Hotels in Witherslack

Witherslack is not a place of big hotels, and that is much of its appeal. Instead you will find a small number of characterful places to stay, led by the Derby Arms, an 18th-century coaching inn on the edge of the village with smartly refurbished en-suite rooms above a bar known for its real ales and locally sourced food. Its position just off the A590 makes it a convenient and comfortable base for exploring the southern Lake District without needing to fight for a parking space in Bowness or Windermere.

Beyond the village, a short drive opens up a much wider choice. Grange-over-Sands, a few miles south on the Cartmel peninsula, has a range of traditional seafront hotels and guesthouses with views over Morecambe Bay, while Kendal offers everything from budget chain hotels to boutique townhouse stays along with easy access to the M6. For those who want to be closer to the lake itself, Windermere and Bowness are within about 20 minutes' drive and hold the largest concentration of hotels in the southern Lakes, from grand lakeside country houses to family-run bed and breakfasts.

Wherever you base yourself, Witherslack's appeal is as a quiet, uncrowded stop from which to explore Whitbarrow, the Lyth Valley's damson orchards and Foulshaw Moss, before heading into the busier heart of the national park for the day.