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HF Book Club in the Southern Lake District: Lakeland Writers & Poets

Monk Coniston

■ 4 nights at an HF Country House

■ One itinerary available

■ Full Board

■ 104kg CO2 details

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The simple beauty of the Southern Lake District has stirred the imagination of visitors for centuries. Stay at our historic country house in Coniston and delve into a variety of works linked to these stunning landscapes. Look out on some of the very same scenes that inspired the likes of William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter and take part in discussion groups guided by an expert leader. Visit Wordworth’s former haunts of Dove Cottage and Hawkshead Grammar School, all in the company of fellow literature lovers make for an enriching and sociable weekend ideal for solo travellers and book clubs.

Accommodation

HF Country House
With a desirable address overlooking Coniston Water (the inspiration for Arthur Ransome’s 1930 novel, Swallows and Amazons), this characterful Grade II-listed house delights with lakeside and woodland walks from the doorstep, décor that stays true to the period feel, and plenty of Beatrix Potter references. While the children's author and illustrator did not live at the Monk Coniston estate (her beloved home was Hill Top, bought in 1905 with the royalties from The Tale of Peter Rabbit), she campaigned with the National Trust to save it from development. She then purchased the entire estate in 1930 and as the new owner she immediately sold half to the organisation, bequeathing them the other half in her will.
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What You’ll Love

  • Meeting like-minded book lovers
  • Discussing a variety of literary works
  • Enjoying a guided sightseeing visit
  • Discussion groups with our expert leaders

What's Included

  • Free-flowing literary discussions throughout your holiday
  • Transport to and from venues on your excursion day
  • Entry to Dove Cottage & Hawkshead Grammar School Museum
  • Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
  • Cream tea on arrival day
  • Cooked or continental breakfast every morning
  • Daily packed lunches
  • Three-course evening meals, plus tea & coffee
  • Easy-to-follow routes, maps, and information available in our Discovery Point if you want to explore independently

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Itinerary

All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.

Book Club

Check-in at the hotel is available from 16:00. If you are a member you can arrive at the house from 14:00. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea at 16:30 and meet other guests.

Our excursion day takes us to Wordsworth’s stomping grounds of Dove Cottage, and Hawkshead Grammar School Museum. There will also be time to visit Grasmere village and the church where Wordsworth was laid to rest. 

On our book club breaks, your leader team will facilitate discussions about the themes and topics featured in their chosen titles and there’ll be an open forum to discuss opinions.

A Passionate Sisterhood: The Sisters, Wives & Daughters of the Lake Poets by Kathleen Jones

A Passionate Sisterhood explores the often-untold lives of the women connected to the Lake Poets: sisters, wives, and daughters. Through their letters and journals, it reveals their sacrifices, rivalries, illnesses, loves and thwarted ambitions, showing how much these women sustained, and suffered, within the Romantic circle.

The Bay by Julia Rampen

In The Bay, Rampen weaves the story of Arthur, a lonely widower who once worked the Morecambe Bay cockling flats, and Suling, a young undocumented migrant in debt and danger. Their unlikely friendship forms amid tides of prejudice, loss, and the harsh beauty of the shifting sands above Morecambe Bay.

Towards Mellbreak by Marie-Elsa Bragg

In Towards Mellbreak, Bragg tells the story of Harold Marras, a hill farmer in 1970s Cumbria, labouring to sustain his family’s ancestral farm amid sweeping agricultural, bureaucratic and environmental changes. Amid the harsh landscape he clings to ritual, faith and familial bonds as roots vanish.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.

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Accommodation

Monk Coniston

With a desirable address overlooking Coniston Water (the inspiration for Arthur Ransome’s 1930 novel, Swallows and Amazons), this characterful Grade II-listed house delights with lakeside and woodland walks from the doorstep, décor that stays true to the period feel, and plenty of Beatrix Potter references. While the children's author and illustrator did not live at the Monk Coniston estate (her beloved home was Hill Top, bought in 1905 with the royalties from The Tale of Peter Rabbit), she campaigned with the National Trust to save it from development. She then purchased the entire estate in 1930 and as the new owner she immediately sold half to the organisation, bequeathing them the other half in her will.

