At the heart of Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is a very passionate family and team, dedicated to creating lasting memories for the guests.
Warmth and friendliness are balanced with extraordinary service, exquisite decor and stunning culinary experiences at these two luxury country houses in the beautiful Lake District.
At Gilpin Hotel all of the bedrooms have lovely Lakeland views, most leading directly onto the gardens - 6 with their own cedarwood hot tubs, and 5 fabulous new detached Spa Lodges, each with their own ensuite spa (rainmaker showers and steam rooms inside, hydrotherapy hot tubs and saunas outside) for a very special, private experience.
Guests are often wonderfully surprised when they first enter Gilpin Hotel.
The original Georgian country house, built in 1901 but extensively refurbished since 1985, has retained its historic charm, heavily influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, but with modern touches of interior design.
Blending of the old and new gives a timeless balance, and every room is different, including the three dining rooms,
which provokes interest, and the sense of a journey as guests wander through the hotel.
Most importantly, it feels like a home.
Long after the interior designers have left, Christine Cunliffe "faffs" with ornaments, books, pictures, flowers, rugs etc, until it feels right.
Indeed, John Cunliffe is the only person allowed to hang pictures, as only he has the patience with Christine to re-hang each picture several times!
Moving beyond the original house, which was only 5 bedrooms and is now 14 (with the 6 Garden Suites in a separate annexe and the 5 Spa Lodges being individual detached buildings), many of the extensions have been sympathetically added, but taking advantage of modern building design with large spacious rooms, extensive windows providing natural light and all built on the ground floor with patio doors extending out onto the gardens.
The hotel have the advantage of the own in-house architect and builder, Ben Cunliffe, who has overseen these projects with the same family-run attention to detail.
Designed without compromise, all of the rooms are spacious, quiet, with lovely views and constant refurbishment.
All are equipped with flat screen TVs with digital TV, luxurious toiletries, mini bars, tea and coffee facilities with home made biscuits and fresh milk, and a flask of iced water.
Five luxurious detached lodges at Gilpin Hotel, each cedar-clad with a fabulously private en-suite spa - with treatment area, steam room, rain maker shower, free standing oval stone bath, sauna and hot tub surrounded by a walled garden - and wonderful views over the gardens to the Lake District moors.
Most of the Junior Suites open onto one of the south and west
facing gardens that was originally a lawn tennis court.
The hotel's team found the lawn equally useful for croquet, a sport more in keeping with a relaxed ambience and a glass of Pimm’s.
On the west side of the lawn, the hotel's team added a llama paddock, often something of a surprise for guests checking into their Junior Suites!
Through the gates of the llama paddock, and outside of cultivated gardens immediately surrounding the hotel, are another of grounds that are traditional Lake District terrain.
Each Garden Suite has a private decking area accessed through the lounge patio doors.
Within the decking is a submerged cedar wood hot tub.
These hot tubs are designed for six people, so they are the ultimate luxury for two.
Maintained at 38-40 degrees centigrade (the temperature of a hot bath), these hot tubs are ideal in winter or summer.
In fact many guests prefer them in winter as there is no better
way of warming through aching muscles after completing a crisp Lake District walk.
Each suite is approximately 45m2 with open plan bedroom and lounge, and bathrooms with separate walk-in showers,sumptuous baths and luxurious toiletries.
The lounges have feature fireplaces; flats screen TVs with DVD, mini bars, tea and coffee trays with home-made biscuits, fresh milk and flasks of iced water.
The Junior Suite wing was built in 1997 and whilst attached to the main house, stretches north to south through the gardens of the original house.
The wing is single storey, so no noise from above, and all lead directly out into the gardens through patio doors.
Even in less than perfect weather, you can experience the garden from the comfort of your lounge, enjoying a good book or perhaps a spa treatment.
Each patio area has outside table and chairs from spring.
The large bathrooms all have separate walk-in showers, spa baths and luxurious toiletries.
As with all the bedrooms, they are equipped with flat screen TVs with digital television, minibars, tea and coffee facilities with home-made biscuits and fresh milk, and a flask of iced water.
Master Rooms are large bedrooms of approximately 25 m2 with sitting areas.
Most are on the first floor of the original house, with great views and many features characteristic of a Georgian house.
All bar one of these rooms has a separate bath and shower.
Classic Rooms are the most modest rooms by size, approximately 20 m2, but they are still very comfortable, and each still has room for one or two armchairs or a sofa; whilst the hotel's team distinguishes these rooms by size, the same love and attention is
given to all rooms in the quality of the furnishing and fabrics, and all have beautiful bathrooms, these with combined baths and showers.
With a fascinating history as a centre of the spice trade, Cumbrian cuisine has a rich heritage, and local specialities have long included exotic spices with favourites such as
Cumberland sausage, potted shrimps, Grasmere gingerbread, and of course, sticky toffee pudding; at Gilpin this Autumn there will be two restaurants celebrating this tradition.
Hrishikesh joined Gilpin in March 2015.
Winner of Alex Polizzi’s BBC2 Chefs on Trial, his background includes Institute Paul Bocuse, Les Maison de Bricourt (2*), Le Chateau do Bagnol (1*), French Laundry (3*), and Lucknam "The Park (1*).
He is one of the few chefs to have won both the Roux Scholarship (2009) and the Craft Guild of Chef’s National Chef of the Year (2010), unique in that he won these in consecutive years.
1 GUIDE MICHELIN STARS
A contemporary bar perhaps, but many of the guests comment
on how it blends so beautifully with the lounge.
