I have found my idyll - and I'm going to share it with you lot!

[roisin]

We spent Friday night at Ennerdale YHA in the Lake District, and I have to tell you it is gorgeous there!

If you like "quiet, back-of-beyond, and then some" this is the place for you! We live in Cumbria and it still took us over 2 hrs to get there. You can drive to the YHA, but the last 2 miles are forestry commission tracks not public roads. The electricity is generated by water power, and when we asked, the guys kindly showed us how it worked!

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, the food was great, and the hostel is lovely.

But the location is stunning. It is so quiet, and so remote, and just awe-inspiring.

We had a superb walk today - Red Pike/High Stile/along ridge and back down to Ennerdale (where Black Sail Hut is). From the top of Red Pike it was busy with all the walkers from the Buttermere side, but it was deserted on the Ennerdale side.

I love it! Can't wait to go back. But we'll wait until the end of the midgey season

In september we went to Snowdwon Ranger. The food was out of this world. Dh and Ds climbed up Mount Snowdon doing the pyg trail and down doing the Ranger trail which is a stone throw from the YHA. Defo, do it again.

Ennerdale is fantastic we were there when it was still gas lamps and also the same at Black Sail too. Yha hostels are in fantastic locations - we love them. Was at Boggle Hole last weekend. Sadly so many people have the wrong idea about them. They have changed so much from years ago.

I went to Boggle Hole as a child on a trip from school and hated it! It put me off YHAs for a gap of almost 30 years.

Last year we had a week in York, which was superb. The hostel was very friendly and welcoming, the breakfasts were amazing, and the walk from the hostel to the city along a footpath along the river, was stunning.

We've off to Borrowdale in 2 weeks' time, again just for a night to escape from town.

The boys' stay in YHAs on their school residentials too.

Walked past Ennerdale YHA last summer on a warm day and wished they served cold drinks to sweaty walkers. Any idea what will happen to it when Ennerdale is "greened" and the tracks are no longer maintained?

Salcombe in Devon is in a lovely setting and Holland Park in the center of London is brilliant value for a city break and in Regents Park too, so very very quiet at night.

We love YHs. I can't believe the high standard of accommodation in most and still want to sweep the floors etc. In fact the staff were advertising to pay someone for folding linen in the last one we went to!