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Be romantic at… No1 Silverbank, Coniston

A five star self catering cottage near the Lakeland village of Coniston complete with oak beams, log fire, Egyptian cotton bedding and a decadent roll top bath.   The ‘Concierge’ menu takes indulgence to another level – As well as listing a visiting beautician as one of the available services, it also offers a personal chef, waitress service, private yacht trips, balloon flights and flower delivery.  This is perfect for those wanting pampered in private peaceful surroundings.

Enjoy the scenery of Cumbria… Hot Air Balloon Ride

Take in Cumbria’s spectacular terrain from high above in a classic hot air balloon.  High Adventure is a small family run company offering relaxing hot air balloon rides in the heart of the Lake District, so you and your loved one can float gracefully over Cumbria’s beautiful scenery in decadent style from your traditional airborne wicker basket.  They’ll even provide you with champagne when you come back down to earth.

Treat yourselves to Michelin Star… Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere

A fine country house hotel surrounded by woodland with a Michelin starred restaurant.  The bedrooms are luxurious, all individually furnished and offer little treats like a decanter of sherry, bathrobes and fresh flowers.  As well as a gym, the spa has a sauna, steam room and relaxation room.  The treatments are Espa and there’s a good range of pamper days and breaks to choose from.

Relax and soak up a SPA day… Rothay Garden Hotel, Grasmere

With the brand new Riverside Spa at Rothay Garden Hotel, loved ones can sit back and relax with amazing floor-to-ceiling windows that allow you to enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding fells in Grasmere.

Something for him… in a 4×4

Nobody sees the Lake District quite like Kankku who provide off-road driving adventures on wild trail routes throughout the National Park. They have access to areas that are normally off limits giving you the rare chance to explore some of Cumbria’s most remote areas.  If you’re feeling adventurous you can take the wheel and make the most of their expert tuition, or if you would prefer to relax you can simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

Enjoy peace and tranquility… The Quiet Site, Ullswater

Idyllic setting amongst the fells, The Quiet Site is a popular camping site situated in a secluded position, perfect for romantic couples to enjoy the spectacular scenery of Lakes Ullswater. This is a superbly maintained and very picturesque site, the facilities being housed mainly in old converted farm buildings. There are many beautiful walks that you can start from right outside the Quiet Site and numerous activities and attractions a very short drive away. The site is also in an ideal position for touring both the North and South Lakes by car. Prices £16 – £30 per adult per night depending on which time of the week.

Indulge in traditional pub grub… The Yanwath Gate Inn, Yanwath

Voted UK Cumbrian Dining Pub of the Year 2011/12 in the Good Pub guide, it’s a real gem of a place for those in search of a romantic experience, in a warm and relaxing atmosphere. This delightful 17th Century Inn built in 1683 takes its name from its original function as a ‘toll gate’ for people travelling east or west, north or south. With a growing reputation for fabulous food, a beautiful garden and outside seating the Gate Inn is a place you will want to return to again and again.

Champagne baths and midnight feasts… A Corner of Eden, Kirby Stephen

Enjoy a bubbly bath, in candlelight, while sipping chilled Moet and Chandon Champagne at A Corner of Eden.  Their champagne bath service, which costs £45, is ideal for romantics.  After your bath don your cosy robe and head to sit in front of the roaring fire in the guest lounge or enjoy privacy and peace in your chic bedroom.  If you’re peckish after all the champagne you can make the most of the packed Butler’s Pantry which is full of home-made cakes, home-made bread, cheese, home-made chutney & jam, fruit, tea, coffee and juice and is included in your room rate.  There’s also an honesty bar to which you are invited to help yourself, stocked with a healthy supply of robust reds, cheeky whites, smoky malts and curious beers and spirits. From £130 per room per night including breakfast and unlimited access to the Butler’s Pantry.

