There are few more spectacular locations in the UK for a January hideaway than the Lake District, and few more charming locations in the Lake District than Coniston.

Going away for a long weekend the week after New Year can be risky business thanks to the weather at this time of year. However, it doesn’t really matter what the weather is like in the Lakes if you have a cosy cottage to retreat to when the fog descends, or the drizzle turns to a downpour.

Thankfully, when we headed to Coniston earlier this month, a cosy cottage was precisely what we had at our disposal.

We were staying at 1 Kirkbeck Cottage, one of the cottages in the portfolio of Coppermines Cottages. Coppermines Cottages offer over 80 hand-picked self-catering cottages in the Lakes, with each property boasting real character alongside serious levels of home comfort. Booking through Coppermines means that any issues can be dealt with by a company that prides itself on exceptional personal service. Even though you book through the company, you may still be greeted by the owners of the cottage.

This was the case when we arrived at 1 Kirkbeck; we had nipped into the Coppermines office in Coniston and had been advised the cottage would probably be ready before the listed check-in time, and shortly after arriving at the cottage, the cottage’s owners popped in to check everything was OK and the heating was working (it was working perfectly!).

The cottage was beautifully decorated. It was the perfect size for the two of us plus our little girl.

The original wooden beams in the downstairs space gave the living space and Quaker-style kitchen a real cottage feel, as did the wood burning stove. There was a basket of logs and kindling waiting for us, so on our first night after putting our little girl to bed we lived the rural retreat dream, toasting marshmallows by the roaring fire! It was bliss.

Although the cottage has its original touches like the wooden beams, it’s packed full of everything to make your life easier: a dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, electric oven, and gas hob. There was also a high chair for our little girl and the shower worked like a dream, which isn’t always the case with holiday rentals!

Had we been visiting at a different time of year, we would have loved to have made use of the delightful beck-side patio and garden, which had a barbecue perfect for summer evenings.

Location-wise, it would be hard to beat 1 Kirkbeck. Set back from the hustle and bustle of the main streets but within a two-minute walk of the village and a 10-minute walk of the lake at Coniston, the cottage was the perfect spot for whatever activity we chose to do. We could choose to leave the car at home and set out on a walk, or drive over to some of the bigger lakes like Windermere, driving back to a warm and cosy cottage in the evening.

For a New Year break, we couldn’t have asked for more from our stay. The Lakes is a beautiful part of the UK, and we’re lucky that it’s so accessible from where we live in Leeds. We hope to be back at some point soon to sample more of what the Lakes, and what Coppermines Cottages as a company, have to offer.