Hmm, how to describe Virginia House Hotel...what immediately sprang to mind was "how your eccentric…read moregreat aunt would decorate their house." Think chintz, Victorian dolls, knick knacks and overly cushioned armchairs. Ok, so it's not a boutique modern oasis, but it was charming, warm and welcoming all the same. With only seven rooms you can guarantee it won't be feeling crowded in here. Expect to pay £45 for a single and from £55 for a double room - all are en suite (and breakfast is included in the price). Speaking of breakfast, the selection was huge, you'd think there were 20 rooms of people dining here. The fresh fruit alone numbered ten varieties. Cereals, toast and a full cooked breakfast are all on offer and were really good. (Yes, I ordered everything). Not forgetting there's free Wifi! In an 18th century Georgian Townhouse! Take heed, major budget hotel chains... Ulverston streets aren't particularly parking-friendly, it's either yellow lines or charges (you'd have to get up at 6am to put more money in the ticket machine), so park for free on Lightburn Road just a couple of minutes walk away.

We visited Virginia House purely for the gin bar; it's got quite a reputation with the other half's…read morefamily, so we simply had to give it a go on my recent visit. The large townhouse building is quite unassuming from the street - only the menu board outside really signals that there's anything going on inside - so it was nice to escape from the crowds of 'Another Fine Fest', a festival dedicated to Stan Laurel. Now, here's where I have to admit that I'm not a seasoned gin drinker. It used to be a drink of choice when mixed with 50p pop during university for the ease of pre-drinking, but it's not quite made its way into my more recent drinking habits. I can appreciate the appeal of a gin & tonic, but at the moment it's always going to be beer or wine for me! With this in mind, the menu is really quite daunting. There's an amazing selection of gins and matched tonics, with some exciting sounding combinations such as rhubarb gin, ginger gin and ginger ale, but the text is far too cramped and I found it hard to focus. I ended up with prosecco (sorry!) but it still came in a lovely glass so I didn't feel too left out. There's a small garden area out the back for anyone looking for a more al fresco experience but the interior is fairly lush with deep crimson colour and velvet seat covers. However, the seating arrangements are a bit odd - the room is quite long - and there weren't any stools out, so we were limited to only sitting around the edge of the room. It's not a deal breaker but did make us feel a bit out of place! If you're in the area and looking for a little bit of a luxurious drink, I'd recommend Virginia House, especially if you're with a gin lover. Otherwise you might be better off at the town's wine bar...

Hands down, Abbey House is the best hotel in the Furness area. The "superior" rooms are too small,…read morebut upgrade to the deluxe rooms for more space. The rooms are fairly well appointed (Furness isn't exactly a tourist destination), and there are enough power points in the room. I would prefer they added USB charging. The bathroom is nice, but the shower sprays everywhere. Seriously - they need doors on those showers. Breakfast is included, and is your typical English breakfast. The coffee is tolerable, but still bad. They have two types of toast - brown and white. The butter is amazing though, and that's worth it right there. If you get a chance, walk round to Furness Abbey - it's easily accessible from the Abbey House grounds.

Would like to be able to give 5 stars but if only the dinner menu was as good value as the very…read moregood breakfast. Instead its overpriced for the quanity of food provided. In all other respects the rooms, the ambiance, decor are very good. Most importantly I found the service and the staff to be excellant and most freindly.

Nice compact pub with a good selection of beer , top notch NZ Sauvignon Blanc wine , good service…read moreand comfortable seating

The King's Head is one of the oldest pubs in Ulverston. Inside the pub is the original well covered…read morein glass in the floor. the atmosphere is warm, in the evening, but I prefer sitting in the garden in the afternoon. It is the only pub left in the center of Ulverston which has a bowling green behind it. The pub doesn't do food, but it doesn't need to, they have a character pub with a good garden

We have twice stayed at the Lakeland Village in Newby Bridge. The first time was in February last…read moreyear (2007) when we rented a one bedroom cottage that overlooked the River Leven. All of the cottages are nicely decorated and come with a fully equipped kitchen including a cooker, dishwasher and washing machine. Great for self catering if you are on a tight budget and also for cleaning off the mud splattered clothes after a long walk! There is a large tv downstairs with music and DVD player. I missed having a tv upstairs in the bedroom to lounge in front of in the evening when the girls went to bed, but it didn't really matter as we were all tired anyway. We were shown how to use all of the controls in the house, including the heating which was needed at that time of year. Be warned, we weren't aware that you have to pay for the electricity at the end of your stay and it was only when I went to return the key on the last day that I was presented with a bill for the week. Ouch! The upstairs of the one bedroom cottage was very spacious with a lovely view over the river and a huge wardrode. It was just me and two ten year old girls - so I had the huge bed to myself and they decided that they wanted to sleep on duvets in the wardrobe that they made into a den! THEre was a large pullout bed downstairs as the cottage sleeps four, but we didn't use it. The bathroom was large with both bath and shower. A large airing cupboard provided ample space for drying wet clothes and housed a plentiful supply of towels. We used the leisure facilities at the nearby hotel, although the swimming pool is quite small and didn't really excite the girls and there weren't any other activities for children on site other than a small playground with a slide. However, there is so much to do out and about that this didn't really matter. Although the cottages are part of a timeshare resort, there is no hard sell. You are casually invited to a meeting in the Coach House, but I wasn't hassled by constant phone messages or newsletter to attend - unlike the approach we have had when visiting some of the other Interval International properties. You are pretty much left alone to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Lakes without interference. I enjoyed the week so much that we went back again this summer. The prices for a week in August are still very reasonable even for the larger two bedroom cottages that sleep 6 and we had a dog with us as well (£50 extra). I suspect that this is somewhere that we will go back to again and again. Not only is the accomodation really nice but the Village is a great base from which it is easy to visit so many other places, and a welcoming home from home when you are fit to drop from all the walking and sight seeing!

