Striding Home

A beautiful holiday home.

On a very quiet road. From upstairs living room view over Black Cragg to Old Man of Coniston. To watch the clouds breaking over the fells was stunning. The balcony at the rear of the property had a lovely view of Wansfell Pike. The garden was lovely and secluded. Rooms were comfortable and spacious. It was ideal for the 7 of us. Contacted Sykes with a little niggle. And sent someround that afternoon ( loose toilet seat ). Will return.

Beautiful property well equipped and in a great location.

Everything was first class. Would book again

I cannot recommend this property enough - absolutely fantastic!

Great property with everything you could possibly need (including spectacular views!) situated in a perfect location to Ambleside! 5 stars!

Very short distance from town.

Property well furnished. Bedrooms sizeable and beds comfortable with four rooms with excellent views. WiFi signal excellent, never went down. Sink in front bedroom is partially blocked. Recycling not possible and this needs to be addressed.

As reported to the lady in the Lakelover's office in Ambleside when we were passing last Tuesday, the shower screen over the bath has come away from it's silicon fixing along the side of the bath.

I can see why it's set up like this, to prevent the door hitting it if it is open, it's been like it for years! However it makes it very difficult to get to the taps or clean the plug end of the bath, especially for older people, like me! May I suggest taking the screen away and disconnecting the shower and leave it just as a bathroom as there are no 3 other showers in the house? Otherwise Striding home was a fantastic an experience as it was when we first stayed there 25 years ago and at least six time since! Thank you David Skipper 07775 915812

This house is absolutely lovely the photos don't do it justice the views from the front is spectacular and it's just a stones throw from the shops and pubs

Fantastic home, great location, excellent for bigger families.

We stayed at Striding Home for a family break between xmas and new year to enjoy the wonders of the lake district. The property was in a great location close to ambleside, had plenty of parking and all the rooms were lovely. We had everything we needed for a wonderful family break.

Very nice accommodation, lovely location and brilliant views.

Property is spacious and homely for your trip away or family gathering. Would definitely recommend.

This is a lovely house, have stayed here before.

The beds are very comfy and the settees are good too. The biggest problem with this house is the kitchen. It is very small and cluttered. It would be difficult to dish up a meal for 10 people as there would not be enough room for the plates. Some of the lids for the saucepans do not fit. There is not a trivet for putting hot dishes from the oven on.

Great home from home.

Ideal location in the heart of Ambleside, but tucked away from the hustle and bustle. Loved our stay at the Stridings.

Absolutely wonderful stay.

Had everything we needed and more, wonderfully clean too. Will definitely be returning again. Our family of 5 all slept comfortably. However, I would note the double mattress with the pine bed frame really needs replacing. Luckily it did not affect us as only needed 4 beds. Location is beautiful and you can see lake Windermere from the living room window. It's quite a steep drive up but manageable compared to other areas in the lakes. Gets your heart pumping walking back up from the main road that's for sure! 10/10 stay, thank you.

A fantastic accommodation in ideal location so close to Ambleside town centre.

Only negative point is the pile of rubbish outside the house. We have put the wheelie bin at the curb on Thursday but the bin men would not take it so our rubbish just added to the already large pile of rubbish which started to smell. Also, we seem to have switched off hot water without realising so please mark the hot water switch ( which I assume is the next to where the kettle is?). Otherwise a great holiday accommodation, thank you

Excellent location, lovely large lounge diner.

New extention really adds value to the stay and the revamped garden is much improved.

I’ll preface this by saying that this is a great house with everything that you need for a great visit to Ambleside and the Lake District and we had a terrific week.

The views across the fells and lake from the lounge are incredible and constantly changing. By chance we arrived an hour or so early to drop the cars and met the owners (who were tidying the gardens which are beautiful) and they were absolutely charming. We’d booked this stay 18 months or so ago on the basis of a 4 bedroom/3 bath home so we were delighted to find that it had become a 5 bedroom/4 bath home in the meantime and this house still represents good value in its upgraded form so far as I can see. A low pressure warning on the boiler was resolved same morning as it was reported. I understand that there is a leak in the upstairs shower too but only needed a towel down to deal with. Lovely stay and went too soon.

The property was lovely.

Plenty of space and felt homely. The garage storage for bikes was very useful. My only comment is that work has been recently carried out on the property to convert the conservatory to another bedroom. This has resulted in the garden being relandscaped . There is no longer any grassed area and so not suitable for children . Was a bit disappointing but did not spoil our stay .

We had a great break at Striding Home, Ambleside.

Really good for local walks and easy to get into town. The house was in a good location with plenty of room with decent parking. Beds really comfy & the bathrooms were pleasant/clean too. The laundry room was handy for hanging wet walking gear to dry. The only disappointment was that the wood burner/fire place was out of use. Also the house could do with a few more kitchen utensils / pans. Many thanks, Matt (Sheffield)

Fantastic property with amazing views.

Kitted out with everything we needed. We really appreciated the great space for our family to all be seated together in one room. Parking was an added bonus. Ambleside 5 mins walk and Wansfell Pike on the doorstep, too! Lots of walking maps and information on the area which really helped our holiday run smoothly. The only problem we had was turning off the upstairs shower. Also, there was no welcome pack on arrival but that seems to be normal with Sykes Cottages, which is a shame. Thank you to the owners for letting us stay in their wonderful home. We would definitely recommend and will return!!

