TWO of the country’s top comedians have been in the Lake District shooting their latest project.

Steve Coogan - best known for his comic creation Alan Partridge - and Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydon have teamed up to shoot ‘The Trip,’ a semi-fictional series which sees the two men visiting six of the north’s top restaurants.

The series is directed by Michael Winterbottom who worked with the two actors on A Cock and Bull Story about the life of Tristam Shandy, which was nominated as Outstanding British Film in the 2005 BAFTA awards.

The comedians and crew spent a day filming at Hipping Hall, near Kirkby Lonsdale, where they dined in the 15th Century Great Hall, as well as visiting Cartmel’s L’Enclume and Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel in Windermere where new owners Stephen and Lisa Leahy were among the extras.

Also among the extras were Vicky Monk, owner of the Howbeck and Windermere Suites in Windermere, and Pete and Jo Harris who own Windermere Wine Stores.

The duo enjoyed lunch at Hipping Hall so much that they plan to return on Thursday for more filming.

Owner Andrew Wildsmith said: “It was a pleasure having Steve and Rob at Hipping Hall.

"They loved the food so much they are coming back again this week and they were really taken with the history of the place.

"We’re looking forward to our TV debut later in the year.”

The series of six half-hour slots will be shown in the autumn and rumour has it that Steve would also like it to be a 90-minute movie.

“It's Rob Brydon and me going around as ourselves reviewing restaurants,” said Steve.

“It's not about a character assassination of restaurants – they've all signed up – it's about restaurant celebrities and their fashion-grabbing with food.

“I'm playing myself not really knowing what I'm doing, and the fact is that I don't really know what I'm doing.”