Ulverston, Cumbria is an English Lakes District market town famous for its festivals, including the annual September Charter Fortnight Festival celebrating its 1280 market charter. Just west of Morecombe Bay, Ulverston is a stone's throw from legendary comedian Stan Laurel's birthplace and the Lakes District National Park. Guests at its welcoming hotels can immerse themselves in the area's natural beauty and the bustle of the town's Thursday and Saturday street markets.
Built as a private home for one of Ulverston's wealthy 18th-century cloth manufacturers, Lonsdale House has a walled garden designed by one of the original owner's descendants. After exploring Ulverston's ancient streets and shops---the Market Hall is a two-minute stroll away---guests can relax in the garden over drinks or a traditional afternoon tea. Each of the hotel's 20 non-smoking bedrooms has individual proportions and decor, with a private bath and flat-screen television. Most have complimentary Wi-Fi; some have Jacuzzis and four-poster beds. Family suites are available, with a significantly discounted rate for children.
Room rates include full English breakfast. Refreshed in 2008, the hotel's Eleven Restaurant serves Monday-to-Saturday dinners of seasonal English cuisine. Guests can enjoy pre-dinner drinks in the contemporary are lounge with its large, flat-screen television. The contemporary bar lounge offers a large, flat-screen television and an extensive list of wines, whiskies and beers.
Lonsdale House
11 Daltongate
Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7BD
United Kingdom
011-44-012-2958-2598
lonsdalehousehotel.co.uk
Overlooking the estuary where the River Leven pours into Morecombe Bay, the Bay Horse Hotel and Restaurant is a 10-minute drive from central Ulverston. The hotel began as a 1700s stagecoach post, adding fisherman's cottages, an inn and brewery through the centuries before becoming an bed-and-breakfast in the late 1980s. Estuary views from six of its nine guest rooms will keep guests mesmerized with the local waterfowl's comings and goings. Views of the Cumbrian hills (fells) offer their own enchantment.
The dog-friendly---with advance notice---rooms have LCD televisions, free Wi-Fi, private baths and an assortment of games and reading material. The hotel's reduced-rate low season falls between November and March. The on-site restaurant's menu highlights local produce prepared in simple and creative ways. Roasted loin of venison with spiced beetroot in a fresh thyme and juniper sauce is a representative entrée. The bar serves full meals and lighter fare of sandwiches, soups and stuffed baked potatoes.
Bay Horse Hotel and Restaurant
Canal Foot
Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 9EL
United Kingdom
011-44-012-2958-3972
thebayhorsehotel.co.uk/
The Georgian town house of a Cumbrian sea captain with holdings in the American colony of Virginia, Virginia House is a 4-star Enjoy England Guest Accommodation. The non-smoking hotel has seven guest rooms with private showers and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available. Room rates include full English breakfast. Guests can park their cars at no charge one minute from the hotel. The Laurel and Hardy Museum is less than a five-minute walk away; Canal Foot, the estuary and Morecambe Bay are a 45-minute hike.
Virginia House
24 Queen St.
Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7AF
United Kingdom
011-44-012-2958-4844
virginia-house.co.uk