Relax by your fire, listen to music, stroll out into your garden and sink into your hot tub, with surrounding ponds and water features made from traditional Lakeland stone.
The Jetty Spa products are blended by Sedbergh Soap using the finest essential oils and organic base to create bespoke Organic Aroma Fusions for each individual - so you can literally take your own personalised range of products home with you.
Designed with couples in mind, the Swedish style spa treatment room is raised 3 metres into the tree canopy, with floor to ceiling windows overlooking a stunningly beautiful small private lake.
The facilities includes a steam room, sauna, ice room, aromatherapy shower, gym and a 20 metre swimming pool.
8 meters of wall to wall, floor to ceiling, glass windows overlooking Knipe Tarn and the surrounding woodland.
Whatever the season, just sink into the armchairs and watch nature at it’s very best.
The hotel's team have always loved the ducks at dusk, in squadron formation, gliding into the centre of the Lake.
The chefs will prepare and provide bespoke set menus at the Lake House, from comfort food to gastronomic tasting menus with perfectly matched wines.
Of all the places in Britain that are close to my heart… there is one above all others that seems to me to possess its own particular magic: The Lake District.
Aside from the uniqueness of its terrain - vast lakes at the foot of towering crags that have quite a different feel to the mountains and lochs of Scotland - the fact that The Lakes is a
working community as well as a tourist attraction adds to its all-round appeal.
The Lakes has its own particular feel, embellished and burnished by centuries of poets and writers, explorers and feisty characters.
More than 20 percent of it is now under the care of the National Trust, and the patron saint of the Lake District - St Beatrix of Potter - gifted to it 14 farms and thousands of acres over the course of her life - Peter Rabbit really did help save the Lake District, thanks to his creator’s generosity and vision.
Take a boat on Windermere, buy some Kendal mint cake and climb a fell or two.
Visit William Wordsworth’s House at Grasmere and see if the water at Lodore still comes down as it did for Robert Southey: "rattling and battling, and shaking and quaking".
The Magic Moments are perfect for luxurious, romantic occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, minimoons, babymoons and proposals).
Originally a lawn tennis court, the hotel's team founds the lawn equally useful for croquet, fabulously relaxing with a glass of Pimm’s.
Hidden away in Grizedale Forest near Hawskhead is the highest Go Ape Platform at 18 metres. Get in touch with your inner tarzan and spend 2-3 hours up in the treetops!
The house, immaculately kept gardens, food hall and gift shop make Holker Hall a definite day trip attraction whilst visiting the Lake District.
Bigland Hall Equestrian is based in Haverthwaite in the South Lakes. They are a family run yard who offer guests a gentle walk through the village or an exhilarating gallop through the surrounding area.
Drive rough and rocky off-road trails in breath-taking mountain surroundings; you will learn technical new off-road driving skills with Kankku, the champions of off - road driving adventure.
Amidst incredible natural beauty you will also find magnificent man-made contributions - Blackwell, Holker Hall; Muncaster Castle, Gardens and Owl Centre; Levens Hall and Topiary Gardens; Sizergh Castle and Garden; Cartmel Priory Gatehouse.
Enjoy a truly nostalgic experience with vintage vehicles, classic & curious cars, superb scooters and magnificent motorbikes, the Campbell Legend Bluebird exhibition, and fabulous female fashion from the late 1800s to the early 1970s.
On the west side of the hotel, the hotel's team added a llama paddock for the little (but expanding) herd of llama. You can "chat" with this cute creature.
Parking at Rydal you can walk over Loughrigg terrace around Loughrigg tarn and then back over the side of the fell, signposted Ambleside. Once down you can walk for a couple of km on a tarmac road walking "Under Loughrigg" and then back to Rydal.
Dramatic mountain biking over Lake District peaks and rolling valley trails can suit both novice and committed bikers alike.
The gardens include a pond, lake, a national collection of hardy ferns and a superb limestone rock garden. Standing proud at the gateway to the Lake District, Sizergh Castle & Garden is definitely worth a visit.
The lounge is designed with both stunning design and practicality and comfort in mind, with cozy sofas and inviting armchairs. Well stocked with magazines and newspapers, and good books, perfect to curl up by the fire.
From spring the terrace is filled with comfortable rattan chairs and sofas, gazebos and mood lighting at night. Pathways lead from the terrace to the south gardens and to the wild meadow and llama paddock.
To the rear of the bar, open plan wine cellars enable guests to wander through the wine racks exploring the 250 bins.
Designed with exclusive use in mind, Gilpin Lake House is perfect for weddings. The Lake House wedding licence allows to marry bride and groom inside or outside.
No matter where you start your journey, be it Bowness, Ambleside or Lakeside the spectacular voyage gives you magnificent views of mountain scenery, secluded bays and the many wooded islands.
Since 1917 and spanning five generations, the Cunliffe family have been coming together at the Lake House for holidays, short breaks and parties; it is a wonderful place for family groups and friends, with an abundance of natural beauty helping create an inner peace.
The hotel's team have always had the own children at the Lake House, and it does inspire children, even the computer game addicted.
Hopefully, after a day making camps in the woods, swimming, boating, fishing etc, they will return exhausted, but exhilarated, with tales of adventure.
However, there are obvious dangers and a full safety briefing and contract will be essential for all parties with children.
GILPIN HOTEL & LAKE HOUSE
Crook RoadWindermereThe English Lake DistrictLA23 3NEUnited Kingdom