Another Place is the place for an idyllic Lake District break where the grown ups are looked after as well as the little ones. And where four legged family members are welcomed with open arms too!
Another Place The Lake has a dreamy location on the banks of Ullswater, on the eastern edge of the Lake District. It’s thirty minutes drive from the M6 so it is very easy to get to, yet is surrounded by mountains making it feel a million miles from anywhere. It was a 5 hour drive back to Winchester, and 2 and a bit hours from Cheshire. We’re just back from four nights stay, and what a treat. It’s long been on our list to visit, and the small matter of Granny’s 80th birthday finally tempted us in!
The main building used to be home to the Rampsbeck hotel, it’s been carefully upgraded alongside the addition of a couple of low-ish profile modern buildings, a spectacular swimming pool, some shepherds huts and a tree house. All in all it has been very tastefully modernised. The Brackenrigg Inn up the road is also owned by the hotel, it’s had a smart upgrade too – we stayed in it twenty years ago under prior management when it wasn’t so smart!
If you’re a fan of The Pig, then Another Place is like the Pig but truly welcoming of and prepared for families. It’s from the same stable of thought as the likes of Luxury Family Hotels or either of the Bedruthan or Watergate Bay in Cornwall. In fact given its links to Watergate, there’s lots of Cornish pieces dotted around. I’d rate Another Place very highly amongst these other boutique spots.
We stayed in one of the best family suites. An incredible amount of space, more than we needed! A massive hallway with storage and a bench, a wonderful airy bathroom with roll top bath, a child’s room with bunks (and a third bed too – 3 child families this is for you), and a spacious master with a super king bed, sofa and seating and oodles of space for spreading out. Even a handy nook for the dogs crate!
With floor to ceiling windows and Juliette doors it was a beautifully bright room with stunning views. There’s air conditioning too. And in an inspired move, the child’s room has double blinds, one of which is black out. Poppy was left a dog bowl and an extra dog blanket.
There’s a great selection of other rooms available. Smaller family suites, normal rooms with pop up beds, some incredible suites, shepherds huts (look fun but need the planting around them to grow out so that they are private) and a tree house.
The grounds themselves are massive, you could happily spend a few days here and not need to leave. There’s ample space for feral children and dogs to run riot, or play ping pong or use the tree swings. Down on the banks of the lake there’s great spots for paddling.
There’s a lake jetty for swimming off and an outdoor sauna and ice bath. The hotel have 6 different walking route cards, one of these is a loop from the hotel out into the countryside and back (via the Brackenrigg) – there’s ample walking and running routes from the grounds. Wellies, wetsuits, boots and buoyancy aids are available to borrow, and SUPs and kayaks can be hired. If you are really into your swimming an indoor swim tank or guided night swims might take your fancy!
One of our favourite places was the indoor swimming pool. It’s as spectacular as it looks. Open from 6am to 9pm, happily between 9am and 6pm families are all welcome – great that there is such little restriction despite the pool looking like something that would be adult only! There is also a sauna and an outdoor hot tub alongside the pool. If it is raining and the outdoors is less appealing then the library space (no dogs) is a lovely old-fashioned room of sumptuous sofas, books and board games.
We were impressed by the different food on offer. For casual dining during the day (up until 5pm) there is the glasshouse. It commands wonderful views down by the waterfront and has a short menu of fabulous wood-fired pizzas and a great choice of drinks. It’s ideal as an early tea location for families, or a mid-afternoon drink! The Brackenrigg Inn offers excellent pub food – the Sunday roast was perfect!
The Rampsbeck restaurant is the fanciest of the offerings. This one isn’t dog-friendly, but I get the sense many dogs were left to snooze in the rooms at meal times. In the evening it is excellent a la carte fayre, in the morning breakfast is served here. There’s a make your own waffle station, our day was made at 7.30am! When we did have Poppy with us at breakfast time, we ate in the Living Room area instead.
The Living Room is the all day bar and dining, and has a lounge feel. Plenty of sofa areas, roll out through the bi-folds to outside seating. There is also plenty of table seating for eating too. It was a popular spot at lunchtime and for early tea. I have to say I think it is the best early-dining we’ve found. The menu was excellent, no short cuts – proper adult food – so families were all eating together. We had some wonderful sharing platters at lunchtime and then excellent steak, poke bowls and curry in the evening.
Kids club is the final bit of wonderfulness, and time in kids club is part of the room rate – perfect. We were there in private school holidays so the main age group clubs hadn’t started but Bertie had fun in the standard club. It’s a beautiful nursery style set up and whilst perhaps a little on the young side for him, he loved having his own time and a room full of role-play type toys and garden toys that weren’t his own. We took a stomp in the fells and grabbed a pint at the Brackenrigg Inn!
There is so much to do locally, we barely scratched the surface. If you run or open-water swim clearly the hills and the water are your oyster. Beyond that, Glenridding Sailing Centre should be your first stop (where Mr P taught sailing back in the day). Hire a wammel if you can sail and enjoy the lake under sail, or check the kids in for a full week sailing course. Aira Force is a short drive and (uphill) walk away – it’s worth the climb as it is spectacular. Helvelyn is the main mountain in easy reach of the hotel – we did the lower level part of the walk. Lowther Castle is a castle with a difference and has one of the UKs best play areas!
Another Place in our view had everything for everyone. It kept happy an 80 year old, 2 exhausted parents, a 6 year old and a dog. Nobody was less looked after than the other. Boxes were ticked at every age, 2 legs and 4. It isn’t a cheap stay, but it was worth every penny. We were all very sad to leave and are already planning a return, and looking at the Scottish Another Place too…
