The Cottage

Grasmere sits at the heart of the central Lakes, ringed by fells on every side. On calm, windless days, the glassy water perfectly reflects the sky, clouds, and surrounding fells, creating a symmetrical, dreamlike painting-like quality. Wordsworth lived here for most of his working life, and it is easy to see why. Grasmere is enclosed and intimate in a way which differs to Windermere or Ullswater: the fells, the village and the water are all within reach of an afternoon on foot. Above the village, Helm Crag rises to its jagged crown, the rocky outcrop known as the Lion and the Lamb visible for miles. The Cottage sits below it, perched above the road on the flanks of Broadrayne Farm.

The cottage was originally the downhouse of the farm — a 19th-century Lakeland vernacular building, whitewashed and solid, with a south-facing garden of mature planting that drops away to give an open view across the vale. Inside: a wood burner set into a slate fireplace, a fully fitted kitchen, two bedrooms with fell views from both windows. The super king can be made up as twins. It sleeps four and welcomes two dogs, which makes it a natural choice for a family wanting a base in the hills.

The Yan — the farm of which The Cottage is part — takes its name from the Cumbrian dialect word for one, the first count in the old sheep-numbering system. The bistro runs a short menu of local food and can deliver to the cottage door, which is a particular luxury after a long day on the fells. Grasmere village is a short walk down the hill: Dove Cottage, the Heaton Cooper Studio, a handful of good places to eat. From the garden gate, the path to the summit of Helm Crag begins almost immediately.