Fayrer Garden House Hotel

In large grounds with award-winning gardens, this former Edwardian gentleman's residence faces, through trees, Lake Windermere and the surrounding countryside. Owned by Claire and Eric Wildsmith, it is managed by the 'very helpful' Mark Jones. Visitors find it 'well run', 'comfortable, friendly'. There are original oil paintings and flowers in the lounge which faces the water, as do the Terrace Restaurant and some bedrooms. Other rooms have a garden view (the ground-floor ones are good for people with a 'mobility problem'). 'Service is excellent all round,' one guest wrote. 'The maitre d' knew our names within minutes of our appearance; though we stayed only two nights, he called us by our names unfailingly thereafter.' 'I've never before had such a luxurious single room,' says another. She appreciated 'being given a table with a view, not hidden behind a pillar'. Head chef Eddie Wilkinson serves a daily-changing menu of modern dishes, using local produce, eg, leek and black pudding quiche with apple coleslaw; Cartmel Valley venison on braised red cabbage with redcurrant sauce. Vegetarian options available. Small weddings are a speciality. (Dorothy Brining, SD)