The English Lakes with its quaint villages, cobbled streets, historic buildings and dramatic landscapes is guaranteed to refresh, inspire and rejuvenate. Based in Cumbria in the north of England it's a great place for a vacation whether you're single, a couple or a family. I recommend hiring a car to tour the area; the towns and villages are quite close together so you can visit more than one place in a day. Accommodation ranges from hotels with log burning fires and spa facilities to charming rustic cottages and farms. Here are some of the highlights:

Windermere - Cruise Lake Windermere on a steamer and visit the World of Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter wrote children's books such as the Tale of Peter Rabbit and the museum has 23 life size characters laid out in typical scenes from her stories. The largest forest in the Lake District lies between Lake Windermere and Coniston - there are 6000 acres of woodland to explore on foot or by bike.

Sedbergh dates back to Roman times and has a wonderful outdoor market, cobbled streets and some great historic buildings.

Grasmere - visit Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum for a taste of what life was like for William Wordsworth, one of the great poets of our time.

Keswick see the 'Theatre by the Lake' which hosts year round plays, a jazz festival, film festival and literature festival.

Newby Bridge - visit the Aquarium of the Lakes which includes British sharks, rays and an underwater tunnel.

Conishead - the Priory & Buddhist Temple is a gothic mansion and Buddhist centre. After a tour of the mansion take a walk through the surrounding woodlands and have afternoon tea in the caf.

Penrith visit Lowther Castle and the Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre (located within the castle grounds) as well as Brougham Hall and Cromwell Chapel which dates back to the 13th century.

Ulverston has a vibrant outdoor market, the Laurel & Hardy Museum and many outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, horse riding and golf.

Morecambe Bay is only a short drive from Ulverston and well worth a visit. It's a typical British seaside resort which offers all the usual shopping and leisure activities as well as some great beach walks and bird watching.

Dalton in Furness Dalton Castle dates back to the 14th century; it has a dungeon and a steep spiral staircase which allows access to the two upper floors.

Also based in Dalton in Furness is the South Lakes Wild Animal Park which has a variety of wild animals from all over the world and one of the most successful tiger protection programs.

Grizedale is famous for having over 70 unique forest sculptures. There is a wide range of facilities for visitors from walking and cycling trails through the forest to exploring the forest canopy on an aerial assault course. There is a great children's play area shaped like a giant lizard which is over eighty meters long.

If you love picturesque villages steeped in history and surrounded by breathtaking scenery the English Lakes will not disappoint.

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