Join travel writer Tom Chesshyre for a lakeland adventure like no other. Explore towering mountains, wide-open valleys and magnificent lakes – stopping off at a cosy inn or two along the way – on a 379-mile hike around the Lake District

Other themes emerge through the book too, like the ranking of pub sandwiches and of Cumberland sausage, the price of a lime and soda, and the huge variety of locally brewed beers. Echos of Wordsworth and Coleridge also pop up repeatedly. Bedrooms may be basic, but they are clean and tidy (fine for those properly prepared). A sparse yet functional living room comes with chairs and a table with Lake District books and left-behind tea candles. Done properly, bothies in the Lakes are clearly a treat, plus a great way to keep down costs. But they are not the only way. Combined with staying mainly at hostels and limiting overnights at inns and hotels to weekdays when prices are lower – as I did – it is possible to become a happily frugal long-distance hiker in the Lakes, without resorting to camping. Tom Chesshyre at the top if The Old Man of Coniston (Tom Chesshyre/PA) Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex

Lyrical, witty and full of cheer, Lost in the Lakes avoids tales of heroic climbs in favour of the quieter - and oft-overlooked - story of everyday life in one of Britain's rural honey-pots. From barmaids to town mayors, Chesshyre lends an inquiring ear to everyone who crosses his path, resulting in a delightful portrait of a community that is proud of its past but unsure of its future. Part travelogue, part social commentary, this gem of a book succeeds in being both politically engaged and uproariously entertaining - a rare feat in travel writing and a welcome new direction for the genre. - Oliver Balch, journalist and writer Tom Chesshyre sets off to make a meandering circle of the Lake District on foot with one aim in mind: 'to let happenchance lead the way.' In his amiable and relaxed company we climb the fells and skirt the lakes; just as engagingly, we meet a carnival of characters whose personalities and opinions are the real focus of Chesshyre's tale. Together they sum up a region whose problems are many, but whose enchantments are still unmatched for walkers in these islands. - Christopher Somerville, The Times Across landscape that so inspired the Romantic poets, he takes in remote parts of the parkland that many tourists miss - enjoying encounters aplenty with farmers, fell runners and fellow hikers, while staying in shepherds' huts, bothies and old climbers' hotels along the way, and even going for a (chilly) dip in Derwentwater. No tourist hordes, of course: this isn’t Bowness or Ambleside. No tourists at all. Just remember to take a camping mat and some fuel… and you can stay in a bothy without any bother at all. You will have gathered by now that this is not really a guide to the Lakes but you will still learn a lot about the place and especially about its people, and hopefully you will also be entertained. I know I was.

Mosedale is overseen by the Mountain Bothies Association. In the Lake District, there are a mere five bothies (bothies really being a more common Scottish phenomenon). Mosedale is among the most popular, with room for about 20 people.A cheery account of travel writer Tom Chesshyre's month-long 379-mile hike around the Lake District last spring. He has a journalist's ability to intersperse descriptions of dazzling scenery with brisk historical facts... this book makes you yearn to go there. - Country Life Then there’s a fireplace-cum-stove. This would be great if you could light it. But there was no fuel when I arrived. This had meant the evening had been chilly, even before the sleeping bag debacle. You were meant, it seemed, to bring your own fuel. Of course you were meant to bring your own fuel!

A charming book, brimming with tender affection for this 'magnificent... dreamy patchwork' of peaks, tarns and 'serpentine valleys... between soaring slopes'. Tom Chesshyre is no brash Wainwright-bagger, but instead a relaxed, affable guide who takes us on a 'big wobbly circle' of a stroll around all sixteen main lakes: an impressive 379 miles in all. Neither travel guide nor gushing panegyric, Lost in the Lakes is a book for the everyday ambler: gentle, slow-paced and sweetly uplifting at every turn. - Rebecca Lowe, journalist and author of The Slow Road to Tehran Previous visitors had cooked delicious-sounding fish stews and Lancashire hotpots. I knew this, as these gourmet evenings were described in a mouldy old guestbook. Other entries told of knees-ups with songs being sung into the early hours beside the glowing grate. Many a party had taken place at Mosedale Cottage over the years. Inside Mosedale Cottage Bothy (Tom Chesshyre/PA) Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration

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Admittedly, condensation drips down from the shelter, making the sleeping bag damp. And it’s still nippy, while the wooden bed doesn’t get any softer. But I make it to the morning. Companions described him as having wept. Staying in remote bothies, it seems, can involve a steep learning curve.