If anyone is fancying a stay in the Lakes and wants to avoid the hustle of Ambleside, Windermere etc., I can thoroughly recommend How Foot Lodge, a B&B just outside the village of Grasmere (and very close to Dove Cottage). It's well-situated, quiet, the rooms are large and clean, breakfast is excellent, and the staff (viz. the owner Kate and her husband) are very friendly and welcoming.
I stayed in a hotel in Grasmere once it was very nice and I recognise that name somehow The one I stayed in was 'The Gold Rill' which was really nice. Thanks for the tip!
The Gold Rill looks rather nice... And not too expensive for a hotel compared to a B&B. What prompted me to post about How Foot was that they (along with many other businesses in the area) are struggling financially at the moment, and it'd be a shame if a smaller but very friendly and intimate place had to pack it in. I've only been able to get up there once and enjoyed it tremendously, but friends of ours have been 3 times in the last year and love it there. And it's marvellous talking to Kate on the phone - she sounds just like Victoria Wood!