We stayed at the cottages here, with a certificate I bought from Living Social. We paid for the…read moreupgrade to stay here and we were not disappointed. The cottages are part of the timeshare program and are well-taken care of. We were met at the cottage by the timeshare associate, Rachel, who explained how the devices work at the activities going on through out the week. When you stay at the cottages, you also get access to the hotel and the spa/fitness club. The hotel has a restaurant and pub, but both have different opening & closing times so be conscious about that. Also, the restaurant is a bit pricey. The spa is wonderful and has many services available (massages, facials, waxing, etc) and the prices are reasonable for a private resort. So, when you stay at the cottages, you get complimentary access to the pool, which includes the hot tub, sauna and steam room as well. The cottages are all situated on the river, which is so picturesque. The flowing water is lovely to listen to, while sitting on your porch, watching people feed the swans. The cottages are all well-equipped and stocked with all the cooking, bathing and cleaning supplies one may need. They have washer/dryer unit, full kitchens, linens, iron/ironing board and all the cooking tools that come in handy. For anyone staying here, purchase groceries before arriving to the cottages -- the nearest grocery store is about 10 miles away (a bit expensive and they close early). There aren't many businesses or things to do around the area so be prepared to travel for the sight-seeing adventures & tours. Also, for the fellow American travelers, bring a conversion adapter plug for all your American appliances (hair dryers, curling irons, shavers). The cottage grounds are maintained beautifully and the surrounding landscape is breathtaking. The staff at the hotel & spa are all very friendly and helpful. I would definitely return to for some R&R. Wonderful experience!!

The Wellington is most likely one of the best pubs in Dalton-in-Furness and that is saying…read moresomething as the village town was renowned for having the most pubs per population in the UK of any town. It is also a hotel and offer reasonably priced rooms including breakfast which is served in their upstairs room which also doubles as a function room for various events including poker, they offer a range of real ales, lagers and bottles and have a relatively small selection of spirits (Only one single malt whisky) They are currently host to the Wednesday Night Poker League which is a £20 No Limit Holdem tournament which sees numbers of 20+ which starts at 7.30pm and runs until after 12am. The front of the pub provides a concrete beer garden with benches and umbrellas and is a sun trap in the few weeks of summer.

Distant memory from two decades ago. Very homey and inviting. I stayed here for a work trip and…read morewill never find a more warm and inviting home for a naive American traveler to come in from the cold. It was my first trip to northern England, my first time driving on the left, and all done in early December, arriving through rain, snow, and ice from Newcastle. Great warm fireplace and pub to walk into, with, at the time, a comfortable dog sleeping by the fire. Once settled in my room, I recall a nice room temperature beer in the pub to settle in. I hope one day to return.

The Bay Horse is a pub, and it's at the end of a long industrial area. You won't be stumbling upon…read moreit. However, the view is amazing, and the food delicious. We went for Christmas Dinner. They do "seatings", and a set menu. Christmas menu was 7 courses. The first course was a warm cheesy tart; next came some leek and watercress soup; followed by a palette cleanser, and then the main course, dessert (Christmas pudding for the win!) and finally coffee and mince pies (which I skipped because the quantity of food). The main course was a typical turkey dinner. The only off thing here was the cranberries which were way too tart. Everything else on the menu was amazing.... and did I mention the view? This is definitely a place to be seeking out.

The hotel part of this has two family rooms. The rooms are charged by the room. A single, room only…read moreis £40, with breakfast it's £47.50. Double rooms are £55, and £65 with breakfast. The Armadale is in a beautiful rural setting, so the views from the rooms are pretty. Often we choose to stay over after a diner, so drinking isn't a problem.

The Armadale is a very nice place to eat, particularly for a special occasion. The seats are…read morecomfortable and interior very cozy looking. Prices are probably high-end for the area, but the restaurant appear to set the bar quite high in terms of presentation, service and value for money.