The Lake District isn’t just a resort, writes John Nash, it’s an experience, which for many is felt at the deepest points of human emotion.

It is easy to understand how, with such a breath-taking backdrop, poet William Wordsworth was inspired to craft works which reflected not only loving tributes to his beloved sister Dorothy, but to plants, birds, rural life and other elements of “Nature’s holy plan”.

The language has changed, but there seems to be among tourists a subconscious Renaissance of the 19th century literary Romantic Revival which he epitomised.

Read any hotel, cottage or B&B guest book in this National Park and you’ll find phrases such as “truly magnificent”, “splendid scenery”, “mystical beauty” and my favourite, describing a family’s holiday on Lake Windermere, as one “full of Wordsworth days”.

There’s no doubt these holidaymakers are enjoying the same romantic extravagances with the region as the famed poet.

Truth is, this area of mountains and lakes in the north-west of England has, and continues to, exert a profound influence over the artistic appreciations of its majesty.

Awesome I recall some years ago standing on a headland on Ullswater after a particularly stormy day and in a moment watched the clouds roll back to reveal a stunning autumn sunset. A middleaged man an arm’s reach away suddenly declared: “My God. Where else could you see this?”

Impressive lake views from Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel

For those privileged to earn a living from the sacred scenery of the Lake District, there comes an awesome responsibility. They are charged with keeping the magic of this place alive while navigating the harsh cash realities of business.

Dumbing down is simply not an option, so somehow they have to seamlessly nestle into the very soul of Lakeland and check harmonious interactions with their surroundings are not compromised.

One such place is the Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel & Restaurant at Bowness-on-Windermere. A country retreat in every sense, with vistas over the lake and a manicured garden terrace, the home has kept all of its 1870s’ period charm.

Like so many gentlemen’s residences on the water shores, it was commissioned by a wealthy mill owner. Among its visitors in later years was children’s author Beatrix Potter and she illustrated two of her stories, Timmy Tiptoes and Pigling Bland, during stays at Lindeth Howe.

The celebrated writer later bought the house for her mother. The owners have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure many of the building’s original features have been preserved. It could easily have become a peaceful, literary museum which up guests, but the hotel is full of light and life.

The attractive lounge set out for a delicious afternoon tea

Even the more senior of visitors eagerly signed up for day trips during my stay. Lindeth House is well deserving of its AA four-star rating and documents and pictures of its Potter legacy can be discovered throughout the hotel.

Ever-so-English artworks, antique pieces, sumptuous furnishings and its own Beatrix Potter library are complemented by an indoor pool, fitness room, sauna, mini gym and designated room to indulge yourself with various body therapies and massages.

I am rarely impressed by glossy hotel brochures and often feel they massage the truth. But this hotel really is premier material. What’s more, it all feels wonderfully genuine, from the front of house welcome and tour of facilities, to staff inquiries about plans for your day.

During my stay, I spent a day climbing the 2,718ft High Street fell named after the Roman road which ran across its summit. The morning began with clear skies, but later at 2,000ft the weather closed in and visibility was at best 20 metres.

Water saturation was so dense my GPS could not pick up the necessary three satellites required to give a precise grid preference, so navigation was all down to some critical map reading and a trusty, old-tech compass.

Can you imagine my disbelief to see a bearded lone figure with ringlets of hair emerging from the cloud cover wearing a Jewish kippah (prayer cap), a sodden white shirt, trousers and trainers. It was both surreal and unnerving, that someone had allowed themselves to be so exposed to the mountain’s potential cruelty.

Heading towards the summit, he asked for directions to a shelter and it then became clear he was separated from his three Jewish colleagues, part of the Manchester Orthodox community. Thankfully, we quickly found his friends and plotted a route off the mountain just in time to beat the gathering darkness.

They had neither map, compass, proper clothing or a decent pair of boots between them. Wet, muddied and tired, I drove them back to their camping barn before heading to the hotel.

A deluxe room at Lindeth Howe, combining character with comfort

There I received a warm, sympathetic welcome and toasted my toes on a roaring log fire in the lounge bar. The receptionist could not do enough for this bedraggled guest, offering me a late meal in the restaurant when most diners had long finished their desserts.

Yes, the hotel is posh, but it’s not pretentious and it is walker friendly too – all they ask is for boots to be left outside.

The airy en-suite bedrooms are elegantly furnished with a strong traditional feel and little touches like maids offering to “turn down” beds add to the experience. Lindeth Howe promotes itself as a “hotel for all seasons”.

Autumn in this setting is vibrant with colours and the low sun can offer some splendid golden lake reflections. For this traveller, winter, spring and summer each have their particular Lakeland charm.

This delightful country house hotel, set in six acres of gardens and overlooking Lake Windermere with the fells beyond, clearly has its own conviction to preserve what, and who, it represents.

It drips quality and attracts a wealthy clientele, but staying there is best summed up by a comment I overheard at breakfast. An ageing gentleman with military bearing was praising the way staff had looked after his group.

“This hotel,” he said, “is just like home”.

It’s really not like my home, but I think I know what he meant. In my two-day stay the staff were always vigilant but not intrusive, the food was exceptional and the spirit of Potter’s world of art and literature and her passion for conservation lives on there.

If homes should reflect who we are, then this homely hotel has a powerful resonance from the past which defines a welcome resting place with me – and judging by the guest book, others too.

Fact box:

• John Nash stayed at Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel & Restaurant, in Bowness-on-Windermere
• Reservations:  015394 45759 or go to www.lindeth-howe.co.uk
• Rooms are from £160 per room per night, based on two people sharing a twin/double room, and inclusive of full English breakfast.
• A five course evening meal in the AA Rosetted restaurant is £39.95