Waternook

There are some amazing self-catering places to stay in the Lake District but none are quite like Waternook – a super-luxury lakeside house where every need is anticipated and catered for. Set within a private and secure 26 acre estate in the heart of The Lake District National Park, Waternook offers over half a mile of lake frontage and breath-taking views over Ullswater. Inside there is no shortage of things to do, from its own spa and wellness sanctuary with lake view hot tub and complementing bar area to its private cinema and array of lounging and reading spaces. Up to two dogs are welcome, and you can either self-cater or go for the full package with waiting staff and chef!

This 17th-century property, sleeps 12 over 6 sumptuous suites and can be booked with The Great Barn as well to sleep up to 20 people. Waternook also has its own boathouse, private jetty and helicopter landing zone, so if James Bond is one of your guests, you need not worry. The 6 suites are all gorgeous, with high-end en-suite natural stone bathrooms, surround sound, mood lighting and lovely big cast-iron bedsteads with Vi-Spring Elite mattresses and high-quality linen; and all but one have lake views. Downstairs there is a magnificent kitchen-diner (with matching views), a comfy drawing room, a reading room with a log burner and a large terrace which in summer serves as an outdoor living room. There's also a spa with Laconium, hot tub on an outdoor terrace overlooking the lake; and a fancy private cinema with comfy couches to enjoy your favourite movies or sports events on a big screen.  Music can be played throughout the house by a SONOS multi-room system. For those interested in outdoor pursuits you can enlist the help from concierge service providers offering everything from swim, stand up paddleboard and kayak guides on the lake to fishing tuition and off-roading. Indoors, you can book everything from private cooking lessons to yoga and beauty treatments.

Trust us, there is no excuse to be bored at Waternook – and that's before you have even ventured into the great outdoors. Locally you are spoilt for choice with walks suitable for all abilities, all offering enviable views of lake and mountain. Waternook sits on the side of Hallin Fell, scale to the top and enjoy stunning views across The Lake District. Guests can also consider the 7-mile stroll to Glenridding – 'one of the most beautiful and rewarding walks in Lakeland', according to Wainwright – after which you can jump on the Ullswater Steamer at Glenridding and head back to Howtown enjoying the views from the boat. Finally there is of course the Ullswater Way, which goes around the lake and right by the house and is just about do-able in a day.