Large group accommodation in the Lake District

For a group, the central lakes are the natural base. Around Windermere and Bowness you have the biggest lake, the boats, and pubs and places to eat within easy reach, which matters when you are feeding a crowd. Ullswater, over to the north-east, is quieter and good for walkers, with Helvellyn and the low lakeside paths both close by. Keswick, Ambleside and Grasmere are the classic walking bases deeper in the park, though the big group houses cluster more around Windermere, Ullswater and the country to the east. A little to the east, the Eden Valley and the country around Penrith are calmer again and quick to reach off the M6, and this is where some of the grandest houses for a big group sit, a short drive from the park rather than in the middle of it. Wherever you land, you are rarely far from a lake, a fell and a pub with room for everyone.

A place right by the water is what a lot of groups picture when they think of the Lakes. Some of these homes deliver exactly that, mostly around Windermere and Ullswater, near enough for a swim, a paddle or a boat before the day gets going. Plenty more sit in the quieter country east of the park, trading a shoreline spot for more room, which for a bigger group is often the better deal.

Not every group fits under one roof, and in the Lakes you do not have to force it. Several of the halls and farmhouses up here are set up for exactly this: take the main house on its own, or add an adjoining barn, cottage or stable block for more beds, so the party grows into the space without splitting up across the area. It is a booking per part rather than one for the lot, but the payoff is the whole group on the same site instead of spread between places. Prefer everyone under one roof? The homes that sleep 12 and the homes that sleep 20 are the place to look.

The Lakes are made for dogs, all that open country and cold water, and most of these homes are glad to have one along. A few do not take dogs, and most that do keep the number to a couple, so give the listing a look if the dog is coming too. After that comes the easy part: the walks start at the door and there is usually a pub nearby that does not mind the mud.