Chill out or get active in a Bassenthwaite cottage, nestling in the foothills of Skiddaw, a majestic mountain dominating the horizon.
Just a mile from Lake Bassenthwaite, the village sits around a green featuring an avenue of lime trees planted to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee. It's delightfully unspoilt, with just a cluster of cottages, a lakeside church and a traditional Lakeland inn - a welcoming retreat after a day on the fells. For shops and other services, Keswick and Cockermouth are an easy drive.
See and do near your Bassenthwaite cottage
Bassenthwaite Lake is a National Nature Reserve rich in wildlife, with fen marshland, wildflower meadows and ospreys - watch them swoop across the water and dive for fish from the RSPB viewpoint at Dodd Wood. Explore the boardwalks of Dubwath Silver Meadows, a wetland nature reserve filled with unusual flora and fauna. For animals of the exotic kind, Trotters World of Animals Wildlife Park is home to many endangered species. On the southern shores is Mirehouse, frequented by Wordsworth, Coleridge and Tennyson, with poetry and lakeside walks, a heather maze and a woodland playground. In summer, 'go green' and use the Osprey Bus hail and ride service linking all the attractions around the lake.
Of course, a Bassenthwaite cottage holiday is a haven for walkers with miles of routes to choose from - climb to the top of Skiddaw, walk the Cumbria Way or stroll along the lake's western shore. Cyclists, meanwhile, will find off-road tracks at Whinlatter Forest and long-distance routes like the Cumbria Way and Reivers, while nearby Loweswater offers quieter trails and serene waterside rambles.
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