With its frontier-style log cabin looks and stone chimney, on first appearances this new National Trust cottage is more Wyoming than Windermere. Set in remote woodland outside Ambleside, it is the place to live out your Walden fantasies for a week, albeit in a bit more comfort. Built in the 1930s, the two-bed cottage has been brought up to discerning National Trust standards with a new bathroom, kitchen and log burner … Photograph: PR
Most striking is its dining room, one wall of which can be folded out to open onto a sun terrace. On sunny days you can eat here, with wide-angle views of Windermere below.
• 0844 800 2070, nationaltrustcottages .co.uk/cottage/trees-009026. Sleeps 4, from £384 a week (£96pp with full occupancy) Photograph: PR
Decadent serenity amid the majesty of the region that surrounds it, don't expect cutesy Cath Kidston bunting or Emma Bridgewater mugs at Coachman's Cottage, just calming shades of white and wood. Not that the 18th century one-bedroom cottage is icily modernist. A woodburning stove, linen sofa, whitewashed floorboards, a roll-top bath, fresh flowers and antique Champagne glasses cosy up the space, and it is professionally run (owner Fay also manages the super-luxe Gossel Ridding in Windermere) … Photograph: Dan Kenyon
In-house spa treatments can be pre-booked if you really want to indulge.
• 01539 441516, coachmanscottagesilver bank.com. From £750 a week (£375pp) Photograph: Dan Kenyon
Sleeping just two, this renovated barn opened in 2011 after its architect owners stripped it out and lovingly rebuilt it along ultra contemporary lines. The Cumbrian limestone floor is heated from below, a handmade chandelier drips from the ceiling of a double-height living room like a brace of frosted bubbles and the bathroom is kitted out with Philippe Starck fittings. But this is no soulless show home … Photograph: PR
A green oak roof, stairs made from railway sleepers and woven scarlet textiles add character and the art on its walls has been chosen to parade the talents of Cumbria's artists and craftspeople.
• 01768 482647, sawdays.co.uk. From £575 a week (£287.50pp) Photograph: PR
The log cabin reinvented for the 21st century, this one-bedroom boxy timber structure, tucked away among the trees not far from Beatrix Potter's former home, Hill Top, is framed by huge picture windows – perfect for spotting red squirrels or gazing out over Windermere. Inside, the decor has hints of Copenhagen and Kyoto, with lots of wood, a log-burner, mid-century furniture and a Japanese-style square bath … Photograph: Karen Guthrie
It's also green, with reclaimed timber, organic paints, low-energy lighting and a green roof. Indeed, so eco aware are the owners that they'll knock 5% off the rates if you arrive on public transport.
• 015394 41242, lakedistrictloveshack.com. From £600 a week (£300pp) Photograph: Karen Guthrie
Hygge is a Danish word that loosely translates as surrounding yourself with things, and by is Danish for home. While this 1980s-built, Danish timber lodge may look unremarkable on the outside, its interior lives up to the name … Photograph: Pr
One of a clutch of cabins three miles from Ullswater, the three-bed hideaway has recently had a Scandinavian revamp, with a smart wood-burning stove, power shower and a smattering of Borgen-esque mid-century furniture.
• 0113 2490509, hyggeby.co.uk. Sleeps 6, from £355 a week (£59pp) Photograph: PR
