Tourism chiefs in the Lake District are so concered about a shortage of daffodils that they are asking visitors report any sightings on Twitter.

The area’s flowers, celebrated by William Wordsworth, are normally blooming by late February.

But after the coldest winter in 31 years, there is no sign in the vales and hills of Wordsworth’s famous “host of golden daffodils”.

The thousands of visitors who some in search of the flowers every year, have been asked to inform the authorities in a project known as “Daff Watch”.

Julia Darroch of Cumbria Tourism said only a few buds have come up by Ullswater where Wordsworth was inspired to write his famous poem.

And in Dora’s Field in Rydal near Ambleside where the poet lived for 37 years there is not one flower.

Miss Darroch insisted Wordsworth would have approved of “tweeting” about daffodils rather than writing poetry.

“He was quite a rebel in his time and quite outspoken so I think he would be tweeting with the rest of us,”she said.

The Lake District is set to benefit from millions of pounds worth of funding for conservation work over the next four years.

The Environmental Land Management Service, ELMS, which has been hailed as one of the biggest management initiatives ever seen in the area, has already brought £2.5m to farm businesses taking part in the scheme over the past year.

Project co-ordinator Sam Lumb said ELMS was one of the most significant schemes ever under-taken by national park staff, and would make a ‘huge difference to the countryside’.

He said: “No one can over estimate its importance. It is seeing 42km of hedgerow planted and restor-ed, along with 12km of dry stall walling, 2,300 new trees, over 700 traditional gates and 35 farm buildings renov-ated.”

ELMS is now working on projects for 10 archaeology sites, with another nine in the pipeline, as well as hay meadow restoration, fencing for woodlands, riverbanks and steep gills, improve-ments to peat and breeding waders’ habitats and bracken control.

Mr Lumb said: “This funding is a considerable boost not just to our world renowned landscape, but to farm businesses and the local economy. In the long term, ELMS will benefit all those living and working in the national park, along with its 8.3 million annual visitors.”

The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) anticipates that by working closely with Natural England and the National Trust, mulit-million pound funding from environmental steward-ship schemes could be secured. LDNPA rangers have been working alongside Natural England advisers, liaising with landowners and tenants to help identify schemes and apply for grants.

Rangers have received almost 200 inquiries from farmers and landowners and helped with 140 conservation plan applications.

Most of the Lake District’s farmland is currently in the Environmentally Sensitive Area scheme, which will end in 2014, but is expected to come into Higher Level Stew-ardship (HLS).

Mt Lumb said: “The focus is now on environmental stew-ardship through HLS.

“We are looking forward to exciting and rewarding times ahead.”

Westmoreland Gazette

Wander lonely as a cloud in the Lake District this spring and see the hosts of golden daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze, beside the sparkling waves of Ullswater, just as William and Dorothy Wordsworth did on April 15, 1802, before returning to their home at Dove Cottage, Grasmere.

A trip to Ullswater provides the opportunity to see the sight of the daffodils at Glencoyne Bay, now named Wordsworth Point, as well as at other places along the shore, where they can easily be appreciated by those enjoying a scenic and inspirational cruise with ‘Ullswater Steamers’.

Wordsworth’s poem ‘Daffodils’ is thought to pay homage to sprightly daffodils that he and sister Dorothy encountered when walking back to Grasmere from Pooley Bridge, on Ullswater. These carpeted the ground beneath the trees beside the lake, on a stormy day when flora and stormy waters dramatically demonstrated the power of nature.

Dorothy notes in her Grasmere Journal that they encountered ‘a long belt of them along the shore’ and that whilst some lay their heads on mossy stones, others ‘laughed with the wind’. Even now, the sight of bright, yellow daffodils adorning the lake’s shore is one which many Ullswater ‘Steamers’ passengers never forget.

The dramatic scenery, around what is considered England’s most beautiful lake, adds to the experience, as the heritage ‘Steamer’ travels along three distinct stretches of the Z-shaped lake, with the imposing Helvellyn – England’s third highest mountain – at its head.

Passengers can enjoy encountering various types of wildlife and flora, as well as revelling in the reflections on the water and the clean, mountain air.

Two of the four vessels in the fleet date from Victorian times, including Lady of the Lake, launched in 1877 and believed to be the oldest working passenger vessel in the world.

