Make the summer holidays a true ‘Famous Five’ adventure

Make the summer holidays a true ‘Famous Five’ adventure

Building dens in the woods, running through secret gardens, sailing on a mission for treasure and picnics with ham rolls and lemonade. Sound like a quintessential Enid Blyton scene? Yes, but it can also be the picture of your family get-away this summer.

The beautiful Lake District is famous for its stunning landscape. Fells, lakes, woodland, fields and rivers a plenty, it is the perfect playground to let kids be kids and create the childhood summer quests they will remember for years….

And the eight-bedded Gate House – a magnificent Georgian property with historic associations, home in the early 20th century to the famous lakes artist Alfred Heaton Cooper – is the ideal holiday accommodation for imagination-fuelled minds, no matter your age. Nestled on the outskirts of Coniston village and set on the road to the striking and historical Coppermines Valley. The house enjoys delightful aspects overlooking the open fields to the front and the bubbling Church Beck to the rear – there is certainly no shortage of adventure backdrops here.

For the adults, the rear garden is lovingly paved with local slate and complete with wrought iron garden furniture, offering the perfect al fresco dining area with views over the Beck and the fields beyond. Tired children, exhausted by adventure can relax in their own sitting room, yes there’s one for the children here!

With views towards Grizedale Forest & the village, guests at Gate House could easily spend their days relaxing here, however adventure can be accessed straight from the doorstep. The impressive Coniston Old Man is a challenging yet rewarding walk for the whole family, little ones may need encouragement to reach the top but once you’re there the views will certainly be worth it. There’s also the Coppermines Valley just up the lane with its crags and streams, great for dipping toes and skimming stones. For the ultimate adventure, local specialists ‘Adventure 21’ offer a range of activity days based in the Coniston area.

Just a short walk from the house there is the opportunity to explore the water which inspired another set of adventurers – the characters in Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons. Row, row, row a traditional boat on Coniston Water with the Coniston Boating Centre, try out the kayaks and canoes or sail in a sailing dinghy. There are also motor boats if you’d prefer the more relaxed approach.

Or perhaps you’d like to discover more about yet another imaginative mind – Beatrix Potter – much-loved author of the Peter Rabbit tales. Her former cottage, Hill Top, near Ambleside, is a time capsule of her life and the house and surroundings were used as inspiration to many of her ‘little books’ – you’ll recognise the rhubarb patch where Jemima Puddle-Duck laid her egg and the garden where Tom Kitten and his sisters played.

Gate House is available to book through The Coppermines and Lakes Cottages, full week summer breaks available from £2340.00 (£41.78 per person per night).

Gate House Details – Link