Back to The Lake District: South & Windermere

The Forest Side

From $310/night • Score: 5★ (2640 reviews)

Exterior 1Exterior 2Interior 1Interior 2Surroundings

Introduction: The Poetry of Grasmere’s Gothic Sanctuary

There is a distinct, almost cinematic hush that settles over the air as you turn off the Keswick Road and approach the wrought-iron gates of The Forest Side. Set against the dramatic, brooding backdrop of the Grasmere foothills, this 1853 Victorian Gothic mansion feels less like a traditional hotel and more like a romantic secret whispered among the Cumbrian pines. Surrounded by 43 acres of ancient woodland, moss-draped sycamores, and rugged fells that inspired the brooding verses of William Wordsworth, The Forest Side occupies a hallowed space in the British luxury landscape. It is a place where history, wild topography, and uncompromising modern gastronomy converge.

As a luxury travel journalist who has traversed the globe reviewing sanctums of high hospitality, I am often struck by how few properties manage to honor their vernacular architecture while delivering a thoroughly contemporary guest experience. The Forest Side achieves this rare alchemy effortlessly. From the moment the gravel crunches beneath your tires and you catch your first glimpse of the slate-roofed, gabled facade adorned with intricate stonework and chimneys piercing the Cumbrian mist, you realize you have arrived somewhere exceptional. At roughly $310 a night, it also represents one of the most compelling value propositions in the upper echelons of British country house hotels—delivering an experience that easily rivals properties charging double that tariff in the Cotswolds or the Scottish Highlands.

First Impressions & Architecture: Victorian Grandeur Meets Modern Wilderness

The architectural pedigree of The Forest Side is immediately arresting. Commissioned originally as a grand private family home in the mid-19th century, the mansion is a textbook study in Victorian Gothic Revivalism. Tall, mullioned windows pierce the rugged stone walls, designed to capture the shifting, ethereal light of the Lake District, while steeply pitched roofs and decorative bargeboards reach toward the moody skies. Yet, stepping across the threshold does not transport you into a dusty, fossilized museum of the past.

Instead, the interior design, helwed through recent sensitive renovations, strikes a masterful balance between ancestral graviance and contemporary Nordic-influenced minimalism. The reception hall welcomes guests with polished flagstone floors, dark heritage-hue wall panels, and crackling open hearths that throw dancing shadows across bespoke leather armchairs. There is an immediate sense of tactile warmth. The scent of woodsmoke, damp pine needles, and high-end botanical room fragrances hangs invitingly in the air.

The public spaces encourage lingering. The drawing room, with its plush velvet sofas in tones of moss green and deep charcoal, looks out through expansive bay windows toward the sprawling lawns and the distant rise of Silver How. It is an invitation to sink in with a well-thumbed volume of local poetry or a dram of single malt Cumbrian whisky as the afternoon rain drums rhythmically against the historical glass. The transition from the wild, untamed exterior of the 43-acre woodland estate to the refined, cocooning interior of the mansion is executed with absolute architectural grace, setting an aspirational tone for the rest of the stay.

The Room Experience: Sanctuaries of Wool, Wood, and Vista

Ascending the sweeping staircase to the guest accommodations reveals a collection of rooms that pay profound homage to their natural surroundings. The Forest Side offers twenty bespoke bedrooms, each individually styled, ensuring no two stays are identical. My accommodation—a "Comfy Luxe" room on the upper floor—was a masterclass in understated Cumbrian elegance.

Upon entry, the sensory details immediately announce themselves:

The bathroom is a sanctuary unto itself. Clad in contemporary slate tiles with gleaming brushed brass fixtures, it features a deep, freestanding soaking tub positioned perfectly for unwinding after a grueling trek up the fells. The inclusion of full-sized Bramley bath amenities—crafted in the British countryside using 100% natural, cruelty-free botanical ingredients—infuses the steam with notes of grapefruit, lavender, and sweet orange. Stepping out of the shower onto heated floors to wrap oneself in a plush, monogrammed bathrobe is a simple luxury executed to perfection.

