Woolpack Farm

Stays that appeal to both kids and grownups are a simple matter hereabouts: it’s 20 minutes’ drive to Muncaster Castle, where visitors can take tours, explore magic-filled fairy trails, get lost in the maze or marvel at hawk displays. Beach days aren’t far from reach either, as it’s less than an hour from the site to Seascale, where a sandy stretch lines the coast and sea swims are encouraged. If castle wanders whet appetites for all things historical, venture as far as Ravenglass (about 25 minutes away) to clamber aboard the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway for round-trip journeys to Dalegarth for Boot, then travel along the coast as far as Whitehaven (45 minutes) to visit the Rum Story museum (and, yes, sample the goods). Further afield, get a taste of literary history at the Beatrix Potter Gallery or at Dove Cottage and Wordsworth Museum, both within an hour of the site. Prefer some explores under someone else’s steam? It’s a little less than an hour to the National Trust’s Steam Yacht Gondola for trips along Coniston Water in the Victorian steam-powered yacht.