for its walking and leisure activity holidays and the work represents a significant investment over 12 months.

At the same time, National Trust volunteers have finished a three year project to restore Monk Coniston’s Victorian Walled Garden and the footpaths leading from the garden to Coniston Water and Tarn Hows. The extensive works were supported by £450,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other investors.

A garden celebration event was organised by the National Trust with a presentation held in the 17th century dry stone wall barn at Monk Coniston Hall to mark the success and achievements of the restoration project.

The event culminated in the presentation by Lord Cavendish of an award from the Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA).

John Croxford, House Manager of Monk Coniston said: “We are delighted to be able to help the National Trust celebrate this spectacular project at the time when our year-long renovation is also complete. As one of the HF Holidays Country Houses owned by the National Trust, we are in a very privileged position to be able to share the National Trust’s vision and see our guests benefit from this joint investment into the Estate.”

Members of the public are able to access the Monk Coniston grounds via a permissive path from the head of Coniston Water

The decision has been announced as to which self-catering cottage in the Lake District and in the wider region of Cumbria is to be officially named the self-catering holiday of the year for 2009. This is a prestigious award coveted by all self-catering cottages in the Lake District and Cumbria, and an award that can only be won once. This year the award has been given to Hall Hills, which has a cluster of self-catering cottages just to the east of the Lake District National Park.

Situated a 15-minute drive outside the Lake District town of Keswick, Hall Hills is a recently developed business. The cottages only opened for business 12 months ago, after a painstaking conversion of the stone buildings of what used to be Hall Hills Farm. These are buildings that date back to the 17th century and had been an important local farm in that part of Cumbria.

Prior to the announcement, the proprietors of Hall Hills, Jude and Tim Walker, had been delighted with the news that they were among the three finalists, but because they are not quite within the official boundaries of the Lake District National Park they assumed there was no chance of getting any further in the competition for the self-catering holiday of the year. Hence the overwhelming joy when they heard the name of their business announced as this year’s winner.

Cumbria Tourism is to be commended for choosing a self-catering holiday resort outside the Lake District, and supporting less well-known Cumbrian destinations. The location of Hall Hills may not be within the hills and vales of the English Lakes, but it has its own beauty and at peak periods in the tourism calendar it has an unrivalled tranquility.

Hall Hills (http://www.hallhills.co.uk) had already been given a Gold Award for its 4 star self-catering cottages as recognition of the high standard of holiday accommodation on offer.

Being the winner for Cumbria, Hall Hills will now be automatically entered for the regional final to find the self-catering holiday of the year for the north west of England.

Lake Windermere is a spectacular destination spot for tourists in England. It is the largest natural lake in the country. It is located within the Lake District National Park which is in the county of Cumbria.

There are many campsites and campgrounds located around this interesting place. The place is so stunning that large numbers of travelers from all around the world come here to enjoy their vacations. Boating in the waters provides great pleasure to the tourists.

The Lake District area is filled with attractive landscapes, spectacular scenery, tranquil valleys and charming lakes. You can enjoy outdoor activities too all round the year.

The visitors can also take pleasure in boating, fishing, hiking, walking, rock climbing, and sailing, mountain biking, canoeing, swimming and camping here. The campsites provide excellent facilities including, pubs, restaurants and shops in every season.

You can select a campsite according to your preference around the place. The campgrounds are not so huge and do not need advance bookings but few of the big campgrounds must be booked in advance. In unfavorable weather months you can even altar your bookings. In the Lake District you can see the highest mountains of England known as the Scafell Pike and also the deepest wastewater. The surroundings are outstanding and fantastic.

Few of the places where campers like to visit are Lang dale, was dale, Keswick and Eskdale campgrounds. These sites are well-liked for alluring landscape and brilliant water views.

In the northwest of The Lake District you can find many camping grounds. North Lake Campsite and Scarness Farm in Bassenthwaite, Syke Farm campsite in Buttermere village, Castlerigg Farm in Keswick, Borrowdale Campsite, Seatoller Campsite and Hollows Farm in Borrow dale are some of the fascinating campsites.

In the northeast area Park Foot Camping Park can be found. Ullswater and Lowther Holiday Park in Lowther Estate, Edmond Bridge and Hill croft Park in Pooley Bridge and Gill side Camping Site in Glen ridding are also admired. In the south west you can locate Long Valley Yurts at Great Lang dale Campsite and Barn Door Campsite in Was dale Head, Was dale, National Trust Campsite and Hoathwaite Farm and Coniston Hall at Coniston. In the south east part of the Lake District travelers like to enjoy in Park Cliffe Camping site in Windermere, The Croft Campsite in Hawkshead and Waters Edge and Millcrest at Kendal.

