FSC Castle Head, Budget Lake District Accommodation

Staycation fever has gripped the nation as our ability to travel abroad is looking fairly slim at the moment.  The UK has so many stunning places to explore that this unexpected chance to take a look at what is around us is the silver lining in the pretty awful cloud of this horrific virus.  With this however, the hunt for affordable accommodation is getting harder and harder to find, especially in the UK’s famous beauty spots.  So when the Field Study Council reached out to see if I wanted to check out one of their centres, which are all locations in such beautiful, rural parts of the country, I knew I had to say yes.  They have centres across Great Britain in locations such as Devon, Pembrokeshire and Somerset to name just a few but it was their Cumbrian Lake District accommodation FSC Castlehead I was the most drawn to.  Whilst they usually cater to students their new ‘Stay With Us’ campaign opens their centres up to the general public to use their accommodation as a great base for getting out into the great outdoors and reconnecting with nature.

FSC Castlehead is located in the south Lake District in the county of Cumbria, close to Grange Over Sands.  Set back from the road which cuts though the village of Lindale there isn’t a noise to be heard in this remote location, and yet visiting the local pub for dinner or drinks is under a 20 minute walk away.  It’s a great combination of remote and yet accessible to the most popular tourist destinations.  The nearby village of Cartmel is a must visit as it is the home of one of Britain’s most beloved deserts, Sticky Toffee pudding!  You simply can’t visit Cumbria without eating some and the Cartmel Village Shop is the place to get it!  Not only that but Cartmel village is stunning!  It’s quintessential English, quaint and beautiful with its stone bridges, traditional pubs and winding river.  It has a huge variety of food offerings for such a small village but if you want something closer to the accommodation itself the The Royal Oak pub is just short walk away from FSC Castlehead.  Looking for a bigger adventure?  Windermere, Coniston and Grasmere are all under an hours drive away, making it the perfect base for exploring the Lake District.

As for FSC Castlehead itself, it is a grade 2 listed country house, repurposed to become a Field Research Centre and a great place for affordable Lake District accommodation with 20 acres of grounds and a stunningly calm and clear lake, making it a beautiful place to stay.  Whilst the rooms are basic and ‘no frills’, if you are using this as a base to explore it has everything you need.  Walking around the lake and surrounding woodland on an evening made for a perfect end to a day, it a really peaceful and beautiful place to be.  There is also a range of onsite and offsite activities (covid dependent) as well as free wifi available throughout the accommodation.  Breakfast is included here with continental and english breakfast options, and I can confirm that the english breakfast was really tasty and made for the perfect start for a day of exploring the Lake District.

We are living in strange and unsettling times, so whilst we want to get away Covid-19 is understandable in all of our minds.  All the FSC locations have been given covid secure status and during my stay there I can honestly say I felt safe.  During breakfast everything was social distanced and the staff all wore masks, outside of this we were in a position where we never needed to come close to other people at all so I was totally comfortable during my stay.

As this functions as a field research centre as well as Lake District accommodation there is a lot of emphasis on the environment.  The Field Research Centre’s accommodation focuses on connecting people with the nature surrounding them, and this includes being aware of our impact on it.  They have reduced their carbon dioxide emissions across FSC properties by 34% since 2011 and they have made a series of commitments to protect the environment further.  Check out their page on this for more information.

If you are looking for affordable Lake District accommodation you can’t go wrong at FSC Castle Head.  I’d not considered staying at an FSC location previous to this but I most definitely would in future.  I’m already looking at their full roster of 11 locations that are set up under their Stay With Us campaign to see where I can take a trip next and really take in some more British countryside!  Are you planning a trip to the lakes?

This accommodation was given to me in exchange for a blog post, all words and opinions are my own.