Grasmere Hotels

Grasmere, the northernmost village in the southern Lake District, is set in a valley surrounded by the lower grassy slopes of the Lakeland hills.Old cottages, faced with pebbledash, and houses of bluish-green local slate vie for attention along the twisty streets of the village. Victorian villas sit comfortably beside hotels, galleries and shops catering to tourists.Gingerbread lovers stop for a treat at the famous, teensy Gingerbread shop near the church. It's hard to imagine this tiny space was once a school. Church Stile, a row of 17th century cottages, is now the home of the National Trust shop, but in a past life was an inn.