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The Lake District is an enduringly romantic setting and for generations, its spectacular scenery has inspired artists, writers and poets. So, as a wedding destination, this is one of the most beautifully enchanting and romantic places you could ever hope to find. However, for something a bit different from the rest, here are the top five alternative wedding venues in the Lake District.

For a truly unique wedding in a delightfully historic setting, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery boasts two rooms that are licensed for civil ceremonies. The Victorian Theatre with its impressive bridal entrance has tiered seating for up to 100 guests. However, for those looking for a more intimate wedding, the Morning Room, which overlooks the Abbey Street gardens, can accommodate a wedding party of up to 30. The beautiful gardens provide the perfect backdrop to your wedding photographs.

www.tulliehouse.co.uk

Somehow managing to be grand and homely at the same time, Winder Hall offers log fires, snug sofas and calorific afternoon teas in a spectacular but secluded location. This beautiful Jacobean manor house has its own civil license so you can marry there or the gorgeous little Lorton Church, which is as pretty as a picture and just a short walk away through the fields.  Then you celebrate with hog roasts and other fabulous fresh food. There are also a number of elegant four poster rooms, making it the perfect place to stay for your honeymoon too. www.winderhall.co.uk

Wordsworth’s best loved home, Rydal Mount truly typifies the romantic idyll. The stunning landscaped gardens offer an ideal place to relax and enjoy the family home of one of England’s most famous poets.  Your ceremony can take place in the bay window overlooking the gardens and Lake Windermere, your champagne and canapés can be served in the stunning grounds and you’ll be spoilt for choice for perfect picture backdrops.  No two weddings are ever the same at Rydal Mount and you’ll be appointed your own wedding coordinator who will work with you to ensure your day is everything you could wish for.

www.rydalmount.co.uk

Winner of Bed and Breakfast of the Year at the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence in 2009, Augill Castle has all the turrets a wedding princess could possibly want.  It is family-run, informal and friendly and has no set packages, no rules and no restrictions. Augill Castle is licensed for your ceremony and you can have exclusive use of the entire place, so your guests can stay over after the celebrations.  The accommodation here is luxurious, quirky and individual and the castle is in 15 acres of its own beautiful grounds.

www.stayinacastle.co.uk

For a truly memorable wedding celebration, after your ceremony you can hold a decadent wedding reception onboard a traditional Ullswater ‘Steamer’.  You’ll set sail on this beautiful lake in the heart of the serene Ullswater Valley and during your magical cruise you can welcome your guests with chilled champagne, serve them delicious food and entertain them with perfect music.  The dramatic landscape will provide a photographic backdrop that is second to none and it will be a day that neither you, nor your guests, will ever forget.

www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk

The Lake District is world renowned for its fresh local produce and the excellent eating that’s to be found there as a result. Visitors to Cumbria and the Lakes are quite simply spoiled for choice when it comes to eating out; from the very finest of fine dining to the warming comfort food of a welcoming village pub. Such is the strength of the Lake District’s reputation though, that finding something a little out of the ordinary can actually prove to be quite difficult. So, if you’re looking for slightly more unusual eats, we can highly recommend these three hidden gems.

Motorway services might not figure too highly on your list of places to each in the Lake District but that could soon be about to change. Of course, we don’t think that Tebay Services, at Junction 38 on the M6, is wholly representative of your average motorway services but then again, this is most definitely not your average motorway services. Tebay is family-run and the all of the food served at its farm shop and butcher’s counter is cultivated on the surrounding hills. This section of the M6 carves its way through wild moorland country, set against the majestic backdrop of the Lake District’s high hills on one side and the North Pennines on the other. The Tebay services were once declared the Best in Britain and are one of the very few family-run motorway services that are left in this country. The Dunning family take great pride in the standard of produce and service that’s on offer and are sure you’ll never think about stopping off at a motorway services in the same way again.