Fall in Love… Broadoaks Country House Hotel, Windermere

Broadoaks is offering couples a special Valentine’s Day Package this year to celebrate being in love. Loved ones can enjoy Valentine’s with a weekend of serenading, champagne and fine food all set within the luxurious surroundings of Broadoaks Boutique Country House. Spread out over the weekend of 10-12 February, Broadoaks is offering the perfect package. Fall in love all over again with an arrival cream tea, canapé reception, evening dinner and speciality tea or coffee by The Music Room fire on the 10 February. Then enjoy The Courtship on the Saturday night, 11 February 2012, by romancing your loved one during the afternoon with a cruise on Windermere, then join Broadoaks in the evening for a champagne and canapé reception and let your ears be seduced by the gentle sounds of the resident pianist. End the day in Oaks restaurant to begin a passionate affair with food, take time to appreciate your loved one through 5 courses of exquisite dishes, finished with chocolate covered strawberries and a half bottle of Champagne served to your room. 2 Night Package from £175 p/p

Something different… The Worlds Original Marmalade Festival

12th—13th February 2012

Amateur and commercial marmalade lovers from across the globe are being encouraged to enter their own marmalade in this prestigious marmalade contest. The 2011 World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival will take place at the historic Dalemain Mansion, in the Lake District, Cumbria in February and is expected to attract over 5,000 visitors. The World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival, now in its sixth year, includes: a marmalade concert, a keynote lecture by famous food historian Ivan Day, the presence of the world’s most famous marmalade lover, Paddington Bear, and of course, delicious marmalade tasting. Have fun with your partner this Valentine’s Day!

The afternoon of Sunday 3^rd June will see a thousand boats gather on the river Thames in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. It will be the largest flotilla in modern times on the river with rowing boats, working boats and pleasure vessels of all shapes and sizes beautifully dressed with streamers and Union Jacks, stretching for an estimated twelve and a half miles.

The event has proved extremely popular with three boats applying for every place. The pageant organisers and representatives from the river community were involved in the selection process which included considering safety, fitness-for-purpose and range of vessel type as well as exploring whether the vessel was of historical significance or had an interesting story to tell. At the end of 2011, organisers confirmed to applicants the lucky boats who will take part in this historic event. 

The Queen of the Lake, owned by Windermere Lake Cruises and Captained by Ron Walker, has been selected to take part in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. Queen of the Lake, a traditional Windermere wooden launch is one of the vessels listed on the National register of Historic Vessels which will be travelling in the flotilla.

Nigel Wilkinson, Managing Director, Windermere Lake Cruises said: “We are delighted that Cumbria will be represented at such a high profile, patriotic event which will inevitably strike a cord with the whole country as we celebrate her Majesty the Queen and her 60 year reign together.

“We are pleased to be working with the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, Royal Windermere Yacht Club and the Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club to showcase an iconic image of the Lake District, Cumbria, not just to the Royal Family but also to the Great British public and the wider world. We hope to be able to involve the wider Cumbria community in this project and to give some younger Cumbrians a day out that they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Built in 1949, measuring 15.2 metres and able to accommodate up to 84 passengers Queen of the Lake is based at Ambleside and is in daily service from April to October carrying passengers on Windermere, England’s longest lake. She is no stranger to royalty, having carried HRH the Prince of Wales in March 2010 when he visited the Lake District.

Queen of the Lake will travel from Windermere to London by lorry on a specially designed frame, covering almost 300 miles, a distance she hasn’t covered since she travelled to Windermere from the Thames-side town of Molsey, where she was built over 60 years ago.

Alex Williamson, Boat Building Manager for Windermere Lake Cruises and Operations Manager Russell Bowden, will be leading the team down to London for the event while Windermere Skipper Ron Walker will Captain the boat on the day itself.

Every vessel will proudly take its place in the flotilla alongside Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the Royal Family aboard the Royal Barge, The Spirit of Chartwell. It will be a once in a lifetime moment for Queen of the Lake, her crew, her passengers and the Lake District, Cumbria as a whole, to be part of this glorious moment in our rich royal history.

Springtime is a wonderful time to visit the Lake District. As the natural world reawakens after the winter, the Lake District comes alive with a host of activities that the whole family can enjoy. The range of events is vast so we thought we’d refine it to our pick of the top ten, must see attractions for anyone planning a trip to Cumbria in the coming months. For more information on any of these fantastic spring attractions, visit the Cumbria Tourism website at www.golakes.co.uk

Springtime is synonymous with lambs and this is evident all over Cumbria. One of the first things you should do on a visit to the area is walk through the beautiful green countryside and watch the cute little lambs, joyfully playing together in the spring sunshine. You’ll soon see that Cumbria is essentially one huge springtime nursery for lambs and calves. Herdwick, the distinctive Lakeland breed of sheep, have black lambs that then fade to chocolate brown and eventually to grey as they age. They’re usually over a year old before they are mature enough to eat but their mixed diet and long natural lifestyle produces a meat so rich and tender that it has become a national delicacy.

