Perfectly understated and calmly organised, The Samling remains intimate even on its busiest days. Where larger luxury hotels are loudly decked with people, The Samling seems to swallow its guests into every nook and cranny of a carefully managed estate.

Once in its grasp, this estate holds you close and loses you to subtly changing views and timeless simplicity. There you can sit frozen, forgetting what it was drove you through The Samling's gates until eventually you stir and shift towards the dining room and where the best food is served by the best people.

The hotel also has some tenuous link to Wordsworth but frankly, who cares?

Just off the road to Waterhead and Ambleside.

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Great place, wrong location, Joe's cafe bar on Oldham Street is a little gem lying in the mud.

Decked out in leather sofas and dark wood tables it could fall into the trap of being yet another Bar 38 or Pitcher & Piano but it's all saved by well cooked food and service that just falls neatly into place.

Get in there and pretend you're in St Anne's Square. It's just as far, as owld Will Mossop would no doubt pipe up.

Oldham Street

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On top of a hill at the edge of charming Borders town, Peebles, sits the snub-faced Venlaw Castle where one can play the lord or lady and enjoy good food, fine views and a bar well stocked with excellent whisky.

The two 'romantic' suites have been refurbished to a high standard and offer a cosy warmth. From here, the eager explorer can find many things to occupy the time or, failing the will-power to face quaint towns and block stone homes, can climb a little higher for quietly breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

Edinburgh Road, Peebles. EH45 8QG. www.venlaw.co.uk . Tel: 01721 720384.

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Dwarfed by the surrounding views of Skiddaw, Helvellyn and Blencathra, Castlerigg still manages to maintain its dignity like an immobile Haley Joel Osmont against the awesome acting might of Bruce Willis. Despite its youth (just 5,000 years old on Monday), the stone circle is a place that just feels, well, wise. Get there early and ponder on the passage of people through time and you'll get an eerie feeling for the importance of this site. Get there late and you'll be jostling for photo opportunities with the Addams Family.

Just outside Keswick and along Castle Lane from the A591.

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It's a castle. Get that? A castle. One huge, genuine, 13th Century castle. And you can stay there. What better reasons to recommend Ashford could there be?

Of course there are castles where, once you get over the battlements and Disney style restoration, you feel a little let down by the experience (Walworth, we're looking at you). Ashford castle, thankfully, is as rich an experience as the guests who loiter in the beautifully appointed lounges.

Ashford doesn't need much praising. Its awards and reputation speak volumes but it is worth pointing out that the castle comes into its own during off-peak seasons. There, amidst the quiet corridors and hallways, hundreds of years worth of history hangs like a tapestry, quiet dignity pervading the areas that would normally be taken for granted by obnoxious guests unable to converse without recourse to proclamation.

Everything one could possibly want for complete indulgence lies within easy reach. Golfing tees off (ahem) an itinerary that includes horse riding, falconry and boat trips. It is enough, however, to take a walk through the grounds and discover the walled gardens or venture towards Cong (where The Quiet Man was filmed) or even out to one of the small number of stone circles in the area. Just take a look at the photographs on the website and you'll soon find yourself ordering George to ready the carriage.

Fly to Galway airport and take a taxi or book a helicopter. www.ashford.ie

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Small, beautifully furnished and efficiently managed, the Racó del Pi occupies a sheltered spot in the rambling backstreets of Barcelona just off Los Ramblas. It's all very understated, a style that gives the gothic architecture chance to impress inside as well as out.

Such is the location, however, that all this amounts to a hill of pinto beans as most of your trip will revolve around the multitude of shops that wait within easy reach. By all means, make time to explore the city but don't forget that excellent (and cheap) train links can take you out into quieter areas for a different perspective on Catalan culture.

Part of this culture is, of course, the food and it's not difficult to find in Barcelona but it's worth noting that the Racó offers an extensive breakfast spread for an additional cost. With the room rates being so reasonable then it's something to consider at least once.

www.hotelracodelpi.com

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When it comes to accommodation in the Lakes, the words 'gilding' and 'lily' could be pinned next to "ensuite" and "colour tv" on the noticeboards. It seems that few hotels and guest houses understand that, when it comes to decor, simple can be enough. In some ways, Raise View is no exception.

It would be petty, however, to point at examples of chintz or magnolia paint jobs and walk away because Raise View is so much more. Topmost in the plus points is its beautiful position overlooking Easedale and Helm Crag. Get a room at the back of the house and you won't care if foot and mouth keeps you indoors.

