The country hotel named best in the UK just two hours…

The country hotel named best in the UK just two hours from Greater Manchester

In the heart of the Lake District and a short walk away from the picturesque village of Grasmere is where you’ll find the best country hotel in the UK, as named by the Good Hotel Guide. The Forest Side was awarded the title in the guide’s annual list of 12 César winners.

The Good Hotel Guide gives the awards to hotels, inns and B&Bs across the country that are deemed to be outstanding in their respective categories. It claims to be the only truly independent hotel guide in the UK and it’s named after the famous Swiss hotelier César Ritz.

With exquisite cuisine and sumptuous rooms full of luxurious touches, it’s easy to see why the Forest Side was awarded its title. Not to mention its beautiful setting of the Lakeland countryside.

The hotel is known for its Michelin-starred cuisine, using locally-sourced seasonal produce. Around 90 per cent of the ingredients are sourced from a ten mile radius, with some even grown in the hotel’s own kitchen garden.

The hotel is known for its Michelin-starred cuisine (John Picton / Forest Side)

Paul Leonard is the mastermind behind the Forest Side’s menus, carefully crafting delicious plates which take you on a sensory journey through the surrounding landscape. Guests can enjoy four course or eight course menus on an evening, giving them a chance to sample a variety of flavours.

Examples from the menu include hand-dived scallops with a sauce made from langoustine heads, Dexter beef and smoked bone marrow, and aged Cumbrian lamb with a salad of garden brassicas. Vegetarian dishes include hen of the woods cooked in smoked butter and hispi cabbage with a salad of garden brassicas.

Guests can enjoy up to eight courses (John Picton / Forest Side)

After indulging in a Michelin-starred meal, there’s only one option: retire to one of the hotel’s luxurious bedrooms. Varying in size from ‘cosy’ to master bedrooms with their own lounge areas, each features the same quality of décor and furnishings.

Guests can expect Herwick wool carpets, beds made by local company Harrison Spinks and natural bath and body products made by Bramley. The master suites even have double-ended baths, making them ideal for a romantic getaway.

The dining room at the Forest Side (Forest Side)

The Forest Side offers six dog-friendly rooms, with each four-legged guest receiving a welcome pack including a personalised note, two bowls, a bed and some treats. Although dogs are not allowed in the restaurant or lounge areas, they’re free to explore the 43 acres of woodlands in the hotel's grounds.

The hotel is just a short walk away from Grasmere, which is famous for its gingerbread and it’s also the site of Wordsworth’s grave. There are dozens of walks to do nearby, ideal for building up an appetite for the hotel’s incredible food.