Hassness Country House - the best of the Lake District

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Holiday Types

Paws on Tour: A limited number of dogs are welcome to join our walks on the 9 & 13 June and 17 October 2012 departures. A supplement of £10 per dog per stay applies.

Vegetarian Walking - On 1 & 5 September 2012 we’re offering departures for those with a taste for good and imaginative home-cooked veggie food after a day out in the hills. Paula and Mickey look forward to sharing some of their specialities with you.

Paws On Tour - A limited number of dogs are welcome to join our walks on departures beginning 9 and 13 June 2012. A supplement of £5 per dog per night applies.

Lakeland Landscapes - the geology of the Western Lakes. Hundreds of millions of years of geological activity have created the unique scenery of the Buttermere area. Our remaining departure operates on 30 June 2012 and is not intended as a geological field course but an opportunity to explore this landscape by combining fell walking with visits to interesting sites followed by short evening discussions. In the past this area has been: a deep ocean with highly active volcanoes, a zone of violent mountain building at it collided with North America and covered by thick ice sheets, glaciers and windswept tundra. Hopefully you will leave Buttermere inspired by its beauty and with a deeper understanding of the landscape.

Landscape Watercolour Painting: Experienced watercolour artist Fiona Pruden will be running classes covering basic techniques for complete beginners as well as advanced skills for the more experienced artists with demonstrations and hands on coaching.  You will learn to produce impressive, atmospheric paintings to take home. Plus Fiona will ‘demonstrate on demand’ more tips and tricks in the evenings. Material lists, and starter packs, are available on request. These new holidays operate on 16 June 2012 for 4 nights; for those staying a week, the last 3 nights will operate as a grade E  walking holiday. .

Singing for Pleasure: With an emphasis on singing for the sheer joy of it, this unaccompanied a capella holiday on 21 July 2012 is intended for a mixed ability group of singers and will explore the group’s collective voice and sound under the direction of Candy Verney.
On the 7 night duration holiday, we’ll have singing sessions in the morning and evening, with easy walks during the afternoon for the first 4 nights, the last 3 nights will include walking only. For more information, see details of all of our Singing for Pleasure holidays.

Highlights

• More walks than you can shake a trekking pole at!
• Discover the less visited Western Lakes.
• Some of Britain's best views.

Overnight

Meals

Most meals are included each day (excluding Tuesdays, when dinner can be taken in one of Buttermere's village pubs) and whenever possible, we'll use local produce. Picnic lunches are included on days including a guided walk.

Accommodation

Hassness Country House, Buttermere. Hassness is beautifully located in its own extensive Western Lake District grounds. Hassness House sits in a clearing in some woodland; there aren't any real fences around so you can find sheep grazing the grounds and red squirrels scurrying around the place. It is one of the remotest parts of the Lake District, has been recognised as offering some of Britain's best views, and is a perfect starting point for some truly remarkable days in the hills.

You can walk the mile into Buttermere village (a tiny hamlet) for a drink or something to eat at one of the two pubs, but otherwise you can just get away from it all.

There's no TV, no phones in the rooms, and mobile reception is dire. You have to talk to one another, read a book, or simply enjoy one of the most dramatic vantage points in the world. The madding crowds don't come anywhere nearby, and the hills around here are generally less well stomped than the more readily accessible peaks. And the food's great.

Newly refurbished and with new managers Carole & Brian, Hassness Country House has a new look and feel for 2012. You'll love it! Accommodation is in twin and single rooms with hot and cold water and the showers are just across the hall.

Travel

Please note that any local transportation costs to and from trailheads are not included. To reduce local costs in getting to and from the walks, we may ask those taking their cars to Hassness to assist in transportation and to offer their walking companions a lift to and from the trailheads. Nearest railway station: Penrith (40 miles). Nearest bus station: Keswick (9 miles).

Map

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