A 70-minute return trip from either Glenridding at the foot of the lake, or Pooley Bridge at its top, to Howtown costs £9.00 for an adult, £4.50 for a child, or £24.00 for a family. A family ticket covers two adults and up to three children (aged 5-15) or one adult and three children. Under 5s travel free.

A Round The Lake Pass, from Glenridding or Pooley Bridge, costs £12.30 for an adult, £6.15 for a child and £19.95 for a family, for a 140-minute cruise.

This fare qualifies the passenger for a half-price voucher for travel on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway – Ullswater ‘Steamers’ sister attraction. If four adults book this fare, one travels for half price.

A Walkers Value Ticket, providing travel for any three stages of a journey costs £10.70 per adult, or £5.35 per child and enable passengers to use the cruise to reach footpaths they wish to explore and hop on and off the boat in between.

For more information about Ullswater ‘Steamers’, visit: ullswater-steamers.co.uk

To add a life to your journey, good food is extremely essential. Lake District is not only famous for its traditional food but also covers a large variety of international food. To put in some more energy to your holiday at Lake District, luxury eating-outs are an added colour.The following information will be very helpful in making up your mind where to dine in.

The Drunken Duck Inn and Restaurant
This restaurant is very well known amongst the hotels in Ambleside. A very amusing story about a Victorian landlady who found her ducks lying still one day, is the reason behind the unusual name. Assuming them to be dead, she took them to cook but as they awoke she was surprised to find that they were not actually dead! It later turned out that they had been drinking beer from a barrel of beer.

The restaurant specialises in providing its customers with a varied list of mouth watering dishes which are based on the regional and local harvests. A main course costs in between the range of £14 to £26. It is advisable to go for advanced booking.

Porthole Eating House
Located in the midst of other hotels in Windermere, this restaurant is known for its international style with a tinge of French and Italian food. In summers the hotel arranges an eating-out area for its customers to relax in the peace and quietness of nature. This is an added perk for those on a holiday. The area comprises of a balcony giving a magnificent view to the visitors. The range of the main course meal starts from £12.95. Moreover the wine crypt offers 340 kinds of handpicked and tasted wines.

Lucy’s on a Plate
The Ambleside hotels are particularly well known for their impressive appearance and extravagance. Lucy’s on a Plate restaurant is considered to be amongst these. The restaurant opened as a mini tea shop in the surroundings of the most luxurious Ambleside hotels, later to be one of them.
Lucy’s is well known for its ‘Up the duff” night which features a all sweet menu. As can be judged from their motto “sourced locally and cooked globally”, they clearly emphasise the usage of the local harvest in their food. The menu is routinely changed.

The George Hotel
Dating back to Elizabeth times, The George Hotel is one of the oldest Keswick hotels.With an interior of heavily panelled walls and traditional environment, this restaurant offers magnificent food.
The main course costs around £15. The restaurant is famous for its history as well as the traditional blend. Tip rating is 3.5 and advanced booking is recommended.

Jerichos at the Waverley
Sited within the heart of the Windermere hotels is the multi award winning ‘Jerichos at the Waverley’ in the main street. They specialize in perfectly formed menu topped with fresh and seasonal local produce. The restaurant offers four starters, five mains accompanied by 60 kinds of wines. Although the restaurant accommodates around 36 tables only, it is famous for the quality food and taste it provides.

Advanced booking is recommended for private parties and dinners.

An innovative plan of cut-price deals to boost tourism in the Lake District has got off to a flying start.

The first phase of the campaign by the Lakes Hospitality Association (LHA), where visitors were invited to stay on any Sunday night in January, or the first Sunday in February, from just £9.99 per person including bed and breakfast, has received almost 1,000 bookings.

The promotion was introduced to show tourists that the Lakes is very much open for business.

The association has now launched the second phase which will run until March 28, offering bed and breakfast at the rate of £29.99 per person.

Holidaymakers planning to visit the Lake District this year can experience one of the region’s latest trends – pie tourism.

The Western Lake District Tourism Partnership revealed that an increasing number of people have been visiting the village of Gosforth over the past two years to sample a local pub’s pies.

Rod Davies first added his supper pie – which includes steak, bacon and mushrooms – to the Gosforth Hall Inn’s menu in January 2008 and the dish has been a big hit among diners.

Several new pies have been added to the menu since, featuring ingredients ranging from wild boar, game and Moroccan lamb to venison, haggis and Stilton cheese.

