With its magnificent waterside setting, Storrs Hall Hotel is the perfect base for a weekend in Cumbria, says LESLEY GRANT

IT IS easy to understand why William Wordsworth recited his famous Daffodils poem in the drawing room of Storrs Hall. The view is inspiring. Manicured lawns and a sea of golden daffodils lead to the flat, calm waters of Windermere and the fells beyond, in Cumbria.

My husband and I were equally blown away by the setting of the Grade II-listed Georgian mansion close to Bowness-on-Windermere.

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We walked in the 17 acres of landscaped grounds and woodland bordering the lake and home to National Trust folly, the Temple, an octagonal garden house with arched openings. Other guests were sipping chilled champagne and relaxing on picnic blankets.

Our country house hotel-style bedroom shared the same wonderful view and was furnished with antiques and huge comfortable French beds, plus luxurious Keiji toiletries in the bathroom. The hotel's public rooms are the most impressive with a portico entrance, lovely glass cupola above a winding staircase and high-ceilinged reception rooms filled with antiques, paintings and ornate mirrors.

We started off our evening with a drink in the atmospheric Old Tower Bar, where the talking point is the solid oak, ornately carved bar with intricate plate-glass decoration transferred from Blackpool's famous Winter Gardens.

We sat down to eat in the Terrace Restaurant, which boasts two AA Rosettes, just as the sun was setting over the lake through the picture windows. We chose diver-caught scallops, shellfish risotto and pickled squid with smooth green onions followed by Lake District lamb with rosemary and garlic jus. It was as good as it sounds. Guests have the benefit of complimentary use of the nearby Low Wood Leisure Club, which has a pool, gym and squash court as well as an outdoor hot tub.

The hotel is a perfect base to explore Grasmere, where you can visit Wordsworth's former homes of Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount and the village school where he once taught.

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There are also fabulous walks in all directions and numerous boat trips on Windermere.

This August the Lakes' biggest show stopper will be at Storrs Hall itself.

Hotel manager Jan van Stipriaan has persuaded the players from Shakespeare's Globe theatre to perform The Comedy Of Errors on the lawns. Book early as, with those views, it's bound to be a sell-out.

THE KNOWLEDGE:
Storrs Hall Hotel (01539 447111/ www.elh.co.uk) offers doubles from £166 per night (two sharing), half board.

Shakespeare's Globe National Tour performs The Comedy Of Errors at Storrs Hall (0844 504 0604/ www.shakespeareatstorrs.com) from August 19 to 22. Tickets from £15.

Cumbria Tourism: 01539 822222/ www.cumbriatourism.org