British holidays

And I’m not suggesting that anyone should do this on purpose, but when it does happen, it is a good way to put a hotel to the test.

Lindeth Howe, in Bowness-on-Windermere, rose to the challenge. A superb receptionist called Mickaela barely faltered as she realised we had landed on Friday instead of Saturday, insisting that these things happen and being careful not to apportion blame (it wasn’t the hotel’s fault…). And on the first weekend of the school holidays, with the town’s annual air show about to start and a hotel full of guests, she blithely ordered us tea in the library while she mobilised housekeeping to organise a room for a family of four.

It was a sign of things to come. Lindeth Howe seems to specialise in young, efficient and friendly staff who set the tone for a spot of rest and relaxation.

The hotel is set in pretty gardens above the tourist hotspot of Bowness, but thanks to its location the view is all forest and mountains rather than traffic and poached people.

Like many of the villas dotted around Lake Windermere, it was built as a holiday home for the pioneering industrialists of the day, and rented out to friends, including, in this case, the Potter family. They visited, with daughter Beatrix, between 1902 and 1911, and two of the author’s books, Timmy Tiptoes and Pigling Bland, were illustrated during stays.

Beatrix was so captivated by it that she helped her bereaved mother buy it in 1915, while she lived in her beloved Sawrey across the lake.

In 1978, it became what it is today: a country house hotel, in private ownership. The Beatrix Potter link is evident but not overplayed, and the walls of the lounge are hung with fascinating photos of the Potter family. Comfy sofas and huge windows make it a perfect place to relax, which we were happy to do on the Friday evening with drinks and canapés before dinner. A sudden, spectacular thunderstorm made for thrilling entertainment, and I half expected Poirot to appear with news of a body in the library.

Dinner was a real highlight, served in a large, airy room with stunning views outside and candles and chandeliers inside. A little treat of sushi rice with smoked salmon was followed by faultless, modern cooking using local ingredients. Scallops on saffron polenta cakes were tender and sweet, and the trio of starters enjoyed by husband and Daughter Number 2 included pickled quail and a tiny red onion tart with dolcellate.

This made an appearance as a main course for Daughter Number 1, while I waxed lyrical about plaice and smoked salmon roulade – delicious white flaky fish intertwined with the coral of the warmed salmon – and two plates of lamb loin with fondant potato were quickly demolished. Puddings – sticky toffee with butterscotch sauce, crème brulee, lavender and honey icecream and a scrummy cheeseboard – were a tasty finale.

After a good night’s sleep in a huge bedroom with room for a king-size bed, two singles and a couple of armchairs, and a cooked breakfast, we headed off to Coniston, driving through Ambleside and taking in the glorious scenery.

Coniston’s poignant claim to fame is the story of Donald Campbell’s fatal record-breaking attempt in Bluebird II. A waterside café, named after the ill-fated craft, has newspaper cuttings of the day and of the subsequent raising of the craft.

We enjoyed lunch al fresco, fed ducks, paddled and messed about at the water’s edge in this idyllic spot, far from the madding crowds of Windermere. A leisurely drive a few miles on took us to Hill Top, home of Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit et al, and now in the care of the National Trust.

“You’ve come at the best time,” said the friendly ticket lady. “Everyone avoids Saturday afternoons thinking it will be a crush, but it’s the quietest time.”

Both daughters were captivated by the farmhouse, just as it was in Potter’s day, with the famous little Frederick Warne books dotted about, open at pages featuring paintings of views from a window, a fireplace, a piece of furniture or a dolls’ house alongside the real-life version.

A quick trundle through leafy lanes and we boarded the ferry across the lake to Bowness, ready for a refreshing swim in the hotel pool, and a cuppa on the terrace before a stroll into town for pizza.

On Sunday, we finished the Beatrix Potter trail at the World of Beatrix Potter, an attraction in Bowness centre which I had snootily avoided on a previous trip, thinking it would be too twee. In fact, it was enchanting and you didn’t have to be less than 4ft tall to enjoy it. Characters from all the Potter books were brought to life, alongside explanations of how each tale fitted in with the author’s life.

The grand finale for the weekend was a couple of hours messing about in a boat on Windermere. We hired a motorboat from the bustling marina and water sports centre at Low Wood, just outside Ambleside, and pottered about (‘scuse the pun) in the summer sunshine, watching the aerobatic displays from the air show, bird spotting and people watching, before it was time to head off.

A couple of hours’ drive through what must be the some of the most lovely scenery in England and we were home.

