Some time ago, this newspaper conducted a piece of crucial research to test the quality of breakfasts available across the county.

Almost inevitably it threw up some surprises, but as much as anything underscored the importance of that meal in the English culture.

My own Eureka! moment at the breakfast table arrived not in Yorkshire, but a couple of hours away in the Lake District.

In other circumstances it would be a detail barely worth mentioning, but this meal was served at Rothay Manor, tucked away on the edge of Ambleside, and the quality of the cookery and care of the service provided a litmus test for the whole business.

Despite my advancing years, I have managed somehow to have largely avoided the Lake District so far, give or take the odd rain-soaked disappointment many years ago.

So this was new territory for a weekend break, a trip close enough to home to avoid complaints from the back seat about the length of the journey.

The Lake District must be one of the most visited regions of the country and if there is one thing Ambleside provides in abundance, it is accommodation.

It seems that virtually every one of the large Victorian houses around the town centre has been turned into a B&B, some looking surprisingly cosmopolitan, with a large choice of hotels also within walking distance. Rothay Manor is about five minutes' walk from the town centre and close to the main road, but tucked away in its own grounds. It has been in the hands of the same family since the 1970s and their loyalty to the business – and its customers – shines through.

That breakfast speaks volumes, with food prepared to order rather than being allowed to grow stale on a hotplate, staff willing to veer from the menu at customers' request and the quality of the produce apparent from the moment the plates arrive.

Those qualities are reflected elsewhere, from the elegance of the building to the helpful but never overbearing attitude of the staff.

Others have clearly picked up on the same qualities before us, because the hotel has a catalogue of awards to its credit, and has been listed as among the best places in the country for afternoon tea.

Circumstances conspired against us and we didn't find the time to sample that buffet of sandwiches, cakes and drinks, but a quick lunchtime bite suggested it would have been worth the effort to make the time.

Its restaurant serves in the evening, the food somehow more enjoyable for the knowledge that rather than having to drive home afterwards, the night's accommodation is no more than a few paces away.

Our suite, ideal family accommodation, was the most recently converted, a combination of a sitting room, two bedrooms and a bathroom created in a corner of the original building.

Maybe the accommodation was a little too generous for the time we were there, but it was a welcome luxury nonetheless. Guests in 2008 can expect further improvements.

Rothay Manor is far from the cheapest option but a series of tariffs are available.

The Lake District is famed for its weather, with summer seemingly offering little reduction in the chances of rain. That makes an out-of-season visit a more sensible idea than normal, enjoying a combination of cheaper tariffs and lesser amounts of traffic on the roads, a real consideration in an area so popular.

Walkers might think more carefully about the seasons for visits to the area, but that wasn't the purpose of our visit. With only a couple of days, we were restricted to a whistlestop tour of the immediate area, and Ambleside is well placed for that.

It's a busy town, with plenty of other attractions within easy striking distance, including Windermere.

We found the time to take a trip on one of the pleasure cruisers which operate from Bowness-on-Windermere, which ranks among the most popular destinations for visitors to the region.

While the staff provided a commentary on the lake and its history, the wind and rain provided a good reason to find one of the town's good-quality cafés immediately afterwards.

My previous bad experience of the Lake District had led me to dismiss it as a destination for a break.

Maybe I've just got a better car these days, but the journey didn't seem to take so long as I remembered, and the landscape is as breathtaking as anywhere in this country, or beyond for that matter, and the delights of Rothay Manor makes it a very persuasive mix.

But next time I must remember to take the walking boots.


Rothay Manor
The Nixon family have owned Rothay Manor for 40 years, and it has featured in the Good Food Guide for the last 38 years.

It offers specialist holidays, including antiques, painting and bridge breaks. Disabled access to some rooms. Telephone 015394 33605