Another Place, The Lake
Cumbria Guru
We treated ourselves to Skate By the Lake at Another Place near Ullswater as a Christmas day out, and it turned out to be a truly special family experience. We booked the 4pm session, which was perfect timing; skating as the sun dipped behind the mountains and reflected across the lake was nothing short of magical.
Tickets were £20 per adult and £15 for our teenager, which is admittedly quite pricey for a 45-minute session. That said, as a seasonal treat, it felt worth it, especially for the setting alone. We visited after Christmas, but the atmosphere was still wonderfully festive, with music playing and a real sense of winter cheer lingering in the air.
If you’re a novice skater, don’t be put off, most people on the ice were in the same boat! There are plenty of supports available for children, and adults too. Mrs Guru may have completely fallen in love with the Polar Bear skating aid to help her make it around the rink… and she certainly wasn’t the only adult clinging to one! For younger children, there are also reindeer skating aids to sit on, which were very popular, and little penguins to skate with. Skates are included and provided by the hotel, which makes the whole experience feel easy and well organised.
The location of Another Place is just breathtaking. The grounds are stunning and the hotel itself looks absolutely beautiful. Unsurprisingly, Mrs Guru is now desperate for us to stay there one day.
After skating, we warmed up with hot chocolate, and honestly, it was the nicest we’ve had anywhere. Smooth, rich, and wonderfully warming. At £5.50 for a small cup it was on the expensive side, but the quality really showed. Beer, champagne and mulled wine were also available, but as an alcohol-free family we happily stuck with the hot chocolate.
We headed to The Glasshouse afterwards for pizza, which was cosy, casual and welcoming, though again, on the pricier side. We ordered two pepperoni pizzas (£15 each) and a festive pizza (£16.50). All three were phenomenal. Watching them being handmade and cooked in the pizza oven right in front of us was a treat in itself, and they tasted as good as they looked. In hindsight, booking the Skate and Pizza combination ticket for £30 would have saved us a fair bit, and that’s definitely something to remember for next year.
All in all, it was a perfect treat day. Crisp, cold weather, bright stars overhead, helpful and attentive staff, and a truly unforgettable setting. Skate By the Lake is absolutely an experience we’d repeat, and very likely will, next year.
