Refurbished Traditional Lakeland Cottage Receives Prestigious Gold Award

Lakelovers Owners transform a former B&B to a Visit England Gold Award winning Lake District holiday cottage

One of our cottages in the Lake District, which has been sympathetically refurbished to include 21^st Century mod cons – while staying true to its Lakeland heritage – has been handed a 4-Star Gold Award by VisitEngland.

Phil and Emma Milburn poured over the renovation of Far Nook in Ambleside to transform it into a stunning example of how traditional and modern can successfully live in harmony. The couple bought the home in 2015 and spent 6 months lovingly extending and renovating it– before letting their self catering Lake District home out with Lakelovers.

“When we first came to look at it, we loved it from the minute we stepped inside, as it has such a homely feel to it,”

says Phil.

“The previous owners had it as a B&B and they used the downstairs as their living quarters and guests stayed upstairs, so we knew we had to renovate it, to make it a home again.  The kitchen was the most important thing to do, as it was too small for guests. We wanted to create a dining area – a space which was comfortable for 8 people – so friends can sit, socialise, relax and have a meal together – so we decided to extend it.

“It was important to us to keep the outside looking traditional and so we used a local architect – he just so happens to live next door! – and hired a local builder to do the roof and stone work.  We chose to use reclaimed tiles and stone, to keep the character and charm of the house and, the builder did a great job in keeping it looking traditional Lakeland.”

“It really was fascinating to watch the builders at work using traditional techniques by hand, selecting stone and chipping it away to make it the right size.”

The house retains many of its original features too, from cornicing, parquet floors, a beautiful staircase and Arts and Crafts fireplaces.

“We’re so pleased with it and we love it – the minute we park up and get out of the car, I start to relax. It just has that about it,” says Phil.

“We decided to rent it out, because it is too much of a beautiful place not to share with other people. Plus, we didn’t want Ambleside to be a ghost town of second homes, because that isn’t fair. The feedback from people has been that they like the amount of space it has and being so close to Ambleside. Others love the bi-folding doors in the kitchen, which seamlessly brings the outside in.” 

And, Phil is over the moon that their home has been upgraded by VisitEngland.

He adds:

“We are delighted that Visit England has recognised the all the hard work that has been put into improving Far Nook.  We want our guests to be able to relax and enjoy themselves on holiday in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.”

Phil and Emma have created 4 beautiful bedrooms – meaning that up to 8 people can chill out together in the heart of the Lake District on a Self catering Lake District holiday or short break.

 “We think it is a great place for friends and family to get away from it all and have a lovely time together – we certainly enjoy that aspect of it. And, there’s lots to do without using your car – which is great for the environment. There are heaps of trails to walk right from the doorstep, lots of attractions also and so many good restaurants in Ambleside to choose from. We really enjoy the lovely easy walk from the front door of Far Nook up to Rydal Hall then sweeping back along Under Loughrigg; followed by a piece of cake at the end of the walk from the renowned Apple Pie Bakery.”

Phil and Emma’s Far Nook is just one of 450 holiday cottages in Cumbria in our Lakelovers’ portfolio, which are all VisitEngland graded 3-5-Star.

If you are thinking of setting up a holiday let  or letting your holiday home, look here https://www.lakelovers.co.uk/let-your-cottage/ to discover how Lakelovers can help you get going to make a return on your investment and make letting your property stress-free and profitable.