Rested and relaxed, we felt we had really had a break from the hurly-burly of life and it was hard to believe we had only been away for two nights.

• Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, Longtail Hill (B5284), one mile south of Bowness on Windermere. Phone: 015394 45759 www.lindeth-howe.co.uk

Wooded bliss

EVERY cloud has a silver lining, and having to watch the purse strings in difficult financial times is not always a bad thing.

Exotic holidays in some far-flung corner of the world may have been off the radar since the kids arrived, but as the credit crunch continues to bite even a beach holiday on the Algarve is out of the question.

The recession has sharpened an instinct for watching the pennies and staying closer to home. And you can’t get much closer than a fabulous family holiday less than 40 miles away from York.

Forest Holidays offer short breaks and holidays in luxury cabins and tree houses based in beautiful forests across the UK. All the sites operate within the Forestry Commission Estate.

Locations include Deerpark, in Cornwall, Argyll, Cairngorn and Strathyre, in Scotland and Keldy and Cropton, both in North Yorkshire and within spitting distance of each other.

We elected to stay at Keldy, deep in the heart of Cropton Forest and nestled on the edge of the North York Moors. The pace is unhurried and nature is on the doorstep.

Of course, staying in the UK means the weather cannot be guaranteed – although it was wonderful during our stay – but the fact we left home at 3.15pm and arrived on site at 4pm ticked a big box for me.

No tantrums, no arguments, no petrol stops, no car airport parking fees, no hanging around at check-ins. The journey was short and sweet.

Our home was a two-bedroom Silver Birch lodge. It slept up to four and had all mod cons including a flat-screen TV and DVD player.

It was extremely comfortable, with the added luxury of a hot tub outside on the veranda. The water was a little too hot for Joe, but Millie loved having her own “swimming pool” during the day, and for the adults a glass of wine or two in the hot tub under the stars at night was simply magical.

More basic accommodation on site come without spas, while the Golden Oak cabins have a bit more luxury. There is even a tree house, a luxurious en-suite bedroom extension to a Golden Oak Cabin. Accessed by an adventurers’ bridge from the cabin’s terrace, the tree house is a cosy hideaway for two.

Considering there are about 60 cabins on the Keldy site, it was remarkably peaceful and tranquil. The cabins were well spaced and offered plenty of privacy, with only the sound of birdsong and shrieks of laughter from happy kids peppering the silence.

The focal point of the site is The Retreat, the reception-cum-shop-cum-information zone.

Here you could stock up on essentials including bottles of beer brewed at the nearby Cropton Brewery, fresh bread, newspapers, Costa coffee, DVDs, games and books, while also booking any number of the activities on offer, from forest survival for a budding Ray Mears or a gentler dusk watch walk through the woods, all led by a forest ranger bursting with information on the local flora and fauna.

For those seeking more excitement, Keldy offers laser combat, a kind of paintballing but without paintballs, pony trekking, horse riding and archery.

We hired bikes for an afternoon, while the children enjoyed the outdoor play area and there was also an indoor games room featuring pool and table tennis tables.

While there was clearly no shortage of things to do, even if the weather did take a turn for the worse, what we enjoyed the most was strolling through the forests.

There were a number of marked trails, ranging in length from a mile to 27. Millie could ride off on her scooter in safety while Joe loved toddling here, there and everywhere without us worrying about traffic.

We also took a short drive to the nearby Roman camps at Cawthorn, and spent a great afternoon wandering the ancient site with stunning views across the moors and beyond. All topped off with a fantastic pub lunch at the New Inn at Cropton.

The native woodland invigorated the senses and I reckon Forest Holidays are not only for families, but would make a great base for serious walkers, twitchers or romantic couples wanting to escape city life… and you might as well leave your mobile phone at home because it won’t get a signal; absolute bliss!

Clearly though, Forest Holidays are particularly suitable for families and provide an obvious alternative to Centre Parcs. We’ve been to Centre Parcs a number of times, in Nottingham and the Lake District, and have never had a bad time.

Forest Holidays might lack the facilities and range of activities at Centre Parcs, but for those seeking something more genuine and gentle, who want to get back to unspoilt nature without giving up home comforts, Keldy Forest is impossible to beat.

Fact file

• Prices for a low-season break at Keldy start from £177 for four nights midweek, £195 for weekend and £354 for a full week in a Golden Oak cabin sleeping four with outdoor tub.

• For further information, phone 0845 130 8224 or visit www.forestholidays.co.uk