Rothay Manor

Rothay Manor

Rothay Manor sits on level ground a quarter mile from the center of Ambleside and the same distance from the head of Windermere Lake, a Grade II listed country house with 23 individually styled bedrooms and suites across two floors. There are no lifts, but a ground-floor room is set aside for guests with walking difficulties, and lowered curbs mean the level paths to town and lake are usable by wheelchair. What sets it apart from other Lake District country houses is Rowan, its restaurant, run by chef Simon Ulph, who helped win a Michelin star at The Stafford before working at The Ledbury, St Leonards, Climat and Northcote; his modern British menu, threaded with European and Japanese notes, is served daily to residents and outside diners alike. The garden and terrace catch the daylight that also floods the two ground-floor lounges, where coal fires and sofas do the work in the colder months. Rooms come with allergy-free options, bathrobes and proper toiletries, and the kitchen will pack a lunch for anyone heading out to fish, cycle or walk the fells; guided hikes and off-road driving can be arranged through local operators. A conference hall covers the meetings crowd, though this is not a hotel built around business traffic. Free Wi-Fi, a safe-deposit box and laundry service cover the practical side. It suits walkers who want dinner waiting at day's end, and couples who prefer a fireside lounge to a hotel bar; it will frustrate anyone who needs a lift, since there isn't one, or a late checkout, since bags are out by 11am. What lingers is a Michelin-trained kitchen running inside a 23-room house that never oversells itself. Rothay Manor is a 23-room Grade II country house a level, quarter-mile walk from Ambleside center and Windermere Lake, its restaurant Rowan run by a chef who helped win a Michelin star at The Stafford. It suits walkers and fireside types, not those needing a lift or late checkout.