Augill Castle is a 19th century castle nestled between the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria’s Lake District.

Here at Augill Castle, we’ve been serving afternoon tea in the Eden Valley for years, and at some point we decided that perhaps it was time to stop doing what everyone else was doing. So we got rid of the finger sandwiches. Yes. We said it. And, surprisingly, the afternoon tea police have yet to arrive.

The quiet side of the Lakes: a castle hotel near the Lake District There is a certain expectation that if you are looking for a stay near the Lake District, you need to be right in the middle of it all. Somewhere overlooking a lake, perhaps, or tucked into one of the better-known towns, with walkers in boots passing the window and plenty of places to eat, drink and explore within easy reach. And, of course, there is nothing wrong with that. But what if you could spend your days exploring the Lake District and then come back to somewhere altogether quieter?

There are Christmases you remember. The ones where everyone is squeezed around the same table, the fire is glowing, somebody has had one glass of wine too many, the children are still awake at midnight and nobody really wants the evening to end. Now imagine doing all of that in your own castle. Not visiting one for the afternoon. Not staying in one tiny room while the rest of the building is closed off. Taking the whole thing.