Wasdale Head Inn

Reach the end of the road at Wasdale and you find one of England's most storied inns, standing alone beneath Scafell Pike, Great Gable and the darkling waters of Wast Water. This is hallowed ground for walkers and climbers — often called the birthplace of British mountaineering — and the welcome inside matches the drama outside: flagged floors, crackling fires, honest ale and hearty plates after a long day on the tops. Few places feel so gloriously remote, so far from the everyday. You come for the mountains and stay for the atmosphere, then talk about it for years.

Its unrepeatable setting and mountaineering heritage make it genuinely worth the long drive, and few inns in England leave such a lasting impression.

• Weekend Escape
• Adventure
• History Lovers
• Nature Lovers
• Peace & Quiet