Let’s be honest. The Lakes in winter has a reputation. Grey skies. Drizzle. The kind of weather that has you questioning all your life choices by lunchtime.
But here’s the thing. We built our big houses for exactly this.
Come in from the cold
Step through the front door and the outside world becomes someone else’s problem. Open fires crackling. Chesterfield sofas so big you’ll need to set a search party if anyone gets too comfortable. The kind of warmth that hits you in the chest.
This is what these houses are made for.
At Bannerrigg, you’ve got an AGA in the kitchen. A proper one. Three ovens, a permanent low hum of warmth, and the best slow-cooked Sunday roast you’ll ever pull off in your dressing gown. There’s nothing like an AGA on a cold January day. Nothing.
Films. All of them.
When it’s tipping it down outside — and let’s be honest, sometimes it will — head downstairs. Every Terrace property has its own cinema. We’re talking proper cinema seats, a 75-inch screen, and enough space for the whole group. Pick something long. Nobody’s going anywhere.
Bannerrigg goes up to 18 seats. Number One seats 15. Alice Howe and Boston House aren’t far behind. Grab the snacks. Log into Netflix. The night is yours.
The hot tub debate.
Here’s our case for hot tubbing in winter. You’re warm inside. You nip outside. It’s cold — properly cold, maybe even a bit of frost. You lower yourself in. The water is 38 degrees. You look up. Stars.
That’s it. That’s the whole argument.
All five Terrace houses have hot tubs. They don’t close for winter. They just get better.
(And yes — the floor can be a bit slippery if it’s icy. Watch your step. You’ve been warned.)
Walks that actually feel earned
The Lake District in winter is extraordinary. Fewer people. Sharper light. The kind of views that make your phone camera give up trying.
The Orrest Head walk starts right at the gate if you’re staying at Orrest Head House. Twenty minutes uphill and you’re looking out over Windermere with a view that Wainwright himself couldn’t stop writing about. Do it. Then come back and sit by the fire for the rest of the day. You’ve earned it.
Homeground. Non-negotiable.
Windermere village is two minutes from most of our properties. And Homeground does the best breakfast in the Lakes. Go. Eat well. It’ll set you up for whatever you’ve got planned — or planned to avoid.
Big groups, big memories
Our houses sleep anywhere from 12 to 16 people. That’s a big birthday party. A family reunion. A group of mates who’ve been saying “we should do something” for three years. Winter weekends are often better value, easier to book, and — we’d argue — more fun.
The Lake District is the UK’s adventure playground. But in winter, it’s also the UK’s best excuse to do absolutely nothing, in very good company, in a brilliant house.
Book one. Make the memories. You’ll be talking about it until at least next Christmas.
Andy and Barbara (owners)
