Askham is a dream, one of the loveliest houses in the Lakes. It’s a Grade I-listed manor house with a 12th-century peel tower, but grand as it is, Charlie grew up here and it retrains the feel of home, making it a delightfully informal base. Expect contemporary art and open fires, a beautiful drawing room with an honesty bar, an outdoor pool, hot tub and sauna with gardens that are open to the public. The hall sits in 40 acres of prime Cumbrian grazing land with paths that follow a river into glorious parkland. It’s all part of the Lowther estate, where Charlie rears his own meat for Richard Swale’s Michelin star kitchen. The food (awarded 4 AA Rosettes) is out of this world, ambrosial stuff that makes you want to move in permanently. You might find Askham pork cheek and barbecued hock, rough fell lamb with wild garlic risotto, Yorkshire rhubarb tart with brown butter ice cream; a kitchen garden and two polytunnels provide much for the table. Chic bedrooms have a cool country-house style. Wander to their pub, the Queen’s Head, just a short walk away.
