Mrs Edwards - verified booking

" 1. On Sunday 17th March we had no hot water from the lunchtime until Monday morning. On my return from a walk my husband phoned Martin and though helpful he told us that there was nothing he could do until Monday. And at that time could not specify at what time on Monday but he was aware of the problem and diagnosed it immediately. The heating engineer turned up at 10.00 am on Monday and addressed the issue and resolved it in thirty minutes. It was a cyclical maintenance issue of a pressure tank adjacent to the hotwater tank that had no pressure and which should have been carried out previously. Our discomfort was that we were unable to shower and clean up after a long walk and the children left for home without a bath. 2. There was no TV remote for the kitchen television. There were a host of remotes but none for the kitchen. 3. It is important to state what is and what is not provided in the accommodation. We were without a hair dryer for the weekend. 4. The sauna was included in the facilities but was locked and not available to us. If Sykes accept weekend lettings then they should have a maintenance service for Sundays and other days. It is a poor service that leaves a big house with eight adults and two toddlers without hot water for nearly 24 hours. I would like your response on these four points. "

Ruth - verified booking

"Just back from a lovely 4 night break in Kendal. First time visitors to the Lake District & Cobblestones was in an ideal position to explore the area. One day we bought a day ticket for the local bus service and could hop & off where we pleased. No trying to park and meant both of us could enjoy the scenic views from the open top bus. Can thoroughly recommend the YHA restaurant and bar at Ambleside Pier. Came across it by chance and spent a few hours in the sun overlooking Lake Windermere watching the world go by. Lovely food, drink and service at very reasonable prices.Kendal itself is a lovely wee town with lots of shops from local to m&s, we liked Booths supermarket as it had a bit of a different choice from our usual tescos! Loads of places to eat from wetherspoons to more upmarket bistros,Went to the cinema twice, in the brewery art centre, lovely modern venue.The cottage itself has everything you could ask for for a short break & is in a very quiet & peaceful location but only a few mins walk into Kendal. Kitchen well equipped.Owner Helen was very helpful. Would definitely stay there again."

Vikki - verified booking

"What a beautiful cottage in a great location, close to all the action of Kendal with great access to lovely walks. We had our two dogs with us & chose the cottage because it is close to a park & dog walk at Sepentine woodland. We didn’t find the double bed very comfortable, the mattress was super soft & we both woke up aching each morning. The sofa & chairs in the lounge are also quite uncomfortable but we also accept we did quite a lot of sitting & everyone’s mattress needs will be different! We would have liked to have had eco friendly cleaning products to use. It was very clean & the kitchen had everything we needed for our weeks stay. At times the traffic was very noisy, there’s no double glazing so we were woken by the bin lorry & delivery vehicals on a couple of occasions. The parking is very congested & due to permits there is no parking outside the front of the cottage. Aside from our negative comments we really did have a lovely stay, the cottage is in a great location to access Kendal & we would recommend it."

Ms Rawlings - verified booking

" In particular we would have found it much easier if there had been a couple of larger saucepans a bit bigger than the existing one (though not as big as the giant one). The giant one had lost the handle on its lid which made it hard to use. There was also a lack of - chopping boards (only one, the bread board) - but there are now 3 more as we bought some (a lot of veg need preparing when cooking for a large number). - scales and measuring jugs/spoons/cups - there are now some scales we bought (very cheap, so won't last long) - large forks - there are very few forks and only 4 'dining' forks - the others being small, some very small (child sized?) In general it would be good is someone who has experience of cooking for 10 or twelve did an 'audit' of the cooking facilities. It is such a lovely kitchen for a large number it is likely to attract people who want to use it to cook in. "

paul - verified booking

"Mixed result here. Second bedroom was adequate but small for an adult and clearly it was a little girls taste, which wouldn't suit everyone.Shower was out of date. No non- slip section was included in the bath neither was a non- slip mat provided. A handle above the bath would assist older clients. This provision may have avoided the incident involving the previous guest, in which the gentlemen slipped and saved himself by clutching at the shower curtain.Small bin in the bathroom was not fit for purpose, oven light did not appear to work and I had to purchase a bulb for the bedside light in the main bedroom.Yard outside not particularly attractive with a sprinkling of cigarette butts, and a mop and bucket full of rainwater in the corner adjacent to the well worn garden furniture.Cottage not presented at it's best."