Fodor's Expert Review Askham Hall

Ancient hub of the Lowther Estate, beautiful Askham Hall's spectacular gardens and fairy-tale rooms are now open to guests. Royalty have stayed here, and the grand staircase and 13th-century peel tower give it a castlelike feel. But it's also refreshingly unpretentious, with homey touches to the country-house style: drinks are on the honor system, and the restaurant is a marvelous hodgepodge of Spanish tiles and aged tables. Rooms are spacious and elegant without being fussy, with ancient fireplaces, oak buttresses, and Chinese antique wallpaper. The gardens have a 230-foot-long herbaceous border, secret paths, terraces, and views of the River Lowther. The café has a wood-fired pizza oven lighted in summer months and some very fine cakes. The place is about 10 minutes south of Penrith.