A few weeks ago we felt the need to escape to one of our favourite places in England, the Lake District, and for this trip we were pleased to partner with The Inn Collection having never stayed with them before.
We love discovering new hotels with great service and food and the three we were visiting looked superb. Staying true to their pub roots, creating inns where everyone would like to eat, drink, sleep, and explore from, they hit the mark on everything, as we were to discover on this trip to the Lake District.
The Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite
We stayed first at The Pheasant Inn at Bassenthwaite, a newly refurbished 17th-century coaching inn which provided an unbelievably convenient base for our climb of this trips first two Wainwright’s, the ones we had chosen were directly behind the inn and our trek started from their car park! Could it get any easier?!
After spending a day hiking up and down these glorious fells and peaks, we were starving, lucky for us The Pheasant Inn has a menu packed with dishes made with the best ingredients Cumbria has to offer. Their wine list and choices of ales aren’t bad either!
We chose Pan-Fried Sea Trout with gravadlax sauce, samphire and new potatoes and Game Cottage Pie, slow-cooked game in a rich red wine gravy, topped with parmesan and thyme mashed potato. Both were sensational, perfectly cooked with beautiful flavours and generous portion sizes. So much so that the planned dessert didn’t happen!
We loved the quirkiness of this old coaching inn, the low beamed ceilings, rooms leading in every direction and the atmospheric bar, reminiscent of its long history. Through warmer weather there’s an extensive garden and lawns to enjoy if you fancy dining al fresco, and dogs are welcome too.
Our bedroom was a pretty cottage style with all amenities you would expect, and a very comfortable bed.
The team here are all about a great customer experience, they care and it shows, nothing was too much trouble. This is a place we would come back to. Loved it!
The Pheasant Inn is perfect for walkers and those who appreciate a smaller, more intimate experience. A place where you feel at home, content and very well looked after.
The Coniston Inn
Day two and we moved on to The Coniston Inn. Located on the shores of Coniston Water with sensational lake and fell views, this classic Lakeland slate building has undergone a full restoration and still has that new smell.
Much larger than its Bassenthwaite sister, there were many families and dog lovers here. In fact muddy boots, paws and wheels are all welcome at this newly restored inn. Unfortunately the weather was terrible the day we arrived which made it difficult to appreciate the views, but all would be revealed to us the next morning.
A dog walking paradise, The Coniston Inn is surrounded by stunning private grounds and fells, which once the rain had stopped and the mist had cleared, we could see and appreciate in their full glory.
There are 42 newly refurbished en-suite rooms, with some of the best views in Britain. These include dog friendly designated rooms which we are seeing more of these days, at last hotels have realised there is a huge dog lovers market to tap into and The Inn Collection are leading the way.
Our own bedroom was a spacious en-suite double room with a luxurious king size bed overlooking the lake, where we could see the pleasure boats on their scheduled daily service. We wanted to take a trip ourselves if time allowed – but we had more Wainwright’s to conquer!
The menu here was similar to the one at The Pheasant Inn, with additional Daily Specials offering plenty of choice.
A great hotel for families and dog lovers.
The Angel Inn
Bowness-in-Windemere was our final destination for this trip and we were staying at The Angel Inn, which had also undergone an extensive refurbishment to bring it up to The Inn Collection Group standard.
Topping many a list of the best-loved destinations in the Lake District, Bowness-on-Windermere is a beautiful corner of Cumbria, and this classic inn has sweeping views above the bustle of the village below. You can fully immerse yourself in the charm of this popular area from their large pub garden where you can enjoy your favourite tipple and drink in the sights over the lake and Claife Heights to the Langdale Pikes beyond.
The Angel Inn is brilliantly placed for easy access to the very best the Lake District has to offer including England’s tallest mountain Scafell Pike and deepest lake, Wastwater. Follow in the footsteps of William Wordsworth, John Ruskin and Beatrix Potter with The World of Beatrix Potter set just around the corner.
You will find it hard to run out of things to do here.
However, we did have a surprise as we were not actually staying in the hotel, we were in Oakbank House opposite The Angel Inn, in one of the recently refurbished annex rooms. This was something different – and we quite liked it!
Once settled in, we took the short walk across to the hotel for our meals and it has to be said, the food at The Angel Inn was the best we had eaten on this trip, with The Pheasant Inn a close second.
This is a food lovers heaven after a day’s hiking. Here’s what we chose; The Angel Inn Burger, 6oz chuck steak burger in a toasted sesame brioche bun with smoked cheddar, gem lettuce, tomato and pickles, topped with their ICG burger sauce. Served with thick-cut chips.
Katsu Chicken Burger, Panko-crumbed chicken and coconut katsu curry sauce in a toasted sesame brioche bun, served with gem lettuce, pickles, Asian slaw and thick-cut chips.
The portions were huge, but we were also VERY hungry and almost managed to finish them but even with a raging hunger we were beaten! Good job we didn’t order starters and we certainly couldn’t manage dessert. But we thoroughly enjoyed these excellent meals and after a couple of glasses of wine, we were struggling to stay awake. A hectic three days, great food and a few wines had caught up on us. That very comfy bed was calling.
The following day and our adventure had come to an end, but not until we had set ourselves up for the long journey home with an excellent cooked breakfast.
The Angel Inn is perfect for all ages. The location is great, there’s plenty of parking, the food is superb and the setting is glorious.
We were very impressed by each of the hotels we stayed in from The Inn Collection and we think you will love them too, especially as they have inns all over the country, not just the Lake District.
Check them out and look for their Special Offers. Delicious food and very comfy beds are only the beginning.
Tell them we sent you.
