THE Times has revealed their pick of the top 20 hotels to stay in the Lake District this summer, with some real hidden gems making the list.

The paper revealed a five-page feature in their travel section this weekend, entitled ‘Best places to stay in the Lakes’.

The article said: “Ten years ago the Lake District, England’s most dramatic and celebrated national park, lagged behind areas such as Cornwall and the Cotswolds when it came to interesting places to eat and drink.

“There it was, calling us from the country’s top left-hand corner, proud and wrinkled in its ever-changing weather, and home to the most serene and magnificent valleys we can muster.

“Yet, if you wanted innovative food and fresh design, Padstow, Mawgan Porth and Painswick, not Ullswater or Windermere, were where you went for your holidays.

“Now look. Last year Cumbria became England’s most Michelin-starred county. This year even more of its pubs and restaurants have garnered awards, while a growing number of hotels are emerging from imaginative refurbishments.”

Here are the top picks from The Times : 

1. Haweswater Hotel, Haweswater

2. Ashlack Hall, Grizebeck

3. Cedar Manor, Windermere

4. Rothay Manor, Ambleside

5. Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, Windermere

6. Armathwaite Hall, Bassenthwaite Lake

7. Angel Inn, Bowness

8. Inn on the Lake, Glenridding

9. Another Place, Ullswater

10. George and Dragon, Clifton

11. Borrowdale Gates Hotel, Borrowdale

12. The Swan Hotel & Spa, Newby Bridge

13. Laik, Bowness 

14. The Smithy, Grasmere

15. The Samling, Windermere

16. Randy Pike, Ambleside

17. The Queen’s Head, Askham

18. Brimstone, Langdale

19. The Kings Arms, Keswick

20. Linthwaite House, Windermere