“The cottage is cosy and charming, and the courtyard garden is beautiful, especially in afternoon sunshine.”
However, there were a few surprises/shocks not mentioned in the listing... and I am detailing ALL these, even though they may seem a bit nit-picky, because for anyone with compromised mobility like myself they present huge challenges, which I wasn't expecting.
Firstly - car access from the road requires reversing up a very steep and narrow driveway from a one-way street. The only way to
manage this is to put your hazards on as you
reach the Temperance Hotel right opposite,
and for your ...
However, there were a few surprises/shocks not mentioned in the listing... and I am detailing ALL these, even though they may seem a bit nit-picky, because for anyone with compromised mobility like myself they present huge challenges, which I wasn't expecting.
Firstly - car access from the road requires reversing up a very steep and narrow driveway from a one-way street. The only way to
manage this is to put your hazards on as you
reach the Temperance Hotel right opposite,
and for your passenger to jump out and hold
up traffic whilst you negotiate the awkward
tight angle into the driveway. The allocated
parking space is immediately at the top of the
steep slope, with a yellow bollard close to the
wall which you need care to avoid! Several
pieces of smashed rear lights (not mine!) on
the ground show how tricky this is!
Next, there is yet another equally steep slope up, not mention in the listing, to reach the VERY steep slate staircase of 11 high steps, before reaching the access to the cottage.
Once inside, we didn't notice a damp smell (as mentioned in several reviews) but it was mid
June when we stayed. There are numerous
moisture traps dotted around though, and the
vent fans in bathroom and kitchen are on
permanently, independent of lights,
suggesting that this is a problem.
Cottage layout is simple, but there are a
couple of steep steps down to bathroom and master bedroom, which are also not mentioned, and no handrail.
2 leather sofas look very comfy, but are so low that I couldn't get up from them, so after
one mistake of getting comfy on our first
evening, I had to resort to bringing a garden chair in from outside for my evening "comfort" this being marginally less uncomfortable than a dining chair!
In the slightly tired-looking bathroom I was
aware the shower was over the bath. However no non-slip safety mat is provided to stand on, and the one grab rail is at the other end of the bath, so I was unable to have a
shower during our stay.
Nevertheless, my friend and I have had a lovely holiday. The cottage is right in the heart of Ambleside so provided you don't have mobility issues it's ideally situated for exploring the town and for visiting other parts of the glorious Lake District!
Thank you for leaving your detailed feedback. We take all comments on board, and we will be ooking at the information and listing provided so that the information is correct.
We will ask our Property Services Team to look into the points raised.
We hope that you would return to the Lake District again.
Property Owner