Beckfoot Cottage faces South and has a lovely area to sit out and enjoy the sun, and of course you can park right beside the cottage. Even in the depths of winter it is warm and snug, with an open fire in an Eskdale granite fireplace, and electric panel heaters throughout. Beckfoot shares the orchard, pond, laundry, games room and adventure playground with the Pine Lodges. The laundry has a washing machine, tumble drier, ironing board, freezer and a payphone.
Beckfoot Cottage features a large living room with open fire, colour TV and a dining area. Opening off is the kitchen area, fully fitted out with combination microwave, four ring hob, dishwasher, fridge and all the usual utensils and crockery. There are two bedrooms, one with a double bed, the other with a pair of single beds and a set of adult sized bunks. The bathroom has WC, washbasin and bath/shower. Electric panel heaters in every room keep the cottage snug in even the coldest of weather.

Fisherground until recently was a traditional fell farm in the Lake District, now split up to form its own hamlet in the middle of the beautiful Eskdale valley. This is surely the most beautiful area of the country, with big mountains, delightful lakes and tarns, all the colourful history from the Ancient Britons with their stone circles, through the Romans with their forts and castles, to the Vikings and all those lovely place-names. And yes, there are hundreds of things to do: every sort of water sport; every sort of walk from the gentlest of strolls up the river to the hardest of slogs up Scafell, or a hundred other mountains; loads of places to visit –castles, animal parks, narrow gauge railways, steam and mining museums, Roman forts. Eskdale is a jewel of a valley; no lake, but four lovely tarns to discover. The Ravenglass and Eskdale narrow gauge railway (La’al Ratty to its friends) runs through the farmland, just a hundred yards form the lodges, and we even have our own station –‘Fisherground Halt’. Five pubs in the valley all serve good value bar meals and welcome children, and in some cases, dogs too.

All the Lake District attractions are within an hour’s drive at most. Keswick, with its theatre, Lake Derwentwater, the ospreys, Ambleside, Bowness, Lake Windermere, Coniston Water with its Donald Campbell legacy and so on are all well worth a day out. Much closer to home, Muncaster Castle and the World Owl Centre, Sellafield nuclear visitor centre and the Georgian town of Whitehaven with its harbour and unique ‘Rum Story’ exhibition are easily reached. But of course, Eskdale is primarily walking country, with hundreds of walks of every grade straight from the farm. That’s why pets are particularly welcome, walking the dog couldn’t be more varied or easier.

The three Pine Lodges, Barn Garth, Field End and Wood Bank, share the acre of orchard with the ancient apple trees and the stream that opens out to the raft pool and with Beckfoot Cottage. What could be nicer than to sit out on the veranda with a gin and tonic and watch the world go by. All three face South and the orchard is a natural suntrap. Each lodge has three bedrooms, -a double, twins and a bunk room best for children but acceptable for adults. The large living area has a couple of sofas, colour TV and video, electric fire, and a kitchen/dining area with all you could need; combination microwave/oven, four ring hob, fridge, dishwasher and full crockery, cutlery and utensil complement. Beckfoot Cottage is similarly laid out, but just has two bedrooms, the bigger having both twins and bunks in it. Heating is by electric panel heaters, and in the cottage also by a coal fire. Bedlinen is provided, but you need to bring your own towels. The only extra cost is electricity which is on a £1 coin-op meter at 7p per unit.

The lodges and cottage share the laundry, games room and adventure playground. The laundry has a washing machine, tumble drier, ironing board, freezer and a payphone.