For something a little more sedate, the Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Kendal will be providing free admittance to under 18s and to people up to 25 who are in full time education. The beautiful setting, on the banks of the River Kent, makes it the ideal place to take some time for quiet reflection but there is also the option of taking full advantage of their inspiring programme of activities, lectures and events. Some of the illustrious and celebrated artists that the gallery has been lucky enough to exhibit in recent years include Lucian Freud, Bridget Riley, Euan Uglow and Walter Richard Sickert. The offer of free admission includes access to any temporary or permanent events and exhibitions. www.abbothall.org.uk

The Lake District’s Coniston Water provided a huge amount of inspiration for Ransome’s classic adventure story, Swallows and Amazons. Now, to celebrate this seminal piece of literature and the upcoming re-imagining of this fabulous book for the big screen, Coniston Launch is offering a special cruise around many of the locations Ransome used as the basis for his magical tale. Take this fabulous opportunity to explore Beckfoot, Holly Howe, Kanchenjunga, Wild Cat Island and the Amazons’ boathouse. www.conistonlaunch.co.uk

For the February mid-term, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle will be running a series of workshops that aim to teach children about recycling by making toys from materials that would usually end up in the bin. How about making a model rocket and launcher out of a lemonade bottle? Or turning an old drinks can, a couple of CDs and a pin into a balloon-bursting chariot? Or even creating a dragon fly that can balance on your finger tip out of an old fashioned clothes peg? Chris Robson, retired head of Science from St Bees, runs these ever-popular and exceedingly innovative workshops right across the region. www.tulliehouse.co.uk

The Carlisle and Borders Spring Show at Bitts Park is a horticultural and flower show with over 50 exhibitors and traders selling a variety of flowers, plants, shrubs and garden accessories. In addition to this, there is a countryside section, a floral art marquee, Made in Cumbria crafts and a catering that serves the finest local produce. There is a selection of activities which are especially for young ones too, like the children’s arts and crafts marquee, plus entertainment and refreshments.

The World of Beatrix Potter is holding a Cumbria-wide Easter egg hunt which will start on 31 March and run until all of the 100, extra special Easter eggs are found. Every egg entitles its finder to an impressive prize but it’s worth remembering that the eggs could be anywhere, right across the Cumbrian countryside, in gardens and on lakes. So, get the whole family in on the hunt and keep your eyes peeled! www.hop-skip-jump.com

For a couple of days of unbridled fun that’s sure to enchant the whole family, look no further than Tom Fools Day at Muncaster Castle. Join in the mayhem on 1 April and enjoy performances by 2009’s Fool of Muncaster, Will Tease! There’s also going to be Foolish Football with Muncaster mascot Max MeadowVole. If you can score a goal, you’ll win a prize. Another opportunity not to be missed is the chance to Pelt a Pennington! The family who live at Muncaster have gamely volunteered to be pelted with wet sponges, eggs and flour bombs, all in aid of a local charity. www.muncaster.co.uk

If you’re looking for a unique way to stay in the Lake District, the Camping and Caravanning Club at Eskdale may have the answer. They now boast a quirky new addition to their camp site – Camping Pods.  The pods themselves look like little half acorns and are secure, heated wooden shelters that each sleep up to four people and only cost £40 per night.  They’re constructed of locally sourced timber, insulated with Lakeland sheep’s wool and carefully designed to sit well in the glorious Eskdale countryside. http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/eskdale-camping-pods

Ullswater ‘Steamers’ is an award-winning Lake District attraction celebrating over 150 years sailing on England’s most beautiful lake. This is an ideal opportunity to spend the day with the RSPB, identifying the rich variety of bird species that can be found on and around Ullswater. Your day will also include an escorted walk through your choice of two different habitats, depending on whether you’re more of a river ramble or woodland wander type of person. Cruises will be taking place on 15 and 16 May and depart from Glenridding Pier at 10.30, arriving back at approx 16.00. www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk

The Keswick Mountain Festival is a must for any climbing enthusiasts intending to visit the Lake District in springtime. Enthralling stories from this year’s line-up of speakers will inspire seasoned adventurers and arm-chair explorers alike. Lakes-based climber Leo Houlding talks about the film (shot by Alistair Lee) of his ambitious expedition to make the first free ascent of the daunting north face of Mount Asgard on Canada’s Baffin Island. Miner-turned-climber Andy Cave, author of Learning to Breathe, will also tell of his assault (and a colleague’s tragic accident) on the north face of Changabang, one of the hardest routes in the Himalayas. www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk/