I stayed a night in 'loneliest house in UK' - it had no electricity or phone signal

In the Lake District, perched 1500 feet up connected the flanks of Skiddaw, is simply a hostel known arsenic the loneliest location successful the UK.

Skiddaw House is loved by hikers and cyclists arsenic the redeeming grace from a lonely travel done the heather and hills of this stunning landscape, wherever its manager Sue Edwards provides a roasting fire, cosy bedrooms and jaw-dropping views implicit the fells of the Lake District.

Such is its isolation that Skiddaw House was erstwhile described by novelist Hugh Walpole arsenic “one of the loneliest dwelling-places successful each the British Isles”, helium wrote successful his 1932 murder-mystery caller The Fortress.

This gathering is known arsenic the astir distant successful the UK, and until now, has been astir wholly inaccessible by car - but I was fortunate capable to beryllium fixed a accidental to tackle the steep, narrow, winding way up to Skiddaw House successful a marque caller Dacia Duster.

I was apprehensive astatine the opportunity, arsenic I person precocious moved to England from New Zealand and person ne'er driven a car successful this country, fto unsocial been 1 of the fewer radical to tackle a notoriously challenging off-road way to this isolated house. But I’ve ne'er been 1 to shy distant from a challenge, truthful I packed my bag, made definite my exigency contacts were updated and headed disconnected to the Lake District.

Immediately determination was different first; the Duster is simply a near manus drive, which I’ve ne'er driven before, and the handbrake was obscurity to beryllium found. Brushing speech my flimsy panic, I got down the instrumentality and aft a little rundown connected wherever the handbrake was (to the near of the steering wheel, and automatically connected erstwhile the car is successful neutral) we were off. After immoderate teething issues with a elevation start, I was stunned by however casual it was to drive.

After a two-hour scenic circuit of the Lake District past Lake Windermere and immoderate of the much awe-inspiring mountains I’ve seen, we reached the commencement of the ascent to Skiddaw House.

Travelling successful convoy, we began the climb. Initially, the thrust was elemental done farmlands with plentifulness of funny sheep taking a look astatine our vehicles winding dilatory upwards. Then, the roadworthy seemed to autumn distant connected the near manus side, straight beneath my spot arsenic the roadworthy continued to climb.

The constrictive way was edged by heather connected 1 side, and a 30-foot driblet down to the stream beneath connected the other, which I tried precise hard not to look at. But the Duster took it each successful stride, carrying connected contempt my shaking hands connected the wheel.

Up ahead, slicing done the acheronian mountainside, was the snowfall achromatic froth of Dash Falls cascading down the hills. It was truthful beauteous it took my enactment distant - though that mightiness person been due to the fact that I was achromatic knuckling the steering instrumentality truthful hard.

After curving circular the falls, we continued connected and the roadworthy narrowed again. Although we had passed the sheer drop, different situation arose with the way being enclosed by purple heather and rocks to either side. The Dacia Duster has a country information strategy which sings a alternatively pleasing dependable retired erstwhile an obstacle is detected to fto you cognize you mightiness beryllium getting a small adjacent - this alert rang retired incessantly and perpetually arsenic we bumped done the heather.

The car handled the jagged way incredibly. Despite the rattling of the road, the car stayed connected the consecutive and constrictive and took each rock, boulder, bush and bump with ease. It wasn’t until we got to the location that I was told my car had been travelling with 2 wheels successful the hedgerow and 2 wheels connected the road, tipping the conveyance astatine a jaunty space astir constantly.

The suspension is truthful bully I had hardly adjacent noticed I was sideways. Luckily, if you’d alternatively thrust horizontally, the Duster has a diagnostic that tin beryllium switched connected which volition show the nonstop space you’re tilting astatine connected each axis. I was grateful this hadn’t been enabled connected my thrust up, arsenic I deliberation I whitethorn person had a bosom attack.

As we reached the culmination of our travel up to the house, we turned a country successful the heather-covered moors and determination it was, looming up retired of the mist.

The gathering is simply a show to behold. Perched atop a hill, it's surrounded by 200-year-old trees which person been blasted by the howling upwind implicit the centuries. The wood to the backmost of the location seems to bow towards it successful reverence and the 2 storey spot sat solidly successful the mist staring retired implicit the hills.

Like thing retired of a novel, the location commands you to thrust towards it. I could ideate weary travellers climbing the mountains and feeling that thrill of find arsenic they came crossed it. It is not precisely a welcoming looking gathering but alternatively a compelling one.

Once we drove done the gates we were instantly welcomed by Sue Edwards who has lived astatine Skiddaw House and cared for its guests for the past 2 years, on with her lolloping spaniel Jura - who’s authoritative rubric is "Head of Meet and Greet."

Sue’s passionateness for her enactment and for the spot is evident and the location itself is simply a lukewarm hug successful the mediate of the unforgiving mountains. A roaring fire, blistery tea, and the cosiest bedrooms I person ever seen offered a invited reprise from the bitterly acold upwind whipping astatine my look arsenic I drank successful the scenery.

There’s nary energy and nary telephone awesome astatine Skiddaw House but you don’t request it. The location is genuinely an escape, and with the soundlessness of the countryside pressing against you from each sides, it’s an incomparable experience.

After 1 of the champion sleeps of my life, I awoke and went retired to the plot of the location to instrumentality a last look retired to the fells of Skiddaw. Standing conscionable metres from the house, wherever my question companions were bustling astir making beverage and breakfast, I could person been the lone idiosyncratic successful the world.

Despite being truthful adjacent to people, I could not perceive a connection from them implicit the dull whistle of the upwind done the heather and betwixt the mountains. I don’t cognize however agelong I stood determination staring retired crossed the dense mist, but it could person been years. The caller aerial whipped my hairsbreadth and coiled crossed my ankles but I didn’t care. All I felt was peace.

Finally, we bundled backmost into the cars and began the descent down the upland and backmost to reality. I don’t deliberation I’ve ever felt truthful regretful to permission a spot behind, but I cognize I’ll beryllium back.

This travel was a existent outdoor acquisition made imaginable by Dacia. All elements of our travel to Skiddaw House, on-road and off-road, took spot successful the All-New Dacia Duster. Find retired much via dacia.co.uk .