William Wordsworth wrote the well loved lines in 1804, when he was living at Dove Cottage at Grasmere, and the daffodils are still there today.

Just south of Grasmere, in one of the most gentle and charming areas of the English Lake District, is Rothay Manor, set in its own grounds a quarter of a mile from the head of Lake Windermere. The house was built in 1830, just after the time when George, Prince of Wales, was acting as Regent for his father King George III, but still, with its elegant wrought iron balcony running the whole length of the front of the house, very much of the "Regency" period. The house has been run as a hotel by the Nixon family for some 30 years.

Inside, the feeling is that of a comfortable, modestly elegant, private house. Furniture and the interior decoration are again of the Regency/Jane Austen period, and very attractive it all is. The dining-room is particularly successful, with polished mahogany tables lit by candles helped by subtle background lighting. The well designed Dartington glass, polished silver and Regency striped curtains all add to the pleasant atmosphere.

The food does not disappoint. The bread was home baked, warm from the oven. The king prawns were served with stir-fry vegetables and a lime sauce, which was a good accompaniment. It was attractively, even temptingly, presented. Alternatives were a vol-au-vent filled with mushrooms and smoked bacon in a cream and garlic sauce; or melon and orange. The evening menu is not large, which is no bad thing, offering a choice of some three items for each course.

A fillet of halibut, poached in a white wine court bouillon was garnished with prawns with a saffron and tomato sauce. It was a good dish and the fish was firm and fresh. Green beans with almonds were also lightly and agreeably cooked. Alternatives were roast pork, with plenty of crackling, I observed, or duck breast with a citrus and madeira sauce.

A chilled lemon soufflé was full of flavour and attractively decorated with a cape gooseberry, a slice of fresh fig and an elegant chocolate fan. I just avoided breaking the dish in the gloaming, thinking that it was made of chocolate. Other desserts were coffee custards, pineapple and kiwi fruit vacherin, millefeuille of fresh raspberries and fresh fruit slad. There were some good local cheeses as well as some French ones - all served by obliging ladies in long black skirts, pinafores and mob caps. This shows that they are not locked into the early 19th century and they do, indeed, have Dickensian dinners on occasions.

You help yourself to coffee and quite exceptional truffles - a meal in themselves, if one is not restrained. The price of a three course dinner is 26.00 and of 4/5 courses, 29.00.

There is an unusually good and varied wine list. House wines from Australia, Argentina, Germany and New Zealand are a reasonable 11.00 per bottle, or 5.50 per half bottle. There is a pleasant blanc de blancs at 16.60, some Gewurtztraminer at 13.80, a Bourgogne aligoté at 15.90. There are plenty of good French wines between 14 tand 30 pounds and an unusually good range of vintage port (Taylor's'80 at 30.70, for instance).

The Nixons run a number of enterprising "special interest" holidays. In the autumn and spring, for 5 or 6 days, you can attend lectures by experts on garden design and planning, propogation and other gardening subjects and visit beautiful local places such as Sizergh Castle, Holehird Gardens and Holker Hall Gardens, accompanied by knowledgeable guides. In November and February, there are Music holidays, with lectures and recitals, painting holidays, antique and Fine Art holidays.

Perhaps most popular of all are the walking holidays. The programmes start on Sunday afternoon with a short walk, followed by four full days of walking, covering some 6 to 10 miles each day. There are easy and less easy options and the pace is relaxed. The walks are led by local highly experienced fell walkers.

All around you is the beautiful Lake District, waiting to be explored. If you were there in the spring you could later remember the daffodils and say, again with Wordsworth:

Rothay Manor Hotel, Rothay Bridge, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 OEH
Tel 015394 33605 Fax 015394 33607

Prices for double or twin rooms start at 118 per room for B&B. 6 night stays: 155 per room for Dinner B&B.

Michael Pelham is proprietor of Pelham Tours, speacialising in gastronomic, sporting and other tours in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
Pelham Tours, Old Way House, Beaulieu Hampshire SO42 7YL. Tel 01590 612264. Fax 01590 612747. Email peltours@interalpha.co.uk

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