Mirehouse is a lived-in country house on the edge of Bassenthwaite Lake, close enough to Keswick to work as an easy half-day trip but quiet enough to feel separate from the town. The house is best known for its literary connections: Wordsworth, Southey, Tennyson and Edward Fitzgerald all had links with the family or the place, and the rooms retain the atmosphere of a Lake District home rather than a grand showpiece.
The gardens are the real draw in good weather. Paths lead through walled gardens, woodland, lakeside pasture and a small heather maze, with Skiddaw rising behind the trees. It is a gentle, old-fashioned outing, good for travellers who want the domestic side of the Lakes as well as the dramatic mountain views.