A beautiful boutique hotel in the Lake District has just been named one of the top three in the UK – and it’s easy to see why.
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, near Windermere, is one of only two properties in the north of the country to make the top 10 in the prestigious list.
The stunning hotel and spa has just 39 rooms, including its staggering spa suites, which are build on top of a natural pond with their own stone-built hot tubs on the decking.
It’s also home to two renowned restaurants – Michelin-star SOURCE, which has Ollie Bridgwater as executive chef, and Gilpin Spice.
And now the Gilpin Hotel & Lake House has landed itself in third place in the Top 50 Boutique Hotels. Quite the accolade.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s climbed nine places since last year, and was beaten only by The Newt in Somerset and Lime Wood in Lyndhurst.
The team at the Gilpin says its new ranking in the list is down its ongoing renovations and improvements, which have included a new Spa Space at Gilpin Hotel, a Vertical Farm, more Spa Suites and the appointment of two new chefs.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hot Tub At the Lake House. Credit: Denise CreelyThe Gilpin Lake House. Credit: Ben Barden Photography Ltd. 2009
The hotel is operated by Barney and Zoë Cunliffe, who worked alongside Barney’s parents John and Christine until their deaths in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
The Top 50 Boutique Hotels is curated by and voted on by leading industry experts, hoteliers, travel writers and influencers.
Barney and Zoë said: “We are so very proud to be in this year’s list, and chuffed to bits to be so highly placed.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We’ve worked together as a family and team for 35 years to create Gilpin, and it has always been our aim to create a luxurious sanctuary – one that is filled with love and laughter, without any pretentiousness.
“We want our guests to feel at home here, to feel loved, and we hope that that is what our guests feel.
“It’s with great sadness that we can’t celebrate this award with Mum and Dad, but we know that they would be absolutely delighted. As always, we would like to say a massive thank you to Team Gilpin, who all work so hard and with incredible passion. Thank you.”
SOURCE restaurant at the Gilpin Hotel. Credit: Supplied
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House executive chef Ollie said: “Being named in a list like this gives credence to everything we have been trying to achieve at SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel over the past year, with the restaurant offering an extra dimension to the wider Gilpin experience.
“People come to Gilpin to get away from everything and when they visit SOURCE they’re looking for a sense of occasion as well as the food and wine, so we hope to live up to that ideal.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Also featuring on the Top 50 Boutique Hotels list in the north west were Another Place in Ullswater, Moor Hall in Lancashire, Hotel Gotham in Manchester, Rothay Manor in Ambleside, and The Samling Hotel in the Lake District.
The full list from 1 to 50, including special awards for food and drink and best service is available to view here.
You can find out more about Gilpin Hotel & Lake House and book a room here.
Full list of road closures for Manchester Village Pride 2026
Emily Sergeant
The full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Village Pride this weekend have been released.
Manchester Village Pride is a beloved celebration of LGBTQ+ life in Manchester, known for bringing thousands of people into city centre every August bank holiday weekend for four fun-filled, glitter-covered, disco-driven days… and although 2026 may look a little different to usual, you can always count on the city to welcome everyone in.
Every year, the lineup offers a wide range of activities for the LGBTQ+ community and allies to join together and celebrate, as well as provide opportunities to advocate for equality, engage families and young people, and celebrate queer arts and culture.
This year’s event is set to kick off this Friday 28 August and round out on bank holiday Monday (31 August).
🏳️🌈 On Saturday [29 August], it's the #PrideParade so you'll see plenty of rainbows in the city centre.
To allow the parade to take place: – There will be road closures in place – Some buses may operate on diversion – Trams in the city centre may experience minor delays
And of course, for the celebrations to all take place as safely and seamlessly as possible, a number of road closures and restrictions will need to be put in place, and Manchester City Council has now published a list of everything you need to know.
It’s advised that anyone making their way into and around the city centre this weekend use other modes of transport – such as buses, trams, and trains.
But for those who need to drive, you’ll want to pay attention to this list before setting out on any journeys.
The full list of road closures for Manchester Village Pride 2026 has been released / Credit: The Manc Group | Supplied
Saturday 29 August
All roads in this list will be closed from 6am to 7pm:
Liverpool Road (Water Street to Deansgate)
Wollam Place (30m south of Liverpool Road to Liverpool Road)
Potato Wharf (Castlefield Hotel entrance to Liverpool Road)
Old Medlock Street
Lower Byrom Street (40m north of Liverpool Road to Liverpool Road)
Duke Street (Rice Street to Liverpool Road)
Stone Street (Liverpool Road to Bridgewater Street)
Barton Street (Bridgewater Street to Tonman Street)
Southern Street (Bridgewater Street to Liverpool Road)
Bridgewater Street (Collier Street to Deansgate)
Tonman Street (Liverpool Road to Longworth Street)
Saturday 29 August
All roads in this list will be closed from 9am to 7pm:
Deansgate (Trafford Street to Peter Street)
Quay Street (Little Quay Street to Deansgate)
Peter Street (Deansgate to Oxford Street)
Camp Street (Deansgate to Longworth Street)
St James Street (Deansgate to Longworth Street)
Jerusalem Place (Jacksons Row to Deansgate)
Marron Place (Jacksons Row to Deansgate)
Watson Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
Museum Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
Mount Street (Windmill Street to Bootle Street)
Southmill Street (Windmill Street to Bootle Street)
Lower Mosley Street (Windmill Street to Oxford Street)
Oxford Street (Peter Street to Whitworth Street)
Chepstow Street (Great Bridgewater Street to Oxford Street)
Portland Street (Oxford Street to Abingdon Street)
Princess Street (Faulkner Street to Whitworth Street)
Whitworth Street (Beaver Street to Fairfield Street)
Samuel Ogden Street (Bombay Street to Whitworth Street)
Sackville Street (Bombay Street to Whitworth Street)
Fairfield Street (Whitworth Street to London Road)
Minshull Street (Fairfield Street to Aytoun Street)
Back Acton Street (Fairfield Street to Ebden Street)
Minshull Street (Fairfield Street to Ebden Street)
Bus lanes will also be suspended on Bridge Street from Gartside to New Bailey Street, Whitworth Street West from Deansgate to Albion Street, and Portland Street from Princess Street to Newton Street, on the Saturday (29 August) too – running from 6am to 7pm.
Manchester Airport releases list of its 10 fastest-growing holiday hotspots – including ‘Maldives of Europe’
Emily Sergeant
Holiday season is well underway, and now Manchester Airport has released a list of its 10 fastest-growing beach destinations.
Want to visit somewhere new? Destinations in Portugal, Greece, and Croatia are among the 10 fastest-growing summer holiday hotspots on Manchester Airport’s route network.
Following the completion of the £1.3bn Terminal 2 transformation, and a major project to redevelop Terminal 3 also now in the works, the airport is expecting a record summer season this year, which is why, with a couple of weeks left, a list of the top 10 fastest-growing destinations has been revealed, so if you’re short of some travel inspiration, this is it.
Sunseekers’ favourites are all expected to see extra visitors from Manchester this summer, but other lesser-known destinations are seeing an even greater surge in popularity – with the number of people travelling there this summer versus last summer set to double (or even triple) in some cases.
Manchester Airport has released a list of its 10 fastest-growing holiday destinations / Credit: Marie Volkert | Northleg Official (via Unsplash)
These destinations are spread across the Mediterranean, and all offer a rich blend of sun, sea, sand, history, culture, and foodie delights.
As you’d expect, there are a number of Spanish spots on the list, including the emerging Canary Islands favourite of La Palma, Jerez de la Frontera near the historic city of Cadiz, and the popular Valencia.
Elsewhere, you’ll also find the major cities of Marseille in France, Porto in Portugal, and Verona in Italy on the list, but if you’re keen to visit somewhere a little more off the beaten track, why not try and trip to Zadar in Croatia or Preveza in Greece, which both appear to be growing in popularity.
One of the real stand-out gems on the list though has to be what is dubbed the ‘Maldives of Europe’.
Holiday season is well underway at Manchester Airport / Credit: Ivan Shimko (via Unsplash)
Albania’s capital Tirana is not only a great candidate for a city break, but it’s also the starting point for intrepid explorers seeking out the stunning beaches on the Albanian Riviera – which have become famous on social media over the past couple of years, and have drawn comparisons to the bucket list destination of the Maldives.
“Sometimes, a destination will go viral on social media or see a spike in demand as adventurous travellers discover it,” explained Stephen Turner, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport. “And we then see that translate into airlines adding extra flights or flying larger aircraft to those destinations to meet that demand.
“We keep our finger on the pulse to analyse these trends and we work with our airline partners to ensure that if a particular destination is in vogue, or emerging as a new favourite, you can get there from Manchester.”
See the full list of stunning destinations and get booking your next trip here.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd December 2023 
