We residents of the British Isles have been known to tell overseas visitors that our favourite beauty spots are so ravishing it doesn't matter if you view them in sunshine or driving rain.

In this wet corner of the North Atlantic, it helps to take a positive attitude. Anyone who has crossed Rannoch Moor in horizontal hail might beg to differ - while breathtaking in dappled sunshine, it is forbidding territory on a bleak day.

But there are parts of the UK which are dramatic and intoxicating even in bad weather, including many areas of the Lake District. This makes Cumbria a great location for an out-of-season break.

You don't have to venture far into the Lake District National Park to appreciate its beauty at any time of year. Six miles south of Penrith lies the ridiculously pretty village of Askham, which in turn is just four miles from Ullswater. During a weekend in the area, you can combine hillwalking with boat trips, browsing around craft shops, visiting historic sites and, of course, eating.

We spent two nights at the medieval tower house hotel of Askham Hall. As we approached the village, dusk was starting to fall and the rolling landscape was powerfully evocative. To reach Askham, we drove through the Lowther Castle estate, vast landscaped parkland traversed by an avenue stretching downwards from a ridge dominated by the castle ruins. The facade of this neo-Gothic confection makes for a dramatic sight in the dying light. The place was in complete silence as we drove past into the Lowther valley; with an overactive imagination, you could almost feel as if it were watching you.

Askham itself has two greens extending either side of the main road, edged by whitewashed terraced cottages, and the hall is reached through a stone arch at one end.

For anyone with a feel for history, Askham Hall has particular charms as it offers the opportunity to stay in a real medieval castle. Its 12th-century pele tower was added to and extended into a mansion in the mid 1500s. This Elizabethan extension projects around three sides of a small cobbled courtyard. Guests enter through a great wooden door into a stone flagged entrance hall, before heading through another door into the tower. A great oak-pannelled staircase leads upwards while in the high-ceilinged lounge at the foot of the stairs, great wood fires burn to keep guests warm in all weathers.

Besides extensive grounds and a well-stocked kitchen garden, the hall has its own tiny heated swimming pool. I ventured into this as the evening chill set in on our second day. Not much scope for a workout but it would be lovely for cooling down on a hot summer's day; treatments and a sauna are available in the bijou spa.

The hall also boasts a fine restaurant run by chef Richard Swale, who has worked with John Burton Race and Anthony Demetre in London, completed a stint at Noma in Copenhagen and cooked alongside Michelin-starred chefs in France. Local seasonal produce dictates the menu.

We ate one evening at Askham, with the fresh, aromatic salad, tenderest chicken, and zingy apple crumble and parfait the highlights of an excellent three-course meal; my husband, a vegetarian who doesn't eat cheese, was well catered for with a herby courgette risotto. We had canapes before the meal and sweet treats afterwards in the comfort of armchairs before the great fire.

Askham is home to Stuart Broadhurst Ceramics, a renowned Lakeland pottery. Broadhurst specialises in teapots, but produces a full range of crockery. One of his most arresting recent collections is inspired by the Orkney skyline, the potter being an annual visitor to the islands.

The morning after a hike up Hallin Fell we visited Lowther Castle and Gardens. The facade is being restored, but the house itself will remain a ruin due to the prohibitive cost of full restoration. There is a good tearoom and a shop, but the main attraction is the 3500-acre grounds, the largest such estate in England, taking in a vast landscaped garden behind the castle which is being restored by an army of volunteers. You can spend an absorbing morning learning about the playboy "Yellow Earl" of the Victorian and Edwardian era, and walking (or should that be trekking?) round the gardens.

For a winter getaway, this corner of rural England has much to recommend it.

TRAVEL NOTES

Rebecca McQuillan was a guest at Askham Hall, near Penrith, Cumbria. Visit askhamhall.co.uk or call 01931 712350. B&B costs from £150; until December 4 there is 30 per cent off accommodation on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday providing dinner is booked on one night. The Kitchen Garden Cafe is open Friday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm, during winter.

Stuart Broadhurst Ceramics is open seven days, 9am to 5.30pm. Visit stuartbroadhurst ceramics.co.uk.

Lowther Castle and Gardens, Lowther (lowthercastle.org) are open daily from 10am to 4pm. Entry to the gardens and castle ruins costs £8 (under 16s free).