I'll be honest, I love 'Bleak Season'. Cold, dark, damp nights are my bread and butter and this time of year is filled with plenty of those days.

The storms, the dramatic sunrises, the marauding landscapes singing the foggy dew, autumn/winter make my inner goth very happy.

But where is best to spend it? Well, it won't come as much of a surprise to inform you that the Lake District is arguably top of the list, according to the Telegraph.

"What is most wrong with winter in the UK is the way it is framed – the way it is ­dismissed as the “off” season," they said.

"Because if you are willing to look at things a little differently, you will find that winter can be very much “on”."

Lake District:

The Telegraph said: "The Lake District is just not designed to host its legions of fans. Its roads are too windy, its honeypot villages too tucked away, its signature trails too narrow and vulnerable.

"But winter, at last, sees the national park empty out, even though the attractions are manifold: frost-crispy fields, mist whirling over frozen lakes, snow carpeting the fell tops, Herdwick sheep sporting their fluffiest fleeces, pubs stoking their open fires. 

"Indeed, this is prob­ably your best bet for an English white Christmas or cheeky slalom – the Lake District Ski Club on Raise, near Helvellyn, runs a button lift in winter, provided there’s enough snow (£20 per day; ldscsnowski.co.uk)."

What to do

They continued: "This is the Lakes – it’s practically mandatory to go for a walk. And there are plenty of options for iffy days: a ­simple walk from Keswick to Castlerigg Stone Circle; sheltered strolls in Grizedale Forest; and a low-level wander up Gowbarrow via Aira Force, which is especially impressive after rain.

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"If you want to walk with others, book a winter break at Ramblers Walking Holidays’ Hassness House.

"Idyllically sited on the shores of Buttermere, it’s a beautiful base for guided hikes (three nights from £440pp half-board; 01707 331133; ramblersholidays.co.uk).

"Those seeking a greater challenge could join a Winter Skills course on Helvellyn with the national park’s Fell Top Assessors (£125pp; select dates; 01539 724555; lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk)."