A Cumbrian retreat for chocoholics

For all those with a sweet tooth, Cumbrian Cottages recommends a break at the elegant two-bedroom/two-bathroom (sleeps four) apartment in one of the wings of 17th century Jacobean Orton Hall, in the pretty Cumbrian village of Orton, high up in the fells, in the Eden Valley.

Wainwright described Orton as ‘a place of tranquil beauty and unpretentious appeal’ and nowadays it’s also home to the little handmade chocolate factory, Kennedys (see kennedys-chocolates.co.uk for more details), where viewing windows allow chocoholics to see a small team of highly skilled chocolate makers at work.

But that’s not all, because there’s a well-stocked shop selling not just chocolates but jams, biscuits and chutneys, etc. while next door – in the converted Old Schoolhouse – is the coffee house where one of the popular treats is luxury chocolate cake, served warm, with homemade vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate.

Short breaks at the apartment – called Charles Stuart – start at £240 for three nights or a week in September costs £440.

For more information, visit cumbrian-cottages.co.uk.