Yew Tree Farm, Cumbria

This Grade II listed farmhouse is nestled in a quiet Coniston valley and is one of the most well known and most pictured buildings in the Lake District. Once owned by Beatrix Potter, Yew Tree Farm has been used as Miss Potter’s home in the film ‘Miss Potter’ and has been visited by many celebrities over the years, including Emma Thompson and even The Queen visited the farm on her last visit to the Lakes. With the original farmhouse dating back to the early 17th century, it really does exude character with a number of period features and antique pieces including some of Beatrix Potter’s own furniture. You enter the property into the panelled hallway with the sitting room to one side and the dining room opposite, furnished with one of Beatrix Potter’s own dining table which was once her own tea shop! Moving through the cottage, to the rear is renovated, well-equipped kitchen, filled with useful appliances and amenities for all of your culinary requirements, including a fridge with freezer compartment, oven and a dishwasher, as well as laundry facilities for added convenience. The magnificent period oak staircase features 250 year old panelling and leads to the three charmingly comfortable bedrooms each with feature bespoke beds and fine period décor. Here you will find a four-poster double room with adjacent bathroom, a twin room with feature panelling and en-suite, while the master bedroom, with its pitched ceiling and cruck beams has a king-size four poster bed with a contemporary en-suite. Outside you can enjoy the atmosphere of the working farm whilst Yew Tree Farm has its own enclosed garden as well as a further patio area to the side where you can barbecue and pamper yourself in your own private hot tub. Enjoy spending time on Coniston Water, whether you are trying a new activity like kayaking or canoeing, or simply relaxing as you sail along the waters on the Steam Yacht Gondolda run by the National Trust, taking in the sights and sounds of the Lakes. Those avid walkers can embark on a route leading to Old Man of Coniston, a sizeable peak, right from the doorstep, starting off in the village and climbing through old quarry workings, before reaching the summit where there are some superb views of the village to be admired. Futher afield venture into Ambleside, a bustling town that marks the head of Lake Windermere, you can visit the Ambleside Roman Fort, see the Stock Hill Force waterfall, or from here take a Windermere cruiser down to Windermere itself where you can find the fascinating World of Beatrix Potter. This picturesque escape promises a getaway to remember, whatever time of year.