Lizzie Anderson samples award-winning cuisine and goes on an underground adventure in the Lake District National Park

DO you ever find that trips which don't get off to the greatest of starts can end up being the best? A recent trip to Cumbria was one such occasion. My boyfriend and I arranged to spend two nights in Borrowdale in the north-west of the Lake District National Park. We set off for our hotel, The Leathes Head, at 3pm to ensure we arrived in plenty of time for dinner.

My car had other plans. We broke down in Weardale and had to wait several hours to be rescued. During this time, frantic phone calls were made to my parents, who kindly added me onto their car insurance, along with the hotel to explain what had happened. Staff couldn't have been more understanding, telling me not to worry and rescheduling our dinner reservation for the following night.

It was quite a stressful experience but, when we finally arrived at the award-winning Edwardian Country House Hotel, I felt my anxiety ebb away. Firstly, there's the location, in the heart of an unspoilt valley surrounded my fells and wildlife. And it's easy to find, just off the Borrowdale Road, a few miles outside of Keswick.

The hotel’s gardens are as beautiful as the landscape they are situated in. We were told red squirrels are frequent visitors, and the bird feeders were never short of a diner or two throughout our stay.

This sense of peace and tranquillity continues inside the hotel. The décor combines Edwardian elegance with a stylish contemporary vibe, boasting high ceilings, large windows and modern comforts. The Graphite bar has recently been refurbished and provides an intimate space to sample the local beers, fine wines and a wide range of spirits. Our room, one of 11, was comfortable, light and spacious, with views so spectacular it was like being immersed in nature.

However, the best was yet to come. My boyfriend is a notoriously fussy eater as he used to work in the hospitality industry so has high standards when it comes to eating out. However, he didn't have a single criticism to make of the delicious five-course meal we ate that night. In fact, he is still raving about it now.

Holder of two AA Rosettes, the restaurant serves up imaginative dishes from locally sourced and foraged ingredients. Among the mouth-watering dishes we devoured were a divine black olive ravioli and Yew Tree Farm Hogget, which was quite possibly the best lamb dish I have ever eaten. Our dessert was, to put it simply, happiness on a plate - rich, chocolatey and utterly scrumptious.

Breakfast was equally impressive with a large variety of hot and cold made-to-order dishes on offer - from a full Cumbrian breakfast, to pancakes with crispy bacon and maple syrup.

The Leathes Head is just a few miles from Keswick and is well placed for exploring the Lake District. There are many magnificent walks on its doorstep and fells such as Great Gable, Dale Head and Scafell Pike are just a short drive away.

Those looking for a more relaxing trip can enjoy a stroll around Derwent Water or indulge in a pamper session at Oxley’s Spa in Underscar, where a range of relaxing and rejuvenating treatments are on offer.

The more adventurous may fancy blowing away the cobwebs at Honister Slate Mine, just a 15-minute drive from the hotel. As well as producing world famous Westmorland green slate, it also offers exhilarating adventure activities including a cable-based climbing experience called Via Ferrata.

I'm not keen on heights so we opted for a guided tour of the mine instead. It was amazing to venture deep inside the mountain through vast caverns, tunnels and puddles, treading in the footsteps of the fearless men who extracted slate at the site hundreds of years ago.

Honister closed in the 1980s, but was reopened a decade later by the late business man Mark Weir. Mark and his team not only restarted slate production, incorporating pioneering new techniques, but introduced mine tours and outdoor activities to attract tourists and create further jobs.

Tragically, Mark died in a helicopter crash in 2011, aged 45, but his family are carrying on his work. Our tour was led by Mark’s mum, Celia, whose passion for her son’s vision and pride in his achievements made me feel quite emotional.

Some of the sights we saw inside the mountain were as breath-taking as the views of the fells outside. The tour certainly added an extra dimension to our Lake District adventure and is an experience we shall never forget.