Raise View elevates its offering further through a deep understanding of the traveller's needs by offering quality at every stage - especially when it comes to the food. This, and the heartfelt friendliness of the owners, tips the experience into "homely". And better homely than suffering through the many stylish but cold boutiques springing up.

Grasmere. www.raiseviewhouse.co.uk

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San Marco's in Chorley has more cheese in the decor than it does on its pizzas and so it is quickly established that yes, this is an Italian restaurant - sorry 'ristorante'.

Somehow though, it's easy to forgive because here they serve food that gives pleasure. Sure, it's all a little messy and I wish the chef would make desserts on the premises and/or make use of the local ice cream superheroes - Fredericks (www.fredericksicecream.co.uk) but still, the simplicity of the dishes are pleasantly satisfying and the staff are always friendly.

The pizza bases alone are worth scoffing down. It may never win awards but mixed in with the charm and honesty is the feeling that there is certainly potential.

12 Cheapside, Chorley, PR7 2EX - 012572 61917.

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With apologies to Julie Andrews, as far as mountain climbing for beginners goes there's nun better than Skiddaw with its natural route clearly visible.

It's a steep climb, but persistence will deliver some amazing views. There are no ropes, pickaxes or on-all-fours required, although be prepared for a slight feeling of shame as runners often jog past.

Take a child and pretend you are going at their pace.

Follow the signposts on the A591 and you'll soon be on the simplest way up Skiddaw.

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More McGonagall than Wordsworth, only one hotel in Grasmere seems happy to drag the latter poet's name through the sheep dip. Somehow awarded four stars (unless those are bullet holes in the signs), the Wordsworth manages to capture the essence of tired, floral hell in one of Cumbria's most beautiful villages.

Snootier than an English butler, the hotel keeps its Steptoe disdain for all but its most blue-rinsed guests. One can only hope it has aspirations to one day growing into a retirement home.

In its favour, the hotel does manage to incentivize even the laziest of walkers.

Get to Grasmere and you will only avoid it with great skill.

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Choose a baking hot day to step through the thirteenth century gateway of Monteriggioni (there's no way I'm going to attempt spelling that a third time) and you'll find yourself in the world of Sergio Leone. Sit on a bench opposite the church and you can quickly recreate entire scenes to while away the time whilst your travelling partner finds joy in the few shops this walled town has to offer. Time passes quickly here and you may find it worthwhile to return at night for a new take on the town and some delicious restaurants.

Between Siena and Firenze.

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A pool of water in the navel of Grasmere, Easedale Tarn is a place to sit by and gaze into. People tend to stand around, basking in the captured sunlight as they wait, perhaps, for a mail-clad hand to rise gloriously from the Tarn's centre and give the finger to anyone who owns a 4x4.

Travel up Easdale Road out of Grasmere and follow the signs.

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The (almost) private dining experience must hold a rare treat status for most people and in the sleepy town of Coppull, Chorley, it's even more of a treat to find such a place. The Coppull Moor has one sitting (usually at 8:30 in the evening) and a fixed price (around £35 last time I went). For that the pleasure of getting a room which you share with very few other people is wonderful. The food is generally of a good quality though sometimes the strain of serving everybody at once shows through. The menu is imaginative (desserts wear thin on repeat visits however) and the biggest gripe is that this place is so undersold. It's one of those places where a little more work on its offering and promotion would deliver in meaty handfuls.

311 Preston Rd, Coppull, Chorley.
Tel: 0871 7149510

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One of the many pleasures of eating at The Jumble Room is the feeling that you are almost sat in front of the telly with your food on your knee.

There's no TV, I hasten to add, but the knockout indulgence is all there with the added benefit of the food being amazing, heartwarming and restaurant quality. The staff are so friendly you may start thinking they are actually long-lost relatives and scratch your head a bit when they ask you to pay the modestly priced bill.

Langdale Road, Grasmere, LA22 9SU
015394 35188
www.thejumbleroom.co.uk/

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Good restaurants in Chorley are hard to find and, despite the awful titular pun, the Thyme & Plaice offers consistently good food from a menu that changes every two months. Family owned and run, the restaurant strikes the balance between friendly and professional and the decor is equally well balanced.

Wigan Lane, Chorley, Coppull, PR7 4BN.
Tel: 01257 480287

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