HOLIDAYING with young children can be more chaos than calm.
But as I sit in my soothing hot tub overlooking a peaceful lake with an ice cold prosecco in hand, I feel an unfamiliar sense of serenity.
Even with the soundtrack of two kids under six squabbling, South Lakeland Leisure Village manages to exude a sense of tranquillity.
Nestled on the border of the Southern Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, the site’s 39 luxury holiday homes and five-star facilities are dotted around a large fishing lake, where ducks float on the water and birds soar overhead.
It’s no wonder this place is considered the “jewel in the crown” of Pure Leisure Group’s 15 resorts across the UK.
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We were staying in the recently refurbished Capernwray 19 Lodge, which came with a fully equipped kitchen, washing machine and dishwasher — all of which come in handy when you are travelling with youngsters.
And with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, the luxurious cabin felt more than spacious enough for our family of four.
The standout feature for the kids was our very own Jacuzzi but the bonus for me was the glass-fronted decking which allowed the adults to enjoy the glorious lakeside views, without having to worry about my slightly wild and water-obsessed toddler taking a tumble.
Holiday guests can dangle their lines free of charge in this lake, where they can hook all sorts of large fish, including pike.
If you are after something a little more active, you may want to head to the resort’s heated indoor pool in the leisure centre, which provided us with hours of entertainment until my ears couldn’t take another “Look at me jump, Mummy”.
The pool is overlooked by a state-of-the art health and fitness area which has a decent gym for the more disciplined holidaymaker as well as a jam-packed timetable of classes, such as yoga, spin and aquafit.
Of course, this resort is all about downtime, as I quickly learned, so it would be a shame not to take advantage of the on-site spa.
The varied treatment menu offers the standard manicures, facials and massages as well as experience packages.
Postcard-like views
Guests can opt for the Indulgent Retreat Experience which includes a hand treatment, exfoliation, full-body massage, foot cleanse and facial for £145 — not too bad for all that.
If you don’t feel like cooking in your lodge, there is an option for food on site at The Waters Edge restaurant and bar.
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This family-friendly joint is ideal for anyone with youngsters thanks to the kids’ menu, plus there are hearty portions of burgers, fish and chips and pizzas for the adults.
If you’re after a proper chippy tea by the sea, Morecambe Bay is only eight miles away, where you will have your pick of decent fish joints.
We decided to spend a day at the small lakeside town of Bowness-on-Windermere, just a 30-minute drive from our resort.
It would cost you a small fortune if you wanted to stay here, but with our holiday village just up the road, it meant we could still join in all the fun this spot has to offer without shelling out on accommodation.
The best way to explore the mighty Lake Windermere, which dominates this region, is with a boat trip.
We opted for Windermere Lake Cruises’ Yellow Cruise which took us on a tour of the waters.
The lake was so still that it created a perfect reflection of the trees that flanked it.
With such postcard-like views, we could easily see why the Lake District, England’s largest National Park and Unesco World Heritage Site, attracts 15.8million visitors each year.
We opted for the return boat ticket which included entry to the Lakes Aquarium, home to colourful fish from all over the world which you can observe from an underwater tunnel.
After a few peaceful days here, it is safe to say that the Lake District certainly floated our boat.
