Around Overwater Hall

The Local Area The Lake District has always drawn people for holidays: its lakes, hills and mountains appealing to walkers and climbers; its rich heritage of interest to many, from stately homes and castles to Roman forts and prehistoric stone circles; and its beauty an inspiration to all, whatever the weather.

Here in the North Lakes, that unspoilt feel, so special to anyone living in a town or city, has been proudly retained. Here you can walk for hours without seeing another soul, and if you find yourself stuck in traffic, you can be sure there is a tractor up ahead!

Overwater Hall’s extensive grounds offer a host of opportunities for enjoying the local wildlife, with resident red squirrels being the top attraction. Deer and rabbits are amongst the less unusual visitors, whilst hotel guests delight in watching the feeding antics of the delicately coloured Nuthatch, or the more vibrant Greater Spotted Woodpecker. In fact, the Hall has often been described as a bird watcher’s paradise, and if you visit between April and August you might even catch site of one of Cumbria’s nesting Ospreys flying overhead on its way to fish at Overwater Tarn. To be sure of seeing these magnificent birds, visit the official Osprey viewpoint at Dodd Wood, just 3 miles from the hotel.

The native Red Squirrel still has a stronghold here in Cumbria and at Overwater Hall we see them every day.  Visit us to see one for yourself, or click here to visit the official website.

A Walking Holiday

Walking costs nothing and has been proven to benefit your health and well-being.  Whether a relaxing lakeside ramble is for you, or a more exhilerating mountain walk, the Lake District has it all - and here in the North Lakes you will often find that you have it all...to yourself!  A booklet of local walks can be purchased from the hotel, price £1 including a donation to a local footpath repair scheme, and a small selection of OS maps is available for guests' use.  If this is your first walking holiday, you might find the Ramblers website helpful.

The Lake District Walker is a great outfit offering guided Fell Walks and bespoke activities - have you always wanted to climb a mountain, abseil a cliff, rock climb before finding a wild camp for the night? If it's safe and legal we will consider it. Call or e-mail for a quotation 01900 822448 | 0780 5929132
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www.thelakedistrictwalker.co.uk

All walks will begin at 10AM unless otherwise stated
Places are priced at £20 per person
Family tickets are available at £50 (2 adults and 2 children)
Ice axes and crampons can be provided for winter walks

A limited quantity of spare equipment is available to hire each day, please get in touch prior to the event to check for availability.

Well behaved dogs are welcome on all the walks but please arrange this with us beforehand.

A reasonable level of fitness is needed for some of our longer walks, if you have any concerns please feel free to contact us to discuss a walk.
Private Hire & Navigation Training
Our fully qualified instructors are also available on all days for private hire.
Other activities our guides offer include climbing, scrambling, mountain biking and backpacking trips. A day a weekend or a week’s instruction can be arranged.
3 Peaks Challenge
Book your place now on one of our 24 hour 3 peaks challenge trips for 2010, all legs are lead by a fully qualified instructor with transport,food and drinks provided.

Bringing your clubs?

Cumbria has more than 30 golf courses, so you could stay for a month and not play the same course twice! Some courses offer very, very fine golf, and others are worth playing for the scenery alone.

If you are planning a golfing break, you will find Overwater Hall centrally placed for all of the following courses:

Keswick
Penrith
Silloth on Solway
Carlisle
The Eden Course
Embleton
Maryport
Workington
Brampton

Contact the hotel for advice and information about the various courses – Stephen is the resident expert on the subject – and tee times can be booked on your behalf.

Local celebrity, Eric Hope, offers Fly Casting tuition and guided fishing days on Cumbria’s lakes, rivers and tarns. Full insurance cover, all kit and equipment, local licences and permits can all be provided. All you need is suitable clothing, wellies or boots, and a packed lunch that the hotel will be delighted to provide. Make sure you give the hotel plenty of notice if you would like them to book a day’s fisihing for you as Eric’s talents are much sought after.

Perhaps you look for some culture while you are away? If so, you might choose to visit Wordsworth House in Cockermouth or Dove Cottage in Grasmere; Mirehouse, on the way to Keswick; Dalemain or Hutton in the Forest, near Penrith.  We are Ambassadors for the highly acclaimed Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, enabling us to give you exclusive theatre discount vouchers when you book with us.

For those wishing to shop, nearby Keswick offers a good choice of independent shops, including a specialist chocolatier, art galleries, gift shops and a myriad of walking and outdoor pursuits shops. The market is well-supported on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Children are well catered for in the area, too. There is a super leisure pool in Keswick for when the weather is less than perfect, and a visit to the Beatrix Potter exhibition in Windermere brings all her best-loved characters to life. Or try Rookin House Farm for a great adventure day on quad bikes, horse-back, even a ride in a field gun carrier – come to think of it, this is a great day out even if you haven’t brought the children along!