Property was generally in good condition, a good size for us, and clean, and suited our needs well.

Good quiet, location and walkable to Ambleside. We enjoyed our stay and appreciated the maps and games. A couple of minor things: I had to clean black gunk off downstairs family bathroom shower head and the washing machine needs some strong washing machine cleaner. I Put it on a 90 to clean it a bit before using it. Slate paving in garden needs repairing and tall trees really block sun and views at the back and could easily be cut back to improve this.

A well situated, comfortable and fairly spacious property for a larger family.

Two showers and a laundry room are really useful and the fairly well equipped kitchen proved good for self catering. The garden is not really suitable for children and needs some attention. There was a loose slate on a path, an obviously dead tree near the front door which needs prompt removal and untidy pruning debris left alongside the property. These issues are easily rectified and did not detract from our enjoyment of the property. We would happily return.

Hi, very good , location great , apart from the walk up the hill.

Great views , lots of space , bigger than it looks on pictures. Was a great trip for my 65th , everyone enjoyed , thank you .

Seriously spacious, light and airy home with all the facilities you could need.

Comfortable and clean. Central heating warms the place up quickly. Amazing walk-in shower. Just a stone’s throw away from the shops, restaurants and great walks nearby. Amazing views of the lake and surrounding fells. Total bonus having use of the piano which the kids absolutely loved. Huge dining table and separate utility room with washing machine etc. Made some great memories at Striding Home - thank you so much!

The house was very spacious, clean and well equipped, especially the kitchen and the dining room.

The only thing that could be improved is having soap in every bathroom including some shower gel and more toilet paper, but apart from that it was an amazing stay and I recommend it to everybody. It is in a great location where you can leave your car and hike from the house.

Our family had a wonderful stay at Striding Home.

Close enough to Ambleside for provisions and hostelries but some lovely walks from the door. As a mixed age group from 18 months old to 70 years, we were delighted with the location. The house is a real home away from home and we would very happily stay again. We visit the Lakes every year at this time and this is the best rental we have had. Thankyou

A very conveniently located, pleasant property with good parking and great views from the lounge.

The three main bedrooms are comfortably spacious,although two adults may find the twin room rather cramped. Three shower rooms and a separate utility room were great for our group. At long last the fridge/freezer has been upgraded and the induction hob is excellent. The kitchen is now very well equipped with the exception of pans which need upgrading, apart from the only frying pan which needs binning. Aside from these minor gripes we have enjoyed Striding Home numerous times over the years and have just booked again for next year.

Lovely spacious house, very well equipped.

Garage for bikes/pushchairs was super useful. Overall a very enjoyable stay, but a couple of negatives: The king bed mattress in the downstairs bedroom is uncomfortable and noisy; the floorboards upstairs are very creaky and noisy, hindering sleep downstairs if anyone in the upstairs rooms gets up in the night; we found it difficult to get washed clothing dry in the utility room (without using the dryer) as it was too cold being linked to the garage - an airer to put upstairs or and outdoor line would be a great addition.

A great house, with stunning views of the surrounding fells and Windermere.

Lovely rooms with comfy beds. Great kitchen and dinning space to cook and socialise. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to stay in the Lake District.

We had a great week and will be booking again for December 2023.

I think the living room is ready for a refurb. The double bed downstairs is not very comfortable and needs a new mattress. A larger TV would be great and Sky TV - I would be happy to pay £40 A week more to be able to record and have more channels.

Striding Home is a very well kept house with good facilities.

We stay in holiday homes quite regularly and found it unusual that there was no welcome pack other than a small box containing a cleaning cloth, a very small amount of washing up liquid and a couple of dishwasher tablets. It was unusual that there was not even milk in the fridge! There was no hand soap in the bathrooms. We had to go hunting for firelighters, matches and kindling but there were no logs available and this was not made clear in the description. We found the sofas were not that comfortable. We felt the house lacked the personal touch.

Main bathroom shower doesnt work.

There is convoluted notes about trying it half way round etc but we tried numerous times and it didnt work. Hot water tap doesnt work in downstairs bathroom. Annoying when you have a full house and wanting to get out early for the day or back after a day walking that this hasnt been fixed previously as they obviously are well aware of the issues. The rest of the house is great, great views plenty of space and games etc. Just a shame they dont spend a small amount to fix the issues!

Already booked for February.

We love it.

We loved our stay at Striding Home.

The cottage is ideally situated, not too far from Ambleside village but just far enough to be away from the hustle and bustle. Very clean and comfortable and we wouldn't hesitate to book again.

Had a fabulous short break.

Beautiful house and stunning views in a cracking location. Just a stroll away from local amenities and a lovely little park, plus 20 mins walk to the lake. It has everything and more needed for a self catering break. We only had a little niggle which was the sink tap in the en-suite was v loose and the mattress in the double bedroom wasn’t the best, but Striding Home was lovely, warm and clean with a view to die for. Our kids loved it as spotted deers, sheep, horses and loads of birds from the bedroom windows. My daughter thought the piano was fantastic. Thank you.

This was a great last minute find beautiful home and location and facilities were great with the added bonus of exceptional views we would definitely stay again if this side of the lakes.

Thank You for sorting at short notice. Jo Curry

Final travel directions could have been clearer - with no Satnav I managed to get us lost/stuck up a track!

House itself was good - pretty roomy and well equipped although sitting room furniture not terribly comfortable. Beds and bedