While most of the Lakes District’s focus is in its central belt between Ambleside and Keswick, attention has started to be drawn further south with the help of the outstanding culinary setup of L’Enclume. Though Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth and John Ruskin positioned themselves near the sheerer relief of Scafell Pike and Helvellyn, in 2002 chef Simon Rogan chose Cartmel on the southern edge of the Lake District. His team at triple-Michelin star restaurant L’Enclume and nearby (single-Michelin) restaurant Rogan & Co have updated the small village with uncompromising standards in local produce, preparation and hospitality.

Those making the journey to the Lake District will be thankful that Cartmel is well serviced by L’Enclume’s B&B options. Bedrooms and suites are located in different locations around Cartmel, all within walking distance from both L’Enclume and Rogan & Co. Rooms vary from Superior to large Suites and come with price packages to include a meal at the restaurant, as well as breakfast options. Given L’Enclume is housed in what used to be a 17th century blacksmith’s forge, you can expect some similar ingenuity throughout the overnight lodging.

Though it’s hard to compare with L’Enclume, Linthwaite House is 12 miles north and worth visiting. The Leeu Collection property is strong on cocktails as well as a food via main restaurant Henrock. Adjacent to L’Enclume is Aulis Cartmel (also from Rogan) which offers a “behind the scenes” dining experience, lifting the veil on how the chef’s work (the same concept is available in London).

Training Notes

The Lake District may be better known for hiking and fell running than the multi-sport bandwidth of triathletes. But with ample water, both gentle and harsh trails and roaming roads, swimmers, runners and cyclists are well catered for.

A local route from L’Enclume is the 9km / 250vm route through Heaning Wood to the east of the hotel. Otherwise, lanes are quiet in the direction of the coast and Grange-over-Sands for pacing out a longer tarmac run. As for races, browse the Fell running calendar for Lake District to see what competition coincides with your dates. There is a Saturday parkrun in Newby Bridge, less than seven miles north from Cartmel.

Cyclists using Lake District road have a bounty of roadways, with Ambleside acting as the key hub thanks to Push Cartel. A 40-mile route due north encompasses Coniston Water (Ruskin house), cutting across to Rydal Lake and Windermere’s eastern shore. Ambitious cyclists can attempt Honister Pass to make a century ride out of a Lake District stay. It’s always worth heading out early since the main roads connecting valleys get busy during summer months, with a local bus unable to overtake road cyclists on all but a few stretches of the meandering A-Roads.

It’s not surprising that the Lake District has many swimmable freshwater lakes, with Lake Windermere being the longstanding home to the Great North Swim. Rydal Lake north of Ambleside makes for a convenient run-swim-run loop if you set out from Ambleside, but the southern edge of Lake Windermere is your best bet from L’Enclume. La’al Sauna is conveniently located at the Fell foot site on the southern tip of Lake Windermere (see exact location) – a Nordic style wood sauna with an on site cafe in a Gothic revival boathouse.

Learn more at lenclume.co.uk