Location:
The Angel Inn is a classic Lakes style country hotel situated in Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District National Park in the north west of England. The town lies approximately halfway along the lake between Waterhead at the north end and Lakeside to the south.
For motorists, the A591 is one of the main routes into the Lake District and for those arriving by train, the nearest railway station is in Windermere, just a five minute taxi ride away. The West Coast Mainline runs to the east of the Lake District connecting Penrith and Carlisle with London and Glasgow. From Manchester there are direct services to Windermere from where you can take a connecting bus or taxi to nearby Bowness.
Arrival and check-in:
The hotel stands in a quiet, elevated position just steps away from the bustling town centre. Car parking is limited and available on a first come first served basis but we had no difficulty in finding a space shortly before check-in time.
We were greeted at the reception desk by assistant manager Tom who was very welcoming. After quickly taking care of formalities and reserving us a table for dinner, he gave us a fact sheet containing useful information along with our room keys.
The Room:
We had been booked into a superior, lake view room across the road in the hotel’s Oakbank House, a former guest house that had been purchased at the same time as the main hotel building. Don’t be put off about staying in an ‘annexe’ to the main hotel building though as the rooms have been refurbished to a high standard and several, including ours offer beautiful lakeside views.
On entering the room, we were drawn to the large bay window with its pair of armchairs to sit and gaze out across Lake Windermere. The spacious room was furnished in neutral tones with a Scottish tartan style carpet. The king size bed had a very comfortable mattress, bed side tables with reading lamps and useful sockets for charging devices.
A fully stocked hospitality tray with teas, coffee and my favourite Rington’s biscuits had been placed on the dressing table so we made ourselves cups of tea before setting off for a walk around the town.
An open plan wardrobe offered ample storage for our belongings and although the newly installed en-suite shower room was quite small, there was room to move around and a shelf on which to place our toiletry bags.
Dining:
Meals are available throughout the day in the inn’s tastefully furnished pub restaurant. There’s a good mix of seating from intimate window tables for two to booths and banquette seating for families and groups of friends.
A cosy window table had been reserved for us and after perusing the menu which contains pub classics such as pie of the day, fish and chips and burgers to steaks and daily specials guests take a note of their table numbers and order at the bar which we found quick and easy to do. I then carried our glasses of wine back to the table and a little later one of the waiters served our meals.
We both opted for starters of tempura crab served with a lime dipping sauce as I’m a big fan of shellfish, particularly prawns and crab. The batter was light and crispy with the flavour of the crab bursting through and almost a meal in themselves as the servings were very large.
Moving on to mains I opted for rump steak with a peppercorn sauce which was thick and juicy and cooked to perfection. Across the table Mr. C. tucked in to a Sri Lankan beef curry which also looked very appetising, accompanied by coconut rice and roti. I just knew before asking that my husband would plump for his favourite sticky toffee pudding for dessert. I had initially selected poached peach cheesecake but as this was unavailable I made a quick decision to have gingerbread sundae with vanilla ice cream which didn’t disappoint.
The Facilities:
The inn’s bar / restaurant comprises several inter-connecting rooms creating a cosy ambiance for both residents and non-residents alike.
Drinks and meals can be enjoyed outdoors in the terraced beer garden which has good views over the town and lake. Umbrellas are available in the entrance porch of both the main hotel building and Oakbank House and we made good use of these going between the buildings as unfortunately it rained heavily during our stay.
For guests who’ve spent a day hillwalking, plastic trays are provided in each of the rooms for muddy boots.
For guests staying overnight with their furry friends, several rooms are dog friendly (supplement payable) and include dog bowls and biscuit treats.
Out and About:
Bowness-on-Windermere
Bowness-on-Windermere is the Lake District’s most popular tourist destination and starting point for pleasure boat trips and hiking trails.
Explore the town with its eclectic mix of shops ranging from lakeland crafts and local produce to hiking gear and small boutiques. A five minute walk from the Angel Inn takes visitors down to the lake where regular pleasure boat trips depart from. Enjoy a stroll along the lake shore or for the more energetic hike one of the lakeland fells.
Windermere Jetty Museum
Visit the Lake District’s newest all weather museum where you can discover stories of boats and steam. Galleries explore Windermere’s 200 year old boating history bringing to life the experiences of the lake’s boats, builders, owners and sailors.
View Beatrix Potter’s rowing boat c.1890 and the two boats used in the 2016 film adaptation of the classic Arthur Ransome children’s novel Swallows and Amazons (1930). Take a 30 minute trip in a beautifully restored Edwardian launch (extra charge). Windermere Jetty Museum.
Blackwell
An architectural gem from the Arts and Crafts era. The house was originally built as a holiday home and haven from bustling Manchester life for the brewer Sir Edward and Lady Holt and their five children.
Take a self guided tour of the house and admire its magnificent wood panelling, inglenook fireplaces and inviting window seats overlooking the lake.
Get around by bus:
The Lake District National Park can become congested with traffic on summer weekends and in school holidays making it difficult to find somewhere to park. Take Bus 599 (open top in summer) which travels frequently between Kendal, Windermere, Bowness-on-Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere as well as calling at Windermere railway station. Day tickets are available meaning travellers can hop on and off as often as they wish.
Overall:
We spent a relaxing weekend at the Angel Inn finding the hotel’s position in a peaceful backwater to be perfect as we were just steps away from all the action when we needed it. With comfortable rooms, freshly prepared meals and friendly service the Angel is a lovely place to stay for all the family.
Details: The Angel Inn, Helm Road, Bowness-on-Windermere, Windermere, LA23 3BU
If you have enjoyed this post you may also like:
During our stay we were guests of The Angel Inn and as always all views and opinions are my own.
vividventures 
Leave a comment