DALEMAIN Mansion is one of the most beautiful and impressive stately houses in the north west, home to the Hasell-McCosh family and their fascinating collections of fine furniture, family portraits, ceramics, dolls’ houses, and old toys.

The treasures of Dalemain also include its Meconopsis Grandis, the famous Himalayan Blue Poppy, a strain that blooms in all its glory May to July. Oh, and there's the Dalemain scones too which are made from a closely guarded secret recipe.

For many though, the grand Cumbrian mansion, near Penrith, is the centre of the world for marmalade. Jane Hasell-McCosh founded the World’s Original Marmalade Awards to celebrate her love for the orange preserve 12 years ago, and since it has spread beyond her wildest dreams with entries all over the world, including Japan, Australia, South Korea, India and the Czech Republic. Visitors to Dalemain’s shop can taste a selection of marmalades that have been officially named the finest in the world, as well as Dalemain’s own range, which includes a 17th century recipe from the Dalemain archives.

On Saturday the 14th World’s Original Marmalade Awards and Festival will return home to Dalemain Mansion with many exciting activities in store: the finest stalls in the north west, marmalade-mad entertainment, including juggling and the 'Marma-lympics,' singers, lectures and more. As always, the festival hosts hundreds of delicious artisan marmalades from all over the world available to taste and buy, with displays of thousands of homemade marmalades in the state rooms.