IT didn’t take me long to fall in love with Grasmere. Heading past spectacular fells, the lake appearing through trees, it felt like an other-worldly place with a charm all its own.

Grasmere is a busy village, but eerily tranquil, in a good way. It doesn’t take long for the place Wordsworth called the “loveliest spot man hath ever found” to cast its spell.

I stayed at Tweedies Bar & Lodge, a family-run hotel which has had a major re-investment, and six new rooms. The name comes from Mickey "Tweedie" Moscrop, a tweed merchant who visited Grasmere every summer from 1922-1976, becoming a Lakeland legend. Pockets of tweed are sewn throughout the bar and lodge in his memory.

The hotel is beautifully furnished; log fires, cosy sofas, a piano and sheep-themed chess set in the lounge, and a rustic dining-room where we enjoyed fabulous cooked breakfasts. It felt like a private country house. Our spacious bedroom, with tweed lampshades and bedspreads, overlooked the pretty gardens.

Tucked away in a courtyard are The Mews, four suites with star-gazing skylights, a patio and hot tub.

With an extensive range of craft ales and perries, the bar has a friendly vibe - somewhere to relax after a walk.

Grasmere is the place to be for Wordsworth pilgrims, and next year is the 250th anniversary of his birth. The Romantic poet lived there for 14 years and is buried in St Oswald's churchyard, just over the road from Tweedies. In the Wordsworth Daffodil Garden, overlooking the river, a path is made from slate stones, each bearing the names of people from around the world. In springtime there are 10,000 daffodils in bloom.

A short drive away is Keswick, where we visited Fultons Lakes Jewellery Works, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how fine jewellery is crafted. Run by husband-and-wife team Brian and Zoe Fulton, the site, comprising design studios, workshops, a gallery and cafe, is, like much of Keswick, a creative hub inspired by the Lakes landscape.

Brian, who has been designing and making bespoke jewellery for 35 years and is a Freeman of Goldsmiths, uses traditional skills and specialist equipment for every stage, from casting and mounting to polishing and setting. As well as making for jewellers across the UK, Fultons takes bespoke orders, from re-setting family jewellery to creating Lakeland souvenirs. Bringing apprenticeship opportunities to the Lakes, the business is tackling a skills shortage in jewellery-making. It is, as Zoe says, a "hidden craft", and it was fascinating to follow the process and see Brian, a master craftsman, at work.

After artisan coffee and cakes at Fultons, it was onto nearby Portinscale to the 40-acre Lingholm estate, where a Bradford couple have transformed Beatrix Potter's holiday home into 12 self-catering properties. Standing on the shore of Derwentwater, Lingholm's multi-million pound restoration included a cafe, with a 100ft-long glass wall looking onto a splendid Victorian walled garden on the site that inspired Beatrix Potter's Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Owner David Seymour has been a regular in the Lakes since childhood. "We wanted a move to the countryside to start a family-oriented business. The moment I stepped into the main house at Lingholm, I never thought about going anywhere else," he said. "I set about researching an overlooked part of the estate's history and found that Beatrix Potter imagined several of her stories here. Many people associate her work with the South Lakes so it was fascinating to uncover this little-known side of Lingholm's history."

The once overgrown garden produces vegetables for the Lingholm Kitchen. We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea in the greenhouse overlooking 'Mr McGregor's garden', served by a delightful waitress who made us feel very welcome, then took a walk to a little Derwentwater jetty, overlooked by a fabulous Lingholm boathouse conversion; a striking, contemporary lakeshore holiday home.

We ended our weekend with a trip to Rydal Mount, nestled between Grasmere and Ambleside, where Wordsworth and his family lived from 1813 to his death in 1850. It has the feel of a lived-in family home, with their furniture and possessions dotted around - a tea-set, shoes belonging to Wordsworth's daughter Dora, portraits, William and Mary's love letters.

The five acre garden remains very much as Wordsworth designed it, with terraces, rock pools and lovely views of Rydal Water and surrounding fells.

It was indeed "the loveliest spot", and I didn't want to leave.

* Tweedies Bar and Lodge, Grasmere. Visit tweediesgrasmere.com or call 01539 435300

The Lingholm Estate, Portinscale. Visit thelingholmestate.co.uk or call 01768 77423

Fultons Lakes Jewellery Works, Keswick. Visit fultonjewellery.co.uk or call 01768 779798

Rydal Mount, between Grasmere and Ambleside. Visit rydalmount.co.uk or call 01539 433002