Confirmed guest - verified booking

"Poet's Retreat is a lovely Edwardian terraced home which has been redecorated to a high standard in a modern style inside, with the original fireplaces removed. The rooms are spacious though the staircase is on the steep side, common for properties of this age. If you have very young children you'd want a stair gate at the top of the stairs. The main bathroom is on the ground floor and reached through the kitchen which is a little unusual; children in the front bedroom requiring the toilet at night need either to walk through the other bedroom, or down the stairs and through the kitchen. We found the property was immaculately cleaned. The kitchen is well equipped, and the owner responds quickly to queries raised (we pointed out a couple of snagging defects which are being rectified). The property doesn't have a washing machine or a dryer . There is a line for drying clothes and a laundry shop (not self service) on the same road. The fish and chip shop further down the road serves good scampi.We liked the location as it allowed us to drive easily to Crummock Water avoiding driving through the centre of Cockermouth, but it may not be for everyone (look at the map). It's on quite a busy road and because it is at the edge of the controlled parking there is competition for the free parking spaces in front of the house. The furthest we had to park was less than five minutes walk. The walk to the centre of Cockermouth is down a hill, which has some good coffee shops and restaurants. We liked Wordsworth House. Harris Park with children's playground and also two supermarkets can be reached along a level cycle path that follows a disused railway line (start by walking along the main road away from Cockermouth)."

Emily - verified booking

"Overall we had a lovely stay. The cottage is beautiful and in a wonderful location, great for walking. I think the cleanliness needs to be improved, it could do with a serious deep clean, the shower head was covered in limescale (easily recitified) pots, pans, plates and cutlery all needed washing before even using them due to grease and dirt. Baking trays in the oven covered in someone else’s food. I was also surprised that there was no stair gate for the top of the stairs, been child friendly you would have thought this was a must due to the stairs steepness. Having a 2 year old we had to barricade the stairs with boxes and bags so he didn’t get out of bed on a night and fall down them. In the welcome packs and cottage information packs I felt that it was very over the top on how clean you should leave it. Yes we know been self catered you would intend to leave it as you found it bar changing beds and cleaning bathrooms however been a dog friendly cottge also it states there must be no trace whatsoever that dogs were even here. I found myself cleaning like a maniac on the morning of departure in case someone came to find me for leaving a single dog hair!! ( my dogs do not shed) but we pay £20 extra per dog, I’m not sure what this is going towards if it isn’t going towards a more thorough clean after we’ve left? There were lots of rules and regulations to follow which isn’t a great way to start a holiday. And lastly I was hugely dissatisfied to find out later after booking with you that on another website I wouldn’t have had to pay for my dogs and I also would have paid a lot loss for my holiday. I will not be using your company again."

Julie - verified booking

"House out of town. Ten to fifteen minute walk through the park to get to the town. House and decor tired and not very well kept. Down stairs shower had a poor drainage system, towel rail covered in dust, rusty shower fittings, patio door into kitchen had dropped on hinges and couldn’t be closed without a lot of effort, blind broken on outside conservatory door. Toaster in the kitchen kept tripping breaker and toaster was very hot to touch when used, which would be dangerous for a child. Conservatory had two chairs in which when considering it is for eight people is of little use but could of been so much better with more seating in it for which there was adequate room to do.The gutters were leaking at the back onto the conservatory which was noisy during showers. Upstairs shower in main bathroom vibrated the pipe work alarmingly when you switched it on.Single beds in back bedroom were not meant for adults more for a child. Wardrobes in front and back were meant for children.With the stunning views from the front of the house the potential for this property is far from realised. Not deserving of four more a three."

Mr - verified booking

"Enjoyed a four night stay at the Gamekeepers Cottage, impressed by the standard of the accommodation and friendliness of the hosts. Property is set in the grounds of the hall, and as made clear in the description the main grounds are not open to guests, there is however an area of garden space and terrace which guests can use.There is ample crockery and cooking utensils, the kitchen is large and spotlessly clean. Bedrooms are large with comfortable beds and quality linen. Bathrooms are similarly well designed and fitted. Whilst it was not a problem for our party I should mention that there are steps up to the front door and a further steep flight of stairs up to the bedrooms and bathrooms (no downstairs WC) so anyone with reduced mobility may have a problem.We enjoyed our stay at the property, several lakes, Keswick, and the coast can be reached within a half hour drive. Sadly there is little to do within walking distance of the property, there are no shops, but there is a local pub but it is closed on Monday and only serves food Thursday - Saturday."

Ruth - verified booking

"The cottage was peaceful and the bedrooms lovely and clean. Beds were comfortable and bedrooms very clean. We were disappointed with the out door space. On the advert it is a cottage with garden. Unfortunately it has a small area outside the back door with a small table and 2 chairs. This space is more like a small yard. Definately not a garden so the advert is a bit miss leading. The stairs up to the bedrooms are very steap and we did have to take care as a fall would cause serious injury. Not suitable for the elderly or children. Television was complicated to work and only used the one in the small lounge. I gave a 6 for cleanliness because the fridge was not as clean as it could have been and one of the couches has several long blonde hairs on it. I had to remove them before sitting on it. Bathroom downstairs is not that user friendly as it is located next to the kitchen. Overall the owners have tried to do their best to create a welcoming little holiday house. Hopefully these comment will help to improve how the accommodation is advertised."