You can plan the trip and can visit here in any season to experience nature at its best.

I found this beautiful video from Jamiefilm on Youtube..

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so how many words is this video worth?

Enjoy…

Campers in the Lake District were treated to a spectacular light show from a string of glowing orbs which flew in formation across the night sky.

It is the latest in a series of sightings which has baffled onlookers and excited UFO spotters across the UK.

The lights were seen above Ullswater on Saturday night over the Park Foot campsite.

People rushed out of their tents to stand and watch in awe as the lights darted back and forth.

They weaved in and out of one another and appeared to fade and then light up again as they soared through a clear sky.

Camper Paul Haigh, 28, of Darlington, said: “Most people had turned in for the night but we were woken by a commotion.

“Someone had spotted something and dashed out to get a better look.

“Soon everyone was outside their tents and looking up into the sky, it was like a scene from Close Encounters.

“The lights were amazing and seemed to fly in formation, they were darting around, fading an lighting up again.

“There was ever more than six in the sky at any one time, but as one faded another lit up, it was a really weird spectacle.

“There were various theories as to what they were, someone said Chinese lanterns, but they seemed much too big and moving too fast.

“They looked as though they were being propelled under their own power rather than being blown by the wind, it was a still night.”

Lucy Gray, 26, of Leeds, said: “They seemed to be dancing around in the sky, not just racing straight across it like clouds.

“They were moving in formation, keeping a regular distance apart and they’d all shift around at the same time.

“It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen and I can’t explain it, unless they were aircraft on a training exercise.”

Similar lights in recent weeks have been found to be Chinese lanterns, often released during Summer weddings.

from: telegraph.co.uk

Holidaymakers are set to flock to the Lake District this summer, a new report has claimed.

According to a new Travelodge survey, the Lakeland national park in Cumbria is set to be one of the top destinations for domestic tourists – potentially meaning many hotels and restaurants in the region could be looking to recruit new staff to meet customer demand.

Hoteliers in popular tourist towns such as Bowness-on-Windermere, Ambleside, Keswick and Coniston will all hope for high occupancy rates based upon the report.

Cornwall, the Yorkshire Dales and the Scottish Highlands and Isles were also identified as likely honeypots as the UK tourism industry prepares for a bumper summer.

Paul Harvey, of Travelodge, said that with the Met Office predicting glorious weather and a majority of holidaymakers looking to stay at home, the resorts and destinations of the UK will be “jam packed with British tourists” this year.

“It is also clear that people are looking to have an affordable break, cutting back on how much they are looking to spend when compared to the summer of 2008.”

The tourism destination of the Lake District reported an excellent Easter period this year.

The success of Easter in the Lake District is very much hoped by the tourism operators there to continue throughout the rest of the year. The euro exchange rate, rising transport costs, costs when abroad and the need to return to the traditional values of a holiday, all seem to be drawing holiday makers back to the UK.

Self catering in particular has risen in the last year throughout the whole of the UK. Some operators recording a 50% rise in bookings on the same period last year. Self catering operators have been busy renovating and refurbishing holiday properties and there is a huge choice of luxury Lake District self catering properties to choose from. There are many operators offering late deals and weekend breaks too.

For years, self catering properties have had to be booked months in advance and for only full weeks. With late deals being such a widely used method of booking holidays and trips today, all sectors of the tourism industry have had to change. A large change is the ability to be able to book a short break in a Lake District self catering property whether it be for a long weekend or mid week break. A full week isn’t always required and many consumers can be put off booking for the thought of wasting part of a week they have paid for.

The South Lakes is the busiest and most popular area of the Lake District as it includes such famous and picturesque locations as Ambleside, Grasmere and Coniston along with many of the famous Lakeland walks. For a quieter Lake District cottages holiday, areas further west such as Cartmel and the Lake District Peninsulas are must stay destinations. Cartmel is the oldest and most picturesque village in South Lakeland, famous for its cobbled streets and alleyways, sticky toffee pudding, Cartmel Priory (circa 1189), and 6 times a year the glorious Cartmel races held at Cartmel’s village steeplechase racecourse set against the backdrop of the beautiful English Lake District, also a popular venue for Lake District weddings. Lake District self catering properties range from town centre flats to remote cottages and barn conversations so the appeal is wide. Many of the refurbished or recently renovated properties have luxury fitting in the bathrooms and kitchen with modern appliances and wood burning stoves.

