Stephen Kelly stays at Storrs Hall and revels in lakeside Windermere luxury.
When the sun pours down over Lake Windermere and the distant fells, it’s hard to imagine anywhere more beautiful. ‘It’s glorious, isn’t it,’ agrees the lady bringing a coffee to us on the veranda at the Storrs Hall Hotel. ‘But not so beautiful when it’s raining,’ I suggest. She disagrees. ‘Every day is different; rain, snow, whatever, this view is magnificent. Coming to work here and seeing it is just magical.’
Storrs Hall has a long and celebrated history. Built in 1797 by Sir John Legard, as a replacement for his home on the Swiss lakes, it became one of the grandest homes in the whole of the Lake District. It sits on the edge of Lake Windermere with sublime views across the lake to the wooded hills and fells in the distance. Regular visitors during the Georgian era included the Romantic poets Wordsworth, Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
In later years it became the home to the annual county ball, one of the grandest occasions in the county and always visited by nearby neighbour, Beatrix Potter who no doubt quick-stepped across the floor of the still elegant lounge. There were regular regattas too with yachts gracing the shoreline. In 1898, it then more than doubled in size with an extension, when it was converted into a hotel. After a succession of different owners, the hotel is now in the hands of the Hindle family and is considered one of the finest hotels in the whole of the Lake District. And that’s saying something.
The hotel boasts an array of tasteful antiques, modern sculptures and fine paintings while the bar is the original from the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool with its stained-glass frontage and formidable Edwardian woodwork.
There are 36 rooms in all. Inside the hotel itself are a range of rooms to suit your needs and purse; some with lake views, some more plush or larger and so on, but all of the highest standard. No comfort is spared and all are lavished with the usual amenities.
In the Hot Tub
We chose a lakeside hot tub suite for our stay. These were luxurious rooms in a small, quiet complex, a stone’s throw from the main building. Inside you’ll find a super king-sized bed, a large settee, a small dining table and chairs and a dressing table with an illuminated mirror. There’s also air conditioning and for those chilly evenings an eco-living flame fireplace.
Plus there’s a bathroom to die for with a large stone-tiled walk-in shower and an inviting free standing bath with your own Aquavision tv above the bath, plus a generous supply of Molton Brown toiletries as well as towelling dressing gowns and slippers. Outside on your own veranda there are loungers and a table and a Japanese style cedar hot tub where, naturally enough, I indulged. Sorry, no photos!.
A Choice of Dining
There’s a complimentary bar awaiting your arrival with a bottle of wine, a couple of beers and various other drinks as well as tea, coffee, biscuits and a jar of jelly babies.
The hotel has two restaurants. The Lake Edge Restaurant with its stunning views across the lawn and to the lake, caters for fine dining offering a gastro experience with starters such as langoustines and quail, while mains include John Dory, and Cartmel venison. We chose to eat in the Bistro restaurant with its simpler menu. But with starters such as prawns, scallops, and beetroot salads, and mains including pork, hake, salmon and fillet steaks, it was just as attractive. And there’s a good deal on a carafe of wine.
Breakfast includes cereal, the usual full English and vegetarian option, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, smoked salmon, porridge, pancakes, yogurts, fruits and so forth. Service in all parts of the hotel was exemplary; the staff friendly and efficient. They even managed to find my mislaid laptop.
Arriving in Style
If you should happen to arrive at the hotel by yacht, (and why not when you’re on a lake ?) you can enjoy a luxurious suite at the Boathouse where you can moor your yacht, light a pit fire, and have all your meals brought to you if you so wish.
But there are other ways of arriving as we discovered when we heard the roar of rotor blades and spotted half a dozen helicopters heading in our direction before gently swooping down over the lake to land delicately on the lawn. Their lead pilot tells me they come every year as part of their week-long holiday, just for the afternoon tea. Two hours later they were up and gone, on their way to Carlisle, no doubt stuffed with finger sandwiches, cakes and scones. Well, no lakeside hotel would ever be complete without afternoon tea on the menu.
The grounds are extensive with a woodland area and peaceful walks around the lawns and down to the shoreline. There’s a pavilion close to the lake edge where you can sit and watch the boats go by, a pier and what’s known as the Temple of Naval Heroes, honouring Nelson, Vincent, Howe and Duncan.
Perfect Spot for a Wedding
The hotel with its stunning vista is inevitably the perfect place for a wedding and during our visit, one couple were renewing their vows in the lounge whilst the next day a younger couple began their married life, posing for traditional photographs in glorious sunshine on the lawn.
Where to go
Storrs Hall is ideally situated for exploring the Lakes with a hundred and one walks over fells and mountains, alongside lake edges, streams and hillsides strewn with buttercups and rhododendron. But don’t forget your Wainwright companion books if tackling trickier routes. From the hotel you can easily go by taxi into Bowness itself where you can take the open top bus to Lake District centres such as Ambleside, Windermere, Rydal Mount and Grasmere. And it’s free if you have a senior’s bus pass. Driving is not recommenced as Lake District roads get congested with tourist traffic and parking is a nightmare.
Boats and Steam Trains
Perhaps more idyllically you can board the steam boat from Bowness to most of these places. The boats run regularly up and down the lake, even passing close by Storrs Hall itself but if you would prefer to linger longer on the lake you can now hire nifty little electric boats that can seat up to six people. If, however, you prefer the tranquillity of a fine old steam boat you can alight at Lakeside which is at the far south end of Windermere where you can then board the Lakeside and Haverthwaite steam train.
A half hour journey back in time in a 1950s British Rail carriage pulled by one of their steam locos through the countryside to Haverthwaite. And on arrival there you can inspect a range of steam trains in the engine shed before enjoying scones, like we did, in the station café
Sitting in the evening sun on the hotel veranda, enjoying a cocktail before dinner, you can see the yachts on Windermere dancing in the breeze. A steamboat drifts gently into shot and then heads up towards Ambleside. The sun glitters on the lake, the Fells slowly changing colour in the background. Just then a rabbit appears on the lawn, casts a cursory glance at us, then hops off towards the woods. Peter Rabbit perhaps?
Tell Me More about Staying at Storrs Hall
Storrs Hall, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 3LG.
T: 01539 447111 E: reception@storrshall.com
Rooms from £250 per night
The hotel is a member of the Lake District Hotel Association.
For more details on lake cruises and tourist information on the Lake District please visit Windermere Lake Cruises and Visit Lake District. Train departures are timed to coincide with the arrival of the boat.