Yet, the undisputed crown jewel of the room experience is the view. Peering through the historic, slightly undulating windowpanes, your gaze sweeps unobstructed across the manicured lawns, over the ancient woodland canopy, and up toward the majestic Grasmere vale and the brooding silhouette of Silver How. Watching the morning mist slowly lift from the valley while wrapped in a duvet with a steaming cafetiere of locally roasted coffee is a memory that lingers long after departure.

Signature Amenities & Atmosphere: Wilderness, Wellness, and Wandering

While many luxury hotels lean heavily on state-of-the-art spas and clinical wellness centers, The Forest Side adopts a more holistic, landscape-driven approach to rejuvenation. The primary amenity here is the great outdoors, writ large across 43 private acres of pristine Cumbrian woodland.

Guests are actively encouraged to explore the estate's private network of trails. Strolling beneath the towering canopies of ancient oaks and sycamores, you stumble upon hidden mossy clearings, bubbling brooks, and pockets of wild ferns. It is a profoundly restorative environment, entirely divorced from the frenetic pace of modern urban life. For the more adventurous, the hotel serves as an unrivaled basecamp for fell walking, with legendary routes such as Helvellyn, Fairfield, and the direct path up Silver How accessible practically from the doorstep.

Back at the house, the communal atmosphere is defined by an easy, unpretentious sophistication. There are no stuffy dress codes or rigid protocols here; the staff exude a warm, genuine northern hospitality that instantly puts guests at ease. Whether you are chatting with the resident sommelier about organic skin-contact wines by the fire or comparing hiking notes with fellow travelers over an artisanal afternoon tea featuring freshly baked scones and local clotted cream, the social dynamic of the house is inclusive, relaxed, and deeply civilized.

Food, Drink & Local Nightlife: A Michelin-Starred Temple of Kitchen-Garden Gastronomy

It is impossible to discuss The Forest Side without addressing its crowning glory: its destination dining room. Under the visionary stewardship of Head Chef Paul Leonard, the restaurant has rightfully secured a coveted Michelin star and 4 AA Rosettes, cementing its status as one of the absolute culinary temples of the British Isles. To stay here without booking the multi-course tasting menu is nothing short of an architectural tragedy.

The culinary philosophy here is rooted in a strict, hyper-local ethos termed "Spun from the Fells." Leonard and his brigade do not merely source ingredients; they forage, cultivate, and harvest them. The heartbeat of the operation is the hotel’s meticulously restored, one-acre walled organic kitchen garden. Step outside before dinner, and you will see the very heritage root vegetables, delicate edible flowers, and rare herbs that will materialize on your plate a few hours later.

Dining in the intimate, softly lit restaurant is an immersive theatrical performance. Standout dishes from the seasonal tasting menu include:

The wine pairing, curated by an exceptionally knowledgeable sommelier team, is a revelation. It leans heavily into low-intervention, biodynamic, and organic producers from across Europe, alongside fascinating English sparkling wines. As for local nightlife, Grasmere itself is delightfully sleepy after dark—by design. Instead of bustling pubs or late-night cocktail bars, the evening entertainment here is found in the hotel’s atmospheric bar, lingering over a glass of vintage Armagnac or a bespoke botanical cocktail infused with foraged forest botanicals, listening to the absolute, profound silence of the Cumbrian night.

Who This Stay Is For: The Connoisseur of Quiet Luxury

The Forest Side is not a destination for those seeking flashing lights, bustling nightlife, or hyper-polished, corporate mega-resorts. Rather, this Victorian Gothic sanctuary speaks a very specific, highly refined architectural and culinary language.

It is ideally suited for:

Practical Travel Notes: Navigating Your Cumbrian Escape

Planning a seamless journey to The Forest Side requires a minor degree of logistical consideration, which only adds to its secluded, off-the-beaten-path allure:

At roughly $310 a night, The Forest Side delivers an intoxicating blend of historic architectural romance, wild natural topography, and world-class gastronomy that punches vastly above its weight class. It is, quite simply, one of the most sublime boutique hotel experiences in modern Britain.