A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out). 

Evening entertainment

While evening entertainment varies from house to house, HF Holidays Inter-House Quiz night held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided waking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.

Walks talks 
Our HF Holidays walk leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on guided walking holiday arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s guided walks (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.  

The walking day
Prior to setting off on guided walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house. 

You are welcome to check in from 4pm at the earliest. HF Members can check in earlier, from 2pm. On arrival, you’ll enjoy a complimentary cream tea and get to meet your fellow guests, our HF Holidays Leaders, and the rest of the friendly team. Check out 10am.

•  30 well-appointed guest rooms  •  Exclusive occupancy: 40 guests minimum •  Check in from 4:00pm • For members check in from 2:00pm •  Free Wi-Fi  •  Free on-site parking  •  Boot room and drying room  •  Travel cot  •  Discovery Point offering a wide range of local area maps, route guides, and information for self-guided walks  •  Books and games to borrow  •  Licensed bar  •  Lounge  •  Garden with putting green and croquet lawn  •  Activity barn  •  Electric vehicle charging point - Please note, you will need to bring your own cables to use this EV charging point Visit England - Guest Accommodation 

Seasonal dining, tailored for you

Our team of skilled chefs design our dinner menus to showcase the best of each season, from warming winter comfort food to vibrant summer dishes, including vegetarian, vegan  and high-protein options. We also source fruit and vegetables within a  40-mile radius of each house, open every break with a Chef’s Special menu inspired by dishes and flavours of the local area, and are able to adapt dishes to suit special dietary requirements.

Welcome Cream Tea

What better way to start your stay than with a cream tea, served fresh on arrival to make you feel instantly at home.  A quintessentially English tradition, our scones are baked in-house and served with preserves and clotted cream, providing the perfect opportunity to meet fellow walkers.

A hearty breakfast to start the day

Start the day with a freshly-prepared cooked breakfast  and a wide choice from our continental buffet, including  hot drinks, juices and fresh fruit. Our team offer a quick  and friendly service, leaving you fuelled and ready for your day’s adventures.

Our famous picnic lunch

Our personalised picnic lunches are perfect for a day out walking, ready to enjoy when hunger strikes. Choose from a large selection of fresh sandwiches and salads, freshly baked cakes and snacks, including the ever-popular Freddos chocolate bar! Everything is designed to fit neatly into your rucksack, and all of the packaging we provide is recyclable or compostable.

3-course evening meals

Our à la carte evening menus feature a wide choice of starters, mains, and desserts, made with seasonal ingredients and, wherever possible, herbs and vegetables from our own gardens. Shared around sociable tables, dinners are relaxed occasions, with drinks available to order at the table or from the bar, and a traditional Sunday roast to round off the week.

Designed with your comfort in mind, Monk Coniston has 30 well-appointed guest rooms available in three categories: Classic, Premium, and Superior. 

Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV. 

Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.

Superior Rooms are even more spacious en-suite guest rooms offering upgraded views of the surroundings*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.

We love: The rooms with a garden or lake view. We also love Room 9 on the first floor for its original features and beautiful views across the gardens and fields that slope down to the shores of Coniston Water. 

The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply. 

 

Room supplements

Superior Premium single Premium double/twin Choose your room
£25 pppn £20 pppn £20 pppn £30 per room

 

*Views and layout reflect each properties unique character and location 

For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Monk Coniston

Getting here

Address 

Monk Coniston
Coniston
Cumbria LA21 8AQ

Tel: +44 (0)1539 441566

By train

The West Coast mainline runs to the east of the Lake District, connecting Oxenholme (which is near Kendal), Penrith and Carlisle with London and Glasgow. A direct train runs from Manchester to Windermere. Local trains from Oxenholme call at Kendal, Staveley and Windermere.

