Losman

Bassenthwaite Lake is the only true “lake” in the Lake District with the other bodies of water actually being “waters”, “meres” or “tarns”. It is large at approximately 4 miles long but is the shallowest piece of water in the Lake District. Bassenthwaite Lake is linked to Derwent Water by the River Derwent.  Bassenthwaite Lake is a key habitat for the ospreys, a National Nature Reserve and a Special Area of Conservation owned and managed by the Lake District National Park Authority.

Each year these beautiful and rare birds return to nest. The female osprey laid her first egg of 2009 at the nest near Bassenthwaite Lake on Thursday 16th April. Ospreys normally lay a clutch of three eggs.  Incubation is carried out mainly by the female and takes between 34-40 days.

Hundreds of people visited the Bassenthwaite area over the 2009 Easter weekend to get a glimpse of the Lake District Ospreys.   Visitors can get great views of the birds from a Viewpoint in Dodd Wood, only 400 metres away from the nest.  The Viewpoint is open all daylight hours, with staff on hand with telescopes from 10am-5pm daily, as part of the RSPB’s ‘Dates with Nature’ Project.

It is also possible to see the birds on the nest on a giant videowall at the Visitor Centre on the Forestry Commission estate at Whinlatter Forest, near Braithwaite.  Live pictures from cameras overlooking and inside the nest are also beamed to the screen and can also be viewed on the Project’s website ospreywatch.co.uk and the BBC Cumbria website at bbc.co.uk/cumbria. It is now easier than ever before to visit Dodd Wood and Whinlatter thanks to the Osprey Bus which was launched in 2008.  The liveried bus service named after the spectacular birds of prey operates around Bassenthwaite Lake taking in the Whinlatter Exhibition and the Dodd Wood viewpoint and runs weekends from 4th April to 31st August 2009, except during the following school holidays, 6-17 April, 25-29 May and 18 July - 31 August when it runs every day. 

As well as the Osprays, Bassenthwaite is a popular location for sailing. The Bassenthwaite Sailing club has been in operation since 1952 with RYA, or RYA Affiliated Club members entitled to sail on the lake at a cost of £10 per day. The tranquillity and exclusivity of this lake make it an amazing sailing experience. When staying the sailors are lucky enough to stay in some of the best hotels Lake District has to offer.

Mirehouse is most definitely worth a visit. Alfred Lord Tennyson stayed at Mirehouse whilst writing his poem ‘Morte D’Arthur’ in 1835. It is a private house but open to the public on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. The grounds and a tea shop are open daily though. Further on from Mirehouse is an open air theatre erected by the Tennyson Society is the location where Tennyson was thought to have written most of that famous poem. All around the lake and the surrounding area is a strong literary feel along with a popular place for artists. The landscape is perfect for painting and photography. Work by local artists can be found in the excellent galleries in nearby Keswick. There is a selection of Keswick hotels to stay in whilst visiting.

It has been thought in the past that staying in hotels with children is a bad idea because they are not places geared up for children. Parents however, want a bit of luxury and do not always want to camp or go self catering. Times are changing and hoteliers are waking up to the idea that families are a large market hardly targeted. There are some hotels that operate  strict “no children” policy but many hotels who are quite happy having them stay are adapting rooms and creating fun things for children to do to entice families to stay.

The Lake District is the perfect location for children. Endless activities to keep them occupied for example watersports, walking, Go-Ape, a zoo and the Ravenglass-Eskdale railway. It has long been an area popular with families.

An area full of activities and stunning scenery is the area of Keswick and Bassenthwaite. There are many Keswick hotels that offer child friendly rooms with excellent leisure facilities on site. These facilities include heated swimming pools, gyms, tennis courts, putting greens and some even have games rooms with both board games and computer games such as Wii consoles installed. The practical facilities within these hotels come in the form of flexible meal times for children, the use of complimentary high chairs and cots, bed time books and stocks of essential items such as nappies, baby milks and food and dummies.
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Christmas is approaching fast and many people are starting to think about gifts for friends and family. Each year this task gets harder and harder!

Often, the gifts people remember the most are gift experiences not objects. Lake District Hotels Ltd are pleased to offer a solution to the age old gift buying problem in the form of gift vouchers which can be selected for use in any one of their six hotels.
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The Lodore Falls Hotel played host to ladies from Lancashire and the Lakes at a luncheon where over 100 guests enjoy a three course lunch and fashion show.  The event raised over £750 which will be donated to Keswick Mountain Rescue.

The event was organized by Kit Graves in conjunction with Hilary Cookson from the renowned dress shop Maureen Cookson from Whalley in Lancashire and a regional a lifestyle magazine. Whilst there were a number of ladies from Lancashire, Liverpool and beyond, there were also tables of local ladies from Cockermouth and Keswick.

The fashion show was presented by Hilary Cookson from the Maureen Cookson shop and during her show she also gave a humorous talk about what to pack in a suitcase for holiday.

Local ladies include Susan Farrell and her team from Solway Heaters in Workington, they regularly book their Christmas parties but took the opportunity to have a look at the autumn clothing from Maureen Cookson. Her collection included a mix of practical and very stylish clothing and of course, some sparkle for Christmas.

Kit Graves, managing director of the group of hotels in the Lake District said “it was a wonderful opportunity for ladies outside the Lake District to experience what we have to offer. The autumn weather was lovely so they had a fantastic drive through the lakes. We were especially pleased to see a group of ladies who had been dropped off by their husbands for a surprise treat - they went on to do some walking and collected their wives on the way home!”

During the lunch, £750 was raised to support Keswick Mountain Rescue.  Anyone interested in finding out more about organizing charity events at the Lodore Falls Hotel should contact Stephen Johnston at the Lodore Falls Hotel on 017687 77285.

The Lake District is an ideal place for fishing enthusiasts with such a wealth of lakes, tarns, rivers and the sea, together with a selection of well-stocked fisheries. So whether you are fishing for salmon, pike, carp or trout you should definitely choose Cumbria - the Lake District and combine tremendous Lake District fishing with breathtaking scenery that includes some of England’s highest mountains.

Whether you are a beginner or a highly experienced angler you will find the region has plenty to offer when it comes to Lake District fishing. The more adventurous may enjoy experiencing one of the region’s many hill tarns, or fly fishing on say, the river Eden, or perhaps boat fishing on one of the lakes, or even sea fishing. For the less experienced why not combine you activity break with some expert tuition from one of the area’s qualified instructors. You could also combine tuition with a visit to one of the fisheries, such as Esthwaite Water Trout Fishery and many Lake District hotels offer special fishing breaks along with all the information required on fishing in the Lake District.
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