http://www.westmorland.com/tebay-services

Restaurants at tourist attractions have a reputation for being overpriced and lacking in both attention to detail and real quality. After all, they aim for a quick turnover of custom and often come as a bit of an afterthought. However, at the top of one of the steepest roads in England, Honister Pass, you’ll find the Sky High Café. This wonderful cafe caters for visitors to the Honister Slate Mine near Keswick, in Cumbria. The essence of this cafe is in its awe-inspiring location, over 1100ft up. To put it another way, that’s three times taller than Big Ben. Getting there is no picnic though, as the narrow mountain road that leads you up there has a steepness gradient of 1 in 4. That means you’re going to be sticking in first gear all the way. At its heart, this is a rugged, no-frills walkers’ café, offering a truly rare and remarkable place to eat and drink for walkers of the stunning mountain pass between the Borrowdale Valley and Buttermere Valley. So, expect hearty walker’s food; tasty home-made soups, sandwiches, piping hot Paninis, crepes and ice-cream, all washed down with big mugs of hot tea and coffee.

If you’ve visited the Lake District before, you could well be one of the many holidaymakers that pass the innocuous looking roadside snack-stop that is the Food 2 Go Van on the A591 Staveley Bypass. Well, the A591 is a pretty major thoroughfare, carrying countless visitors to the southern Lakes from the M6 motorway. However, those in the know would never pass this well kept secret without stopping into the lay-by for a quick bite. First time visitors will be immediately and pleasantly surprised by the impeccable levels of hygiene that local husband and wife team, Bob and Shirley, insist upon. In fact, the local council awarded it five stars for its hygiene and the notice is proudly displayed. The chef fastidiously clears the grill plate after every round of fabulous filled rolls. Although this may well be the finest fast food van in the land, it has no pretentions. It simply does the basics extremely well, using wonderful cuts of meat and floury, soft buns. Why not stop off for a quick Bacon and Egg butty, and then stay to sample the Cumberland Burger. Such is the support for Food 2 Go that it now has it’s own following on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Food-2-Go-Staveley-By-Pass-A591-Westbound-The-Lake-District-Cumbria/84056229641

For more information on all of the wonderful places to eat and drink in the Lake District, go to www.golakes.co.uk

We’re on Facebook too! http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lake-District-Cumbria/66266195119

For that comfortable, home-away-from-home feel but without sacrificing the amenities on offer at a hotel, a Bed and Breakfast can be an excellent middle ground. Cumbria has a fantastic selection of establishments that offer guests first class bed and breakfast accommodation in the Lake District. Savour the peace and quiet of a homely B&B, rising to a hearty, home cooked breakfast before taking in the various delights of the Lake District.

It’s the personal, family run feel that separates Bed and Breakfast accommodation from other places to stay in the Lake District. You can spend the night on a traditional farm in Cumbria and in particular, there are a number of truly outstanding, organic guest houses in Cumbria. These great B&Bs pride themselves on the support they provide to local producers of Cumbrian goods, as well as creating an unforgettable Lake District experience for their guests. Bed and Breakfasts are distributed throughout the Lake District, so whether you are looking for something in a picturesque little village, a stunning river valley, at the foot of an awe-inspiring mountain peak or on the shore of a beautiful lake, you can rely on home comforts with the bounty of nature on your doorstep.

The winner of ‘Bed and Breakfast of the Year 2009’ was the stunning Augill Castle, a Victorian fantasy of a medieval castle which is situated just outside the small market town of Kirkby Stephen.  Augill Castle manages to combine the impeccable standards of luxury and service that justify it as a five star B&B, with a wonderfully relaxed family atmosphere. Their homemade biscuits alone are worth the trip! Owned and operated by Simon and Wendy Bennett, Augill is renowned for its beautiful bedrooms and wonderful breakfast that use the best in Cumbrian produce. Augill Castle is located in the Upper Eden Valley and sits against the breathtaking backdrop of the North Pennines, in majestic open country that has changed very little for centuries.