Relax in our Breathtaking Countryside

Carlisle is surrounded by some of Britain's most breathtaking countryside and today it is hard to imagine that between the 14th and 17th centuries much of it was a lawless place beset by feuds and bloody battles between warring families known as the Border Reivers.

Many Roman remains, castles and battlefields also bear witness to troubled times, contrasting sharply with the rich pastures, natural woodlands, wild fells and meandering rivers of Carlisle's Northern Borderlands. Here, you can stay in award winning, farm based accommodation with log fires and four poster beds where scrumptious home reared meats, the freshest fruit and vegetables and local specialities await.You can even learn a new skill during your visit how about rug making, stick carving or even dry stonewalling?

The pretty town of Brampton hides pre-Raphaelite treasures in St Martin's Church whilst nearby is the beauty and serenity of Lanercost Priory, founded by Augustinian monks in 1169. Longtown, situated on the River Esk, and site of the Battle of Solway Moss 1542 is linked to the legendary King Arthur.

To the South is the sheltered Eden Valley, once the location of the ancient Celtic Kingdom of Rheged, and the North Pennines a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Both are a paradise for walkers and cyclists with many forest tracks, footpaths, and bridleways.Traversing this region and down to the Yorkshire Dales is the famous Carlisle to Settle railway which operates "steam days" so you can experience the sights, sounds (and smells) of the Great Steam Age.The equally beautiful Tyne Valley Line links you with Newcastle and the east.