Holiday Cottages In The Lake District To Rent

Alasdair - verified booking

"Location was superb. Easy walk down to the shops, cafes and river of Pooley Bridge, and the ferry terminal. Easy car access to much of that area of the Lake District. The view from the kitchen door is superb, and the one from the sitting room and dining room is OK.The exterior is nothing to write home about. Indeed, the outside area is virtually non-existent. The front is a tiny patch of paving slabs with a few shrubs and a bench (with a little step in front of it, not a big drop as they seemed so keen to warn us about in the listing). Other than that there is the tarmac drive and a bare paving slab path squeezing along the side to a hard area at the back for hanging out laundry, all surrounded by a shabby, falling-down fence. Previous visitors have obviously also come expecting space for children to run around and play, which has led to a big sign near the door warning not to play on the road or anywhere else other than the village sports field behind one of the pubs. This was fine for us given the weather, but I feel it is worth warning people who are attracted by the bunk beds into thinking it is perfect for children.It was possible to get a good wind through the bungalow, which was wonderful in the heatwave we were experiencing.The interior is very dated, to be polite. Actually, it is old enough to give the feel of being dirty and grubby even though it was actually clean. The free-standing fridge behind the kitchen door led to many collisions as opening the fridge door blocked the opening of the door to the rest of the house. The en-suite furnishings were a depressing brown and the majority of furniture throughout looked like a mismatch of things picked up in cheap auctions. The beds in the twin room were seriously uncomfortable, leaving me with back pain every morning (and this from someone who is happy camping). The shower in the main bathroom had the knob on backwards; I spent a very long time trying to work out why it was running cold before I found it mentioned in the visitors' book by a previous holiday-maker.Only one small roll of toilet paper was left in each bathroom, so you should remember to bring your own. Similarly, be prepared with your own cooking oil and all other kitchen staples.In summary, it is in a good location for visiting that part of the Lakes, but you'll want to spend as little time in the actual bungalow as possible."

Arabella - verified booking

"We picked S85024 for our family of four to stay in mainly because of its location, and we were not disappointed! It was great to be able to walk up Helvellyn from the door, or drive short distances to other stunning walks.We had some mixed emotions about the house itself. Overall it was decent. Plus points were the effort the owner had gone to to make sure that everything you needed in terms of facilities and equipment was provided. And we just loved the amazing view from the huge windows across the lake to the mountains beyond. So we felt very 'welcomed'. From a neutral perspective, worth noting that a quirk of the lay-out is that one of the bedrooms is downstairs whilst the other is upstairs - this worked for us as our kids are a little older and it was nice to have the space, but may not work for others. Both bedrooms were ensuite which was appreciated.We rent holiday cottages quite a lot (great for holidays with kids!) and comparatively, this cottage was one of the smallest we have stayed in. Yes, it was big enough for us 4, absolutely, but cost-wise it is less house for the pound though I appreciate that location is excellent though. The main challenge that I had with the place was the water. After a day's walking I just wanted a warm shower or bath. The water was never hot enough to run a decent bath, and the poor water pressure in both showers in cold bathrooms meant that it was quite a chilly experience having a shower. I am completely understanding of challenges in water pressure in certain locations, but this was the main thing that impacted our enjoyment of the cottage so possibly it's worth looking at?In short, we felt very welcomed, in a cottage in a lovely location, and we could see from the visitors book how many people loved staying at S85024, we just would have liked better water facilities!"

Paul - verified booking

"The cottage was clean & tidy on our arrival. However, the cottage could do with some refurbishment and I for one would be prepared to pay more for that privilege. The bathroom was a huge waste of valuable bedroom space and could be made en-suite very easily. The shower over the bath could disappear and a proper shower cubicle could easily fit in the bathroom. The furniture in all the bedrooms was basic and in need of renewal.Not sure what you could do about it but the stairs to the top floor were difficult and dangerous. There is a need for a downstairs W.C. The property is meant for 7 people so this is not an unreasonable expectation. Lounge was adequate but the kitchen could do with a total refurbishment. The cooker top does its own thing (being electric) and the oven is untameable. I have got used to much better quality accommodation and was disappointed with this cottage. Myself and my family will not be back here until it has been refurbished. I'm sorry if this sounds offensive, - it is not meant to be but I believe that it is better to be honest. A lick of more inviting colour on the outside window and door frames would do much to lift the kerb appeal. The photographs on line flatter the property. Location is good and this would encourage a return stay if/when the property is refurbished. Housekeeping could be more diligent as we found three broken glasses hidden in the utility room - on a window ledge which is below counter height, beneath pile of tea towels. We were lucky not to injure ourselves on these. Fortunately, the beauty of the area was undiminished by the sub standard accomodation."

Christina - verified booking

"A really lovely cottage let down a little by a few niggles eg shower door, dead light bulbs, washing machine seen better days although still working. However, maintenance issues were dealt with extremely promptly and we had a great time. Would (and will) stay there again with no hesitation.One note of caution to families with small children...highchair, travel cot and stair gate are provided, but I would hesitate to rely on them. Can't comment on cot as took our own, but highchair seemed wonky and unstable (used our booster seat instead) and stair gate is really not suitable for use. It is a pressure fit but is supposed to fit in wall mounted cups screwed into wall. The cups were loose in the box with sticky pads and some wooden blocks, which presumably were to be used to extend the width the gate could cover. We certainly weren't confident it would be safe so didn't attempt to use it, relying on close supervision of our 2 1/2 year old instead.Also, not massively impressed to find urine in one toilet on arrival and the toilet brush holders were growing their own life forms...closer attention needed to cleaning between lets is needed!"

Kieran - verified booking

"West View and Ambleside was a good choice as a base for our holiday in the Lake District. The property is well kept, has everything you need and is presented really well. Ambleside has almost everything you need with exception of a large supermarket. This isn't much of a problem as Windermere (15 minutes drive) has a Booths supermarket or you can shop online and have it delivered the day you arrive as we did.Bus routes to most locations and connections in the Lake District are just a 2 minute walk up the road which is really handy for the days you don't want to use the car. You also have walks that start from Ambleside or very close by which was also useful.Only negative was the narrow access to parking. Not a problem as such if you know the size of your car and once you've figured out angles for reversing out of the space it's not a problem, just a word of warning!"