Troutbeck & Matterdale area
Just to the east of the A66 is Troutbeck. The main point of Troutbeck is that it boasts the Troutbeck Inn and lies in the lee of Great Mell Fell on the road to Matterdale End and Dockray which are in the heavenly wilderness of Aira Force waterfalls and Ullswater.
Those tackling the off-road section along the Old Coach Road from Keswick will come into Dockray (perilously close to the Royal Hotel) and will either a) go left down the A5091 to rejoin the main route at Troutbeck, or b) continue to Matterdale End then on to Sparket Mill and Hutton John.
If they head to the east of Little Mell Fell (just beyond Matterdale End) there is splendid accommodation a mile or so up the road at Lowthwaite, a hamlet now inhabited solely by Tine & Jim Foster and family, who opened a splendid B&B last year after moving to Cumbria from Tanzania, where they organised climbs up Kilimanjaro. The Lowthwaite road runs parallel to the Sustrans Matterdale to Greystoke road, so is a well worthwhile diversion for those fancying stylish accommodation in the middle of nowhere.
From Wordsworth's 'Airey-Force Valley' of 1842.
"Not a breath of air
Ruffles the bosom of this leafy glen.
From the brook's margin, wide around, the trees
Are stedfast as the rocks; the brook itself,
Old as the hills that feed it from afar,
. . . A soft eye-music of slow-waving boughs,
Powerful almost as vocal harmony
To stay the wanderer's steps and soothe his thoughts.”
Accommodation
| Troutbeck Inn, Troutbeck, Penrith, CA11 0SJ | |
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Midway between Keswick and Penrith, this is a cosy, comfortable and relaxed inn with a four star rating from the English tourist board. Under new ownership since spring 2009, the Troutbeck has been totally refurbished and in addition to 7 rooms there are three cottages. Dogs welcome. The owner is a keen chef who has cooked in the Channel Isles, and the culinary influence is French. |
Run by: Rowan Mahon 
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Tel: 017684 83635 |
Rooms : 1T, 1S, 5D. |
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Have you stayed here? Let us know! |
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| Lowthwaite B&B, Matterdale, Penrith, CA11 0LE | |
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'Finally, it's been totally renovated to make a lovely home for our family and an attractive B&B where our guests feel at home and relaxed,' says Tine. She and Jim opened last May. Lowthwaite is in Matterdale valley, 3 miles from Ullswater, with views of Helvellyn and Blencathra. They used to live in Tanzania, organising climbs up Kilimanjaro, and much of the furniture is hand-crafted African. Two of the big rooms are well suited for families, either for three or four people in one room or used together for a bigger family or a group of friends. |
Run by: Tine Boving Foster 
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Tel: 017684 82343 |
Rooms : 4 D/T, two of which are ideal family rooms. |
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Have you stayed here? Let us know! |
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