Sam P - verified booking

""What a fantastic venue Blackdown Manor is. Prior to the event I was worried about how smoothly my 30th birthday would go with 24 people attending. It couldn't have gone better with the help from The Big House Co and especially Claire making the whole weekend run like clock work. The clay pigeon shooting was fantastic as everyone enjoyed the experience. It didn't matter if you were a total novice or if you were a descendant of a famous Western shooter - everyone learnt something from the instructors. The house is perfect for hosting a party (80's party in this case), as the kitchen and living rooms are all in close proximity with plenty of space for everyone to mingle. Even the likes of "you cannot be serious" John, "Funhouse" Pat and Del Boy made it to the party at Blackdown Manor. The kitchen had all the amenities needed and was the main gathering room in the house, whilst the dining room being large enough to fit 24 people, was also cosy enough to give a real homely feel. If this wasn't enough all the bedrooms were nice and spacious, and the beds were super comfy, with plenty of bathrooms. The Merry Harriers is just down the road and offers some real Somerset ales and great food (also make sure you leave enough for desert - the menu is huge) Altogether this house was a real treat and this can be confirmed by the fact that all 24 people that came for the weekend had a great time, I can now see why people go there to get married. Thanks again Blackdown Manor."

Charlotte - verified booking

"An excellent location - we split our week between visits to the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District and loved everything on offer, especially the White Scar Cave tour and the beautiful Waterfall Walk.The actual apartment was lovely and very spacious for us (2 adults & 2 kids, 14+12). The only downside was that the shower was absolutely awful. Not enough pressure, so at best was a trickle of water - hair rinsing was a challenge! Also, a vacuum cleaner would have been useful just to keep the living area clean and tidy.The pool below the apartment would've been handy, however we discovered parents had to be in the pool with their child at all times (frustrating none of the blurb said that before we booked) - There was an understanding manager who allowed me to sit on the window ledge & supervise, as I'd not taken swimwear myself, however there was also a less understanding manager insistent on me going in, so ultimately that put paid to that! Ingleton's heated outdoor pool was fab for the kids though as an alternative.All in all though a nice apartment in a fab location. It's a shame about the shower & it's that alone, which puts us off coming again."

Anonymous - verified booking

"Came here with 4 teenagers so disappointed to find under 15s couldn’t use the pool without supervision. I feel this should be made very clear on the website, as it restricted us all. I wouldn’t have booked if I knew.The lodge was not very clean and I spent the first couple of hours sweeping and wiping down surfaces particularly the balcony area. The BBQ was filthy and unusable which was another huge disappointment.One of the bathroom locks didn’t work. They tried to fix it but didn’t, so 4 teenagers felt very uncomfortable using the shower and toilet for fear of being walked in on.The dishwasher was another feature that led me to book, but sadly the plates didn’t fit in it, so I spent time having to wash up which also wasn’t part of my holiday plans!Other than that we enjoyed the local area. The Tarka Trail was lovely and we had a great day cycling and seeing the sights.Overall we made the best of it but felt it was let down by lack of attention to detail and poor information. Great if you have small children but avoid if you have teenagers wanting independence."

Jennifer - verified booking

"Both the house and the grounds exceeded our expectations. The house was large and comfortable and elegant - every bedroom a little more generous in size than it needed to be, every downstairs room was inviting. The kitchen was lovely and light and well-equipped - room for plenty of us to gather there when we were preparing meals. Lots of freezer space, lots of plates and cutlery, two dishwashers. The whole house was welcoming and homely, not prissy. The children enjoyed the generous supply of board games, the table tennis, and billiards. The pool was great, and the hot tub too. As for the grounds! More like our own private park. The majestic trees - especially the copper beeches - the beautiful, thoughtful planting of the flower beds, the upkeep of the lawns and paths - we appreciated them all. The lake was dreamy. The children, aged fro 8 to 15, made dens, had races, swam, had a treasure hunt (ending on the island). They were so happy and engaged. Even though we had two wet days. The Big House were excellent to deal with - friendly and helpful."

Lorna - verified booking

"Spent an excellent week at The Loft, the children (8 and 5), especially loved it. From the moment we arrived we felt like it was a home away from home. The apartment was really well appointed and surprisingly spacious with lots of room for storage. The lounge/kitchen was very convenient and comfortable. The bedrooms were spacious and the beds were also very comfortable. There are lots of windows so everywhere feels very light and the balcony was an added bonus. We made excellent use of the pool and gym which was really well organised and just next door (perfect on those days when the weather wasn’t on our side). I especially liked the heated floor in the changing rooms. The location is perfect for visiting all the great places the local area has to offer, being really close to Kirkby Lonsdale and Ingleton. Booths supermarket is only a short drive away so no problem picking up supplies either.I would highly recommend The Loft, it was clean, comfortable and convenient, everything we needed."