Langdale Classic Hotel & Country Club
Ambleside, Cumbria

Founded on the site of an abandoned 19th century gunpowder works and featuring carefully preserved reminders of its history, this estate offers a superb range of facilities. Choose from the 2 restaurants, 3 bars and a traditional Lakeland pub. Use the excellent leisure facilities, which include a heated indoor pool. The Langdale Hotel offers an unusual blend of luxury with a more relaxed and casual atmosphere than a traditional Lake District hotel. Dotted with massive milestones and set in attractive surroundings, the hotel is an interesting and comfortable place to stay.

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Ambleside, at the heart of the southern Lake District, is beautiful but busy. Its scenic setting, one mile north of Lake Windermere, guarantees its popularity. Grey stone houses, B&B's, hotels, galleries, and shops catering to the tourists abound. A short walk from Ambleside's centre is the location of the 70ft. (21m) waterfall, Stock Ghyll Force, which used to power several mills. The old Corn Mill-there was a mill on the site as early as 1335-now houses shops. Near Ambleside is Rydal Mount, home to William Wordsworth from 1813 until his death in 1850. It is little changed since that time and houses memorabilia of the poet. There are beautiful landscaped gardens and a walk on the property. The view over Rydal Water is said to have inspired Wordsworth's poetry.