“This was our first time at this cottage and at this area in the Lake District.”
I have to admit, after reading some of the lukewarm reviews (not all of them), I did have a little skepticism about the quality of the cottage. The photos are OK but don't really do it full justice. So, here is a long, thorough review that considers everything so you know what to expect. We arrived just after 4 to collect keys at the Heart of The Lakes office which was close to the cottage. It was great to have designated parking (had to unload bikes and rack as well as other stuff). The cottage was very clean and well presented. Walls are freshened up, it appears, with recent paint, carpeting upstairs in great condition and again, very clean. Plenty of wardrobe space and chest of drawers for storage. We were only 2 in this 2 bedroom cottage (booked on late side so couldn't find a one bedroom place). Both bedrooms were great, spacious with lots of storage. The main bedroom bed was extremely comfortable for me - it has a great topper which is a bonus for me as I have a hard time sleeping on hard or unsupported mattresses. The second bedroom beds had toppers also. We slept very well there and was so quiet. The bathroom was fine, an electric shower (not massive pressure but ok) over the bath. A roll of toilet paper was available and great quality bathsize towels and handtowels fir each guest. The kitchen is a perfect size with breakfast table for 4. It is well stocked with various cooking items and the rest. 2 tea towels were available. No problems there. 2 cafetieres offered (hidden in storage). We were left a welcome pack with 2 rubbish liners, small vial of washing liquid, sponge, cloth. We did bring our own, just in case, but it was good to see this was considered. I would suggest it would be sensible to just leave a normal size container of washing up liquid for visitors travelling from outside the UK. We also forgot salt/pepper - Airbnb now leave these sorts of basics for visitors (cooking oils etc) which makes a huge difference, again especially for non UK visitors. Is there some kind of health and safety thing that stops other rentals from providing a few of these helpful things? Thanks for leaving liquid hand soap in the bathroom (maybe left behind from a previous visitor). The conservatory dining area is lovely and spacious. The living room is comfortable with nice furnishings, good size TV with Netflix available. The front entrance shoe/boot room with coat rack was very spacious and useful. We also loved having the spacious bike shed available to store our bikes. It has power there where I charged my electric bike and that is where the washing machine is. The back garden is quite shaded with the large tree there. It is actually a nice little area. There were a few weeds but not enough to bother us. The table and chairs had a bit of sun when we returned from our day out and we sat outside for a bit. In spite of being close to other terrace cottages there, it is very quiet and peaceful. We really lived our week long stay and we would definitely rent this cottage again. It is an easy walking distance to Ambleside town where there are many walks/hikes without having to get in the car to go further afield. The cottage is up toward the end of the street up a hill. We didn't mind this, really, just took our time walking up after our long hikes. If staying here with less mobile visitors you may want to have easier access as there is this hill as well as steps into the cottage at both front and back. The toilet and bathroom are also on the upper level. This didn't bother us but may be an issue for visitors with mobility problems. Like I said, we would come again for sure. If the owners want to make this cottage stand out even more than others in the area, maybe consider supplying more if those kitchen essentials beyond the welcome pack (cooking oils, washing up liquid, salt/pepper - they are so cheap to provide and restock when empty. Yes, perhaps you have to ask the service people to do the extra check on this to top up when needed.) Note, the cleaner arrived early as we were getting bikes on the car which took a bit She needed the parking space - was a bit of time. It was a bit awkward but she worked around us and she was nice. I understand she is probably under pressure to get lots of cottages done in time. Sakes Cottages asks people to strip bedding and put used laundry in bath which we did, and cleaner was very appreciative.
- Jeannette, September 2023