Shepherd’s View is an easy choice for a romantic break in the Lake District. Designed with a shepherd’s bothy in mind, it is cosy, warm and inviting. As part of a luxury cottage complex (there are just four other boutique-style properties here) with three acres of tranquil gardens, Shepherd’s View is an idyllic base for country walks from the door, connecting with nature, stargazing and snuggling up together in front of the log-burner. With an on-site spa and swimming pool available for your exclusive use, and massage treatments and a private chef service on request, Shepherd’s View is a place for total indulgence.
Full of character, Shepherd’s View features exposed stone walls, natural woods, muted tones that reflect the natural landscape outside and details including sheepskin throws to snuggle up under.
On the ground floor, there’s the open-plan kitchen and living area. The bespoke kitchen has everything you’ll need to self-cater with ease, including a double oven, induction hob, fridge/freezer and dishwasher, pots and pans, plus a peninsula with stools where you can enjoy a quick bite.
The lounge has a stylish leather sofa, a Smart TV with Freeview and Netflix built-in, and a log-burner to make chilly evenings even more romantic. The cottage also features music control pads and Bluetooth technology so that you can play songs from your own collection, or stream music.
The lounge area leads to the dining area with table and chairs and from there you can step through the glass bi-fold doors onto the patio where you can dine alfresco.
There are two bathrooms at Herdwick Cottage; one on the ground floor that is a wet room with monsoon shower, whilst upstairs there’s a bedroom with a king-size bed, TV and an en-suite with a bath. The bedroom also has a private balcony with a small table and chairs which is a wonderful spot for morning coffee.
For nature-lovers, there’s a ‘nature spotter diary’ for noting sightings of wildlife, drawing pictures, or adding photos or pressings. You’ll also find bird and nature guides to help you identify species. On a clear night, we recommend requesting some stargazing equipment to be dropped off at the cottage, wrapping up warm and seeing what magical things you can spot in the night sky.
The Lake District National Park is the UK’s most visited national park with many opportunities for nature enthusiasts. Lakes, forests, and mountains provide spectacular scenery as well as important ecological habitats, and it is an ideal location for a for a bird and wildlife watching holiday.
Lake Windermere is home to over a thousand ducks, geese and swans that live there all year round. At any time of year, you’ll be able to spot coots, Canada geese, cormorants, mergansers, mallards, and swans sheltering in the reed beds or swimming across the water as they forage for food. In winter, the avian population more than doubles as birds fly in from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Keep your eye out for goldeneyes, great-crested grebes, pochards, and tufted ducks.
Grizedale Forest, east of Coniston Water, is the largest forest in the Lake District and home to numerous birds of prey. Red kites were introduced to the forest in 2010 to replenish the north-west of England’s population. Buzzards, barn owls, honey buzzards, and goshawks can also be spotted in the area, as well as crossbills, siskins, lesser spotted woodpeckers, hawfinches, grouse, and wood warblers.
For many years, RSPB Haweswater was home to England’s only golden eagle, but it hasn’t been spotted for nearly a decade. However, you can still see other birds of prey including buzzards, merlins, and peregrine falcons. By the lake, dippers, gulls, and a variety of waterfowl can be seen, while the oak woodlands are home to many small birds including redstarts, stonechats, and pied flycatchers. At the south end of Haweswater look out for mountain-dwelling birds, such as ravens and ring ouzels nesting on the edges of the fells.
Dodd Wood is situated a few miles north of Keswick. It’s managed by the Forestry Commission who have set up the Lake District Osprey Project in collaboration with the RSPB. Ospreys are currently breeding in trees near Bassenthwaite Lake which is a favourite fishing location of the birds, and viewing stations set up with scopes are available to give you a chance to spot the nesting birds. There are plenty of marked trails throughout the woods and as well as some breath-taking views over the surrounding fells, look out for sparrowhawks, kestrels, tawny owls, oystercatchers, great crested grebes, barnacle geese, redstarts, and blackcaps.
Tarn Hows, managed by the National Trust, is one of the most popular areas in the Lake District. Once owned by Beatrix Potter, it’s a beauty spot surrounded by dense woodland with majestic mountain views. A short circular trail will take you around the tarn with the opportunity to spot blackbirds, tree pipits, bramblings, buzzards, chaffinches, bullfinches, and barn owls. Rare Belted Galloway cattle and hardy Herdwick sheep can be seen grazing nearby.
Derwent Water is just a 10 minute walk from the centre of Keswick. It’s surrounded by wooded fells and to its south is the entrance to the beautiful Borrowdale Valley. In early spring you can hear tawny owls hooting to each other as they search for a mate, and during breeding season listen out for peregrine falcons calling to their young from nearby Falcon Crag. Later in the year, cuckoos arrive for their short summer visit. You’ll also have the chance to see green woodpeckers, house martins, ravens, kingfishers, and long-tailed tits. In winter look out for the tracks of wild deer and rabbits who are joined by fieldfares, redwings, and occasionally snow buntings.
Boathouse Feld at the northern end of Derwentwater is a small nature reserve managed by Cumbria Wildlife Trust where wet woodland and reedbeds are home to a variety of birds. Coots, mallards, and swans can be spotted around the edges of the lake, and look out for great spotted woodpeckers, long-tailed tits, treecreepers, and spotted flycatchers in the woods.
