Just for the weekend: Brimstone at Langdale, the Lake District

The Lakes are in my blood. My grandparents are from Windermere, my parents met at a slideshow for keen hillwalkers, and we spent all our family holidays on a Cumbrian farm. This is God’s own country; landscapes that speak to your soul (in my biased opinion), best experienced on a chilly hike before returning to a walker’s inn and a roaring fire.

So I had mixed feelings about a weekend at a boutique hotel in Langdale. On one hand – joy, an excuse to visit one of the most beautiful valleys in the area. On the other… really? A boutique hotel and the Lakes? How would that work for us?

Well, all I can say is, it didn’t take long to adjust. We checked in to the Brimstone after a gruelling journey, and were met by a wood-burning stove in our room. Ahh. But how to choose between staring at the flames or sitting on the covered balcony, which – as we were on the second floor – looked out straight into the tops of beautiful native woodland, as if we were in a treehouse?

The next day, we walked and lay on a mountainside and as I breathed the air and listened to skylarks and silence, I felt the peace that comes with that deep connection to a beloved past. On our return, a bath felt compulsory – unusually there was one in the living area, so you can soak and watch TV, which I did with a glass of Jennings’ ale in my hand, as drinks, cakes, and a cheese board are provided free in the shared Reading Room, for guests to take to their rooms.

Twenty-four hours, and my batteries were full again.

Brimstone Hotel is part of the Langdale Estate, with a spa, pool, and three restaurants onsite. Rooms from £250 per room per night, including Reading Room treats, spa access and free kit hire, with advance discounts available at brimstonehotel.co.uk