Visitors can also sample a selection of Cumbrian ales at the Gosforth Hall Inn.

Commenting on the new craze, Mr Davies said: ‘We really believe that, as a village, we have invented the concept of pie tourism here in Gosforth and are delighted that so many people are making a pie pilgrimage to reach us here.’

Gosforth is located near Scafell Pike – England’s highest mountain – and Wastwater, the country’s deepest lake.

Opodo cheap flights, hotels and car hire – let the journey begin!

People staying in hotels in the Lake District over the next few months may notice that there are is more foliage around after a successful programme of tree planting was carried out during half-term.

Bassenthwaite Reflections, a lottery-funded organisation which sets up voluntary projects around the national park, revealed that more than 2,000 saplings and oaks were planted during the week-long scheme.

Project leader Rachel Graham explained that regular volunteers were joined by holidaymakers and mountain bikers in the area even stopped their journeys to lend a hand.

“Reflections is all about encouraging people to look after the landscape and this was a perfect example of our supporters going the extra distance,” she said.

The tree planting activity of last week is designed to restore a site spanning 3.5 hectares and is part of a wider programme to reintroduce native woodland to the region, as well as clearing invasive species that affect the landscape

A Windermere couple have backed their confidence in the region’s tourism appeal by investing £500,000 in revamping two hotels.

Will Howarth, and his wife Lyn, have splashed £250,000 on a refurbishment of the Windermere Boutique Hotel – formerly called 21.

The couple have upgraded all of the establishment’s 12 bedrooms with contemporary fittings and have created a more spacious lounge and a residents’ bar.

A similar amount has been pumped into the Aphrodites Lodge, in Bowness, creating a new spa area by enclosing an open-air swimming pool.

“Obviously the recession and indeed the floods have not helped the tourism industry here in the Lakes over the last year or so but we remain extremely confident about the future of our two hotels in Windermere,” said Mr Howarth. “That is why we are prepared to invest such considerable sums of money in them.”

People who have booked hotels in the Lake District over the weekend of March 20th and 21st are in luck because the National Trust has announced that it will not charge entry to any of its sites over the weekend.

Speaking ahead of the British Tourism Week, co-chair of the project Bernard Donoghue highlighted the offer, which coincides with the event.

“Regardless to whether you are a member or not, just go along to your local National Trust property and it’s free of charge,” he noted.

Anyone visiting the Lake District that weekend could find that a trip around some of the sights associated with Beatrix Potter is the best way to take advantage of the offer.

The National Trust owns Hill Top, the children’s author’s house, which still holds all her belongings exactly as she left them.

A gallery and museum about her life is located in the nearby village of Hawkshead, where fans of Beatrix Potter’s characters can see some of the original illustrations from her books

Over 150 brides travelled to Inn on the Lake from London and the South coast, to attend their most spectacular wedding fayre. In the hotel grounds a huge marquee was launched as a new venue that can be hired for weddings in the gardens – to accommodate up to 200 guests.

Inn on the Lake General Manager Gary Wilson said “The views from the hotel are renowned so it is the perfect place to have a lakeside wedding, with the new Gazebo licensed for civil ceremonies and the wedding marquee”.

Brides stepped into the marquee which revealed a taste of how it could look on their wedding day with fantastic table settings, a chocolate fountain on display and unspoilt views down the to lake. This was also the venue for the fashion show which included three Penrith wedding specialists – Tilly’s for Mother of the Bride outfits, Edwards for Menswear and Kokoa Brides – Cumbria’s newest Bridal house which opened in Penrith recently.

There was however, one exhibit that wowed brides to be, even more – the new ‘Victorian style’ gazebo set in the garden close to the water’s edge. Beverley Kelso, Wedding Co-ordinator at The Inn on the Lake part of the Lake District Hotels Ltd group said “It is a unique place to exchange vows in one of the prettiest settings in the Lakes and allows us to stay one step ahead of other venues. It has already become THE Lake District wedding venue of choice for brides who have booked to get married here this summer and is set to entice many more in the coming months. We already have one of the most photographed jetties in the country – a fantastic place for stunning pictures, and now, our brides can marry outside in the gazebo, overlooking the lake, the jetty and the mountains. There is no other place like it in the whole of the Lakes.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the wedding gazebo should contact Beverley Kelso at Inn on the lake on 017684 82444