Great Lake Break

There's more to the Lake District than Windermere, Ambleside and the K Village. Emma Lavery from the Yorkshire Evening Post, enjoyed a quiet family break in tranquil Coniston.

The two bedroom cottage nestled in the foothills of the Old Man of Coniston was a welcome sight after a stressful Friday night journey.

We had set off for the Lake District far too late to comfortably meet our 10pm deadline to pick up the keys from the petrol station in Coniston village. We finally arrived, tempers frayed, with just minutes to spare.

After stepping out of the drizzle in to our Victorian stone built cottage we got to working on lighting the log fire and soon slipped into holiday mode as the flames crackled away in the snug sitting room. Complete with exposed beams, it had all the old world charm you could wish for plus all the mod cons you need.

For a visit to the Lake District, Coniston would not have been my obvious choice. I would probably have favoured Windermere or Ambleside, but we found Coniston to be the ideal base for exploring the breathtaking scenery of the Southern Lakes.

With a two-month-old baby and five year old in tow we opted not to attempt the ascent of the Coniston fells, which rise to 2,635ft and providing some of the best rock climbing in the UK.

After a lunch of hearty home made soup and sandwiches in the Meadowdore cafe in Coniston village we took a stroll along the shores of Coniston Water, which offers many attractions.

At Coniston Boating Centre you can hire all types of boats and canoes and there's expert tuition available.

A rebuilt Victorian steam-powered yacht Gondola sails around the lake and calls at Brantwood, the former home of the artist and philosopher John Ruskin which boats a spectacular lakeside position.

The Bluebird cafe by the lake is named after the late Donald Campbell's famous boat and displays interesting memorabilia including newspaper articles written at the time of the tragedy.

Donald Campbell CBE was the holder of the world land and water speed records and died in Coniston lake on January 4 1967 while trying to break his own record. The jet powered boat Bluebird had disintergrated at around 200 miles an hour.

In December 2000 divers testing underwater cameras discovered the wreckage and in March 2001 Bluebird was recovered from the lake bed. The tail was undamaged but the front cockpit area was completely crushed.

In August 2001 the Barrow in Furness coroner decided that based on DNA e`vidence the remains found near the wreck of Bluebird were those of the late Donald Campbell.

The funeral service at Coniston Parish Churchyard took place in September 2001. Donald Campbell has finally been given a permanent headstone on the edge of Coniston Water 35 years after his death. The headstone features a carved bluebird and replaces the temporary stone, which has been moved to the Bluebird Cafe.

We were captivated by the story of Bluebird and the current restoration project. It is hoped Bluebird, once fully restored, will be housed in a proposed extension at Coniston village's Ruskin Museum. A £250,000 government grant, approved in June 2007, has so far secured one thrird of the money needed. The story is told in the Ruskin Museum and tourist information centre.

Coniston village has a good selection of shops, five pubs and a restaurant all serving food until 9pm. We choose to eat at the Sun Inn, as it was next door to our row of cottages in the upper part of the village. The pub's rustic charm was inviting and it proved to be an excellent choice offering a varied menu of hand-pulled beer and home cooked food including children's menu.

On returning to the cottage, and after several attempts, we had the roaring log fire going again as we settled in for the night.

The following day we headed for Tarn Hows and enjoyed a walk around the stunning and tranquil lake, surronded by picturesque woodland.

The cold rainy weather had kept the grods of daytrippers away, which I found made the undisturbed place really special. It was as though you could feel the silence and stillness of the lake, which was quite breathtaking. My five year-old son also liked spying for pirates on the islands in the lake!

We had lunch at the Queens Head pub in Hawkshead. The pub was very popular and bustling with diners in both the bar and restaurant. We soon found out why. Our food, chosen from an extensive lunch menu, was delicious. Then a mooch around the tourist shops in the pretty village square made this a perfect day trip.

Our autumn weekend in the South Lakes was a great way to melt away stresses and strains. The stunning landscape, the inviting pubs and roaring log fire are a real treat whatever the weather.

Emma Lavery and family stayed at Dixon Ground Cottages - for more information click here