Covering more than 880 square miles - and comprising 14,650 archaeological sites, around 1,760 listed buildings and 23 conservation areas - the Lake District, England’s largest National Park, is defined by its waterways. Bestowed with UNESCO World Heritage status in 2017, the Park’s western edge is a place of extremes. It is home to Wastwater, England’s deepest lake, and Scafell Pike, the country’s highest peak (one of the first to climb and describe it was hillwalker Dorothy Wordsworth, William’s talented sister). You can swim in Blea Tarn, which took shape during the last Ice Age, or follow the Eskdale Trail to seaside Ravenglass, a Roman naval base-turned coastal hamlet. Windermere is further south and scattered with 19 islands. As one of Britain’s largest lakes, it is probably the most recognisable of the National Park’s 16 named bodies of water, but it’s easy to avoid the crowds by biking through the sculpture-dotted Grizedale Forest or walking up to Orrest Head. The view here is said to have inspired writer and illustrator Alfred Wainwright to pen A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, a collection of seven books which have guided generations of enthusiasts since they were first published in the 1950s. As a fitting reward for his contribution to Lakeland tourism, the area’s 214 fells (uncultivated hills) are referred to as Wainwrights. Scotland’s Munros have a similar origin story, taking their name from Sir Hugh Munro, the first to list the country’s highest peaks.

Alternatively, you can escape it all by checking in to the heavenly Langdale Chase. With a hospitality history reaching back to 1891, this beautifully-restored, deliciously-welcoming hotel on the shores of Lake Windermere is not only a great place to abscond when you’re determined to do very little (in style), but is making waves on the culinary front.

When sitting in the two AA Rosette-awarded Dining Room over a scrumptious, sculptural dinner, it feels as if you’re suspended above the water; and if you don’t have time to stay overnight, at least visit for afternoon tea or lunch (make sure to order the sage-dusted beetroot gnocchi if it’s on the menu).

The adventurous can plan their day from the Boot Room (there’s a car on hand to deliver you to the start of walks), cocktails can be sipped in The Hall beside the original wooden staircase, and in the bedrooms the Lakeland views (Langdale Pikes and Coniston Fells are in your sights) are all the entertainment you need. Across the Grade II listed building, hues are inspired by the waterways and peaks, there are nods to the elegance of the 1920s and 1930s, and the terraced gardens feel like a refined oases - but if the weather proves too wild, you can always retreat to the cinema.

To capture the Langdale Chase magic, we wanted to share some of Daisy Wingate-Saul’s gorgeous, wintery images - because who doesn’t want to escape to the Lake District when the sky feels close, the landscape is dramatic, and the food on offer totally divine?

For more British travel ideas, check out our book - Slow Travel Britain - published with Hoxton Mini Press.