The nearest station to Monk Coniston is Windermere. From Windermere you can take a taxi or bus to Monk Coniston (see below).

Check National Rail for journey times and routes. 

By taxi

The journey from Windermere train station to Monk Coniston is 10 miles.

From Oxenholme, it’s double that at 23 miles.

For pricing, please contact Ace Taxi directly.

Ace Taxi
You can pre-book a taxi from our recommended company, Ace Taxi*. We recommend booking your taxi at least seven days in advance by contacting:

Tel: +44 (0)1539 445445
Email: acetaxiwindermere@gmail.com

A return journey can be arranged on your behalf by the HF Holidays House Manager at Monk Coniston.

*Ace Taxi is not owned or managed by HF Holidays.

By bus

From Windermere station catch the 555 or 599 to Ambleside Kelsick Road. Change here onto the 505 to Monk Coniston. The stop is right outside our country house.

Check Stagecoach for bus times.

National Express also run coaches to Lancaster, Penrith and Carlisle where you can catch an onward bus connection into the Lake District.

By car

Car parking is available at Monk Coniston.

Leave the M6 motorway at junction 36. Follow the A590 to Greenodd Roundabout, take the second exit and follow the A5092 before turning right onto the A5084 signposted to Torver. At the T junction turn right onto the A593 and follow into Coniston village. Turn right onto the B5286 and follow for 1.5 miles. The entrance to Monk Coniston will be on your right.

By air

The nearest airport is Manchester International Airport.  

There are direct trains every hour to Oxenholme with the journey time around 90 minutes. From here you can change to Windermere or get a taxi (we recommend pre-booking one).  

National Rail have up-to-date information on times and routes. 

Flying to London Heathrow airport is another option, but it’ll take you at least four hours to reach Oxenholme. Take the train to London Paddington station, then the London Underground to London Euston where you can connect to the main line train to Oxenholme. The journey from here is 2.5 hours.  

More Information

Packing list - Book Club

Please bring along your own copy of the books we'll be discussing either in paper format or on a tablet/e-reader if you prefer. The full reading list will be shown on the itinerary tab as soon as it is confirmed.

We’ll also be heading out sightseeing so please be sure to bring comfortable shoes that you can wear when we’re out and about. And given the UK’s famously unpredictable weather, you may also want to pack waterproof clothing and/or sun cream.

Carbon Footprint - 104kg CO2

We see it as our responsibility to minimise our emissions, not just for this year but every year to come. Our work with sustainability experts, ecollective, has enabled us to measure our carbon footprint and create a strategy to reduce the carbon intensity of our product by 5% each year. Our ambition is to be net zero by 2040 – earlier if we can.

Learn more

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Dates & availability

HF Book Club in the Southern Lake District: Lakeland Writers & Poets

Members save an additional £30 on this booking and get a range of other exclusive benefits. You can join during booking process. Read more about membership
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Trusted British co-operative

We are proud to be Britain’s only walking holiday co-operative. Led by almost 40,000 members, offering hundreds of holidays across the UK and overseas, with all surplus being reinvested back into our Society.

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Flexible choice of guided walks

Experienced volunteer HF Leaders guide every walk at our UK country houses, offering up to three daily options. Making it easy to find a holiday to suit your ability, and with the flexibility to switch grades each walking day.

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Book early with confidence

Become an HF Member to benefit from our Price Pledge. Secure your first choice of holiday early, and if the cost drops after you book, we will automatically refund the difference (exc. travel agent & group bookings).

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Book with confidence

If the flights we have organised are cancelled or changed, we’ll do everything we can to find alternative transport, with minimal disruption to your holiday

If we cancel your holiday, we honour all refund requests 

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Travel with confidence

We know that peace of mind is priceless, so we’ll always go above and beyond to meet – and exceed – expectations

If the flights we have organised are cancelled or changed, we’ll do everything we can to find alternative transport, with minimal disruption to your holiday

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Run as a co-operative with 40,000-plus members

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