Rediscover the spirit…

Whether you think the season starts on the shortest day of the year or sometime soon after Halloween, the Western Lake District allows you to experience it to the full. Snow-capped mountains, glorious sunsets, roaring log fires and traditional evening entertainments will remind you what winter used to be, should be – and can be – all about.

Take the Swinside Stone Circle near Broughton-in-Furness, It’s an atmospheric time of year to visit this megalithic site, one of the earliest and finest in Britain. The fifty-five stones are set in a ninety foot diameter circle and seemingly aligned with the midwinter sun. Or the extravaganza of Darkest Muncaster and its mile-long trail of twinkling lights and seasonal effects – by turns spooky and truly magical. To complete the picture, add the welcoming warmth of cosy pubs and inns, of home-made soups and Cumberland Rum Nicky, a rich sticky tart with exotic ingredients that draw on the region’s historical trade with the West Indies.

It’s all very different from the usual drudge of Christmas and January. (Although if you want to keep up with your shopping, a good selection of outlets is never far away.) And if you find that you have overindulged at the dining table or in the Sales, what better remedy could there be than the sharp clean air of the fells?