So whether it is the hustle and bustle of Ambleside or the serenity of Cartmel, Cumbrian cottages are definitely worth a go this year.

THREE tourism businesses are likely to lure more visitors to a hidden corner of Cumbria after setting new standards in offering quality accommodation for guests.

A hotel, a farm and a B&B all within a short distance of each other in the Millom area of Cumbria have been awarded prestigious four star ratings from VisitBritain; the national tourism office.

Wayside Hotel at Whitbeck near Bootle; Bank House Farm at Hallthwaites near The Green; and Newstead House at Silecroft near Millom, have all been independently inspected by VisitBritain and found to achieve an “excellent standard throughout.”

Stars are awarded to indicate cleanliness, ambience, hospitality, service and food. The more stars, the higher the level of quality. As an added bonus, inspectors also gave special gold and silver awards to the businesses for exceptional service and hospitality.

All three businesses are members of Cumbria Tourism which has been doing special work with accommodation businesses in the area as part of its long-term campaign to help the county’s tourism industry drive-up the quality of accommodation offered to visitors.

Richard Greenwood, Director of Development for Cumbria Tourism, said: “To have three businesses within a very short distance of each other all achieving this four star standard outside of the Lake District National Park is very significant. The evidence clearly shows that investing in quality and good service is worthwhile for businesses like these. Guests are happier and more likely to make a repeat visit and businesses with three or more stars also tend to be more profitable and successful than those which aren’t independently graded or don’t invest in their offer.”

Alyson Rhind runs the idyllic Newstead House B&B situated between the lower slopes of Black Combe and the beaches of Silecroft. The business won four stars and a special gold award after scoring 100 per cent from the inspector for its hospitality. Mrs Rhind was also complimented on her use of local produce which helps sustain other local businesses and gives guests a real flavour of the area.

Mrs Rhind said: “When visitors come to stay in Cumbria their expectations are very high and it has never been more important to make a long lasting good impression. Businesses really have to get it right at every level.”

The popular areas are followed by the Yorkshire Dales and the Scottish Highlands for those having breaks close to home.

The number of Britons going abroad has fallen from 33 per cent in 2008 to 27 per cent in 2009 with nearly a third of holidaymakers now planning to stay in their own country.

Of those holidaying at home, 40 per cent will be taking a seaside holiday while 24 per cent will be staying in the countryside and 18 per cent will be taking a theme park inspired break (up 8%);

The amount people expect to spend on their holiday in 2009 is down on last year, dropping from an average of £631 to £567

Holidaymakers expect their biggest expense to be accommodation, with the average spend predicted to be £159;

Other expected outlays are £105 on attractions, £104 on eating out and £94 spent on travel.

Paul Harvey, of Travelodge, who conducted the survey, said: “The summer of 2009 is set to be a big year for the British tourism industry.

“With the Met Office predicting glorious weather and a majority of holidaymakers looking to stay at home, this year the resorts and destinations of the UK will be jam packed with British tourists.

“It is also clear that people are looking to have an affordable break, cutting back on how much they are looking to spend when compared to the summer of 2008.”

The top 10 holiday locations Britons will be visiting this summer:

• 1.  Cornwall
• 2.  Lake District
• 3.  Yorkshire Dales
• 4.  Scottish Highlands & Islands
• 5.  Edinburgh
• 6.  London
• 7.  Isle of Wight
• 8.  Devon
• 9.  Norfolk Broads
• 10.  South Wales

All three osprey eggs which were laid in a nest at Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria have now hatched.

Two chicks were seen earlier this week, and the third was confirmed on Thursday when it raised its “wobbly little head”, said conservationists.

It is the ninth brood for a male bird which arrived at the lake in 2001.

He was the first osprey to nest in the Lakes in 150 years and has reared six chicks with the current female and 10 with his previous mate.

The birds attract thousands of people to the area each year, providing a boost to the Lake District’s economy.

Visitors to Bassenthwaite can watch them through high-powered telescopes at the Dodd Wood viewpoint, overlooking the lake.

Live images from the nest are also beamed to a big screen at the nearby Whinlatter visitor centre.

The Lake District Osprey Project is managed by a partnership of the Forestry Commission, Lake District National Park Authority and the RSPB.

BBC.CO.UK