Places to Stay With a Restaurant in Lake District

Eleven places to stay in the Lake District are listed on BritStays with an on-site restaurant. Nine are hotels and two are campsites. That matters after a long day on the fells: you can come back, change your boots and sit down to a meal without driving anywhere. Here's how to narrow the list down to the right one for your trip.

What the eleven stays have in common

Every stay in this set has a restaurant. Beyond that, the most common facilities are:

• Bar: 7 of the 11
• WiFi: 7
• Pet friendly: 6
• Disabled access: 5
• Parking: 4
• Near a train station: 3
• Spa: 3

Only four list parking, so if you're driving, check this before you book rather than assuming. Equally, if you'd rather leave the car at home, three stays are near a train station, including Hodbarrow House in Millom.

Choosing an area

The stays are spread fairly thinly. Coniston and Grasmere each have two, and the rest are scattered across Millom, Holmrook, Irton, Santon Bridge and Great Langdale. Two further stays, Abbey House and Brimstone Hotel, are listed simply as Lake District.

The listings don't tell us which stays are by the sea and which are inland, so check the map on each one if a coastal base matters to you. What you can tell is the character of each place from its facilities:

• Walkers and fell-goers: Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in Great Langdale has a bar, restaurant and WiFi. That's a straightforward base for long days out and a hot meal at the end of them.
• Couples after something more restful: Rothay Garden and Dale Lodge Hotel in Grasmere both have a spa, bar and restaurant, as does Brimstone Hotel.
• Families: The Old Post Office Campsite in Holmrook has a swimming pool, bar and restaurant. That's a useful combination when children need entertaining and you don't want to cook every night.
• Guests needing step-free or accessible facilities: HF Holidays Monk Coniston and Parkgate Farm in Irton both list disabled access. Five stays in total do, so it's worth asking each one exactly what that covers.

Bringing your dog

Six of the eleven stays are listed as pet friendly, so you have a reasonable choice. The facility summaries above don't show which six, so filter for pet-friendly stays or check each listing. Then contact the stay to ask whether dogs are welcome in the bar or restaurant, and not just in the rooms or pitches.

A closer look at a few of the stays

The Coniston Inn has a bar and restaurant. Bridge Inn at Santon Bridge also offers takeaway food, which is handy if you'd rather eat back in your room after a long day. Abbey House keeps things simple with a restaurant and WiFi. If you're travelling by rail, Hodbarrow House stands out for being near a train station.

What to do once you're there

The western side of the region has plenty to fill your days:

• Scafell Pike is the obvious draw for serious walkers.
• Wast Water, cared for by the National Trust, makes a dramatic setting for a gentler outing.
• Muncaster Castle and Dalton Castle suit a heritage day.
• Allan Bank, a stately home, is a good choice for a slower day.
• Eskdale Mill is a good option for a rainy afternoon.

With children, The Lakes Aqua Park is an easy win in good weather. In Keswick, you'll find Knox Wood Wildlife Centre, Keswick Museum & Art Gallery and The Retro Zone, which work well for wet days. If you're heading further afield, Judges' Lodgings Museum and the Laurel and Hardy Museum are in Morecambe.

When to book, and what to check first

With only eleven stays in this set, and just two each in Coniston and Grasmere, choice in any one area is limited. If you have your heart set on a particular village or a particular stay, book as early as you can. This is especially true for school holidays and weekends, when popular places tend to fill first. If your dates are flexible, a midweek stay often gives you more to choose from.

Before you confirm, it's worth checking:

• whether the restaurant is open to residents every night of your stay, and whether you need to reserve a table
• parking, since only four stays list it
• exact pet rules, if you're bringing a dog
• what disabled access includes, if you need it
• whether spa use is included or charged separately, at Rothay Garden, Dale Lodge Hotel or Brimstone Hotel

A short email or phone call before booking can save a disappointing first evening, so ask anything you're unsure about.