Stone, Water, Utter Silence

Perched on the edge of Haweswater reservoir in the quietest, most unspoiled corner of the Lake District, Aquila is the kind of place that makes you want to switch off your phone and simply breathe. This sensationally beautiful stone house channels the raw drama of the surrounding fells with effortless grace, wrapping six guests in a cocoon of warmth courtesy of underfloor heating that takes the chill off even the most blustery Cumbrian evening. Arrive to a luxury hamper waiting to greet you, and the sense that someone has thought of absolutely everything.

The interior strikes a perfect balance between the rugged and the refined. Sink into beds so gloriously comfortable they might just be the finest you have ever slept in — a bold claim, but one Aquila wears with quiet confidence. When the weather turns, as it inevitably does in these parts, gather around a cinema-size TV and let the outside world dissolve entirely. When it clears, step out to watch the light shift across the reservoir in shades of silver and slate, and remind yourself why the Lake District remains England's most breathtaking landscape.

Aquila is made for couples seeking sanctuary, for those who know the Lakes intimately and those discovering them for the first time, and for anyone who believes that true rest is a luxury worth seeking out. Secluded, soul-restoring, and utterly spectacular — this is the staycation that will ruin all others.