Dad’s 80th birthday treat was a weekend away with myself, Michael & Mollie dog . 80 dances around the sun deserves a little treat.

Dad struggles to walk far these days, as does Mollie. Dad’s 80, Mollie is 11. This was the one thing we maybe should have researched more before booking.

Back to that later . . .

Twin Lakes is located in Carnforth which is classed as the Lake District, in a very secure gated community . A set of purpose built lodges that sit overlooking the ( manmade) lake. It looked amazing on paper … and it was in person every bit as beautiful as I had envisaged.

It is a 2 hour drive from Sheffield to Carnforth , so not an horrendous journey.

We booked the pet friendly Tranquility Lodge. It slept 6 and was extremely spacious. The main living area was open plan with beautiful floor to ceiling windows . There is a fully equipped kitchen with everything you could need – cooker, microwave, dish washer & washing machine .

The light was amazing.

There was the Master Bedroom complete with en-suite bathroom & heated flooring upstairs. Downstairs there was a twin and double bedroom . The twin was en-suite and the double had access to the bathroom opposite that housed a bath . Bath tubs make me happy – Love my baths ❤️

Check in was 4pm – which they are very strict about . We chanced our luck and sneaked in earlier (Michael’s always been a rebel) only to be told within 5 minutes of being there to “please leave and return at 4pm as the lodge wasn’t quite ready” .

That is understandable, they were very nice, we made our apologies and left . I just think for what they are charging per night an earlier check in or a later checkout would be preferable . Talking of which checkout was 10.00am which they are also very strict about. There are no late checkouts – even by request . If you are not out by 10am they charge you an additional amount.

So here’s my lowdown . I’ll start with the negatives … that way things end on a high ! Nobody likes a negative Nancy do they.

Negatives •

A very little niggle but a negative all the same – The Tranquillity Lodge is dog friendly, but there was no sign of a food or water bowl anywhere . If there was some they were well hidden?

You are quite limited to what you can do unless you have a car as it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere . There are no facilities on site ; a bar / restaurant would have been perfect . There’s a small manmade beach and a kids play area that looked like it was out of bounds during our stay. Worth noting there is a bus stop right outside the main entrance.

A payment of £150 was taken as a rolling deposit for our stay – something neither of us had been made aware of prior to our arrival.

Positives •

The accomodation is stunning, very tastefully styled but also simplistic . It is a little haven of tranquility; the perfect way to unwind & switch off , which let’s be honest most of us rarely ever do.

The decked area at the rear of the lodge is very roomy and houses a picnic bench , 2 sun lounges and a jacuzzi that looks out across the lake.

You are surrounded by the deliciousness that is nature. It feels very ‘zen’. I could happily have watched the resident swan swim around for hours. I thoroughly savoured my morning coffee sat watching her.

The family of rabbits that kept appearing from the bushes at the front of the lodge were a joy to watch and Dad got pleasure from counting the ducks on the lake. It was 8 on his last count. He’s 80 , it made him happy and kept him out of mischief – leave him alone ! He also helped me save a baby mole from a pesky magpie. Tracey & Dad 1 – Magpie 0

Even the massive spider that lived on the door frame was ok … just as long as it stayed put, didn’t move too fast … or jump on my head !

The complimentary milk , and orange juice was a nice touch but nothing I wouldnt expect from accommodation of this standard. Would it have been too much to ask for a loaf bread too?

The underfloor heating in the bathroom. It’s the little details for me.

That Hot tub was amazing.

The views.

Enough to calm the most frantic mind.

There is allocated parking for 2 cars right outside your lodge.

Places we visited near Twin Lakes •

Longlands Hotel •

A 2 minute drive, or 20 minute walk gets you to the Longlands Hotel , a lovely dog friendly bar, restaurant & hotel. It was super welcoming with water and dog treats provided at our table. The waitress could not have been more welcoming or helpful.

The food was good, if a little on the steep side and they sell Madri lager which is always a big plus !

Tesco , Carnforth • ( for essentials)

As I mentioned there are no facilities on site so unless you have brought supplies from home you will need to stock up. My idea of food-packing was half a load of bread, 2 Harrods teabags and 2 packets of crisps which I didn’t realise were out of date ! DOHH!

It’s a 5 minute drive. If you prefer to shop at Aldi ; you drive past that on your way.

Morecombe •

The drive to the coastal town of Morecambe takes 10/15 minutes. It is pleasant but apart from the promenade and crabbing there wasn’t much else for to do . It didn’t help the situation that it was freezing! If it had just been Micheal and I we would have walked alot further and called into various pubs along the way. It is very limited when you are with your old man and your old dog.

We posed with Eric , had a coffee in the blustery wind . Went on the beach with Mollie only to realise dogs aren’t allowed between May & September !

I think we got away with it…

We then made our way back to the lodge. The sun had reared its beautiful head and the Hot Tub was whispering my name!

Would I go back ?

100% yes if there had been more to offer on site.

I like my peace & quiet but I also love to get dressed up and party ! There’s a lot of one, and non of the other. It was Michael’s break too but he found himself driving everywhere which to me is not that much fun.

Costs for a 2 night break start from £795

* All Paid for ourselves, I just like to share .

* We booked through Hoseasons. It would be ideal for a party of 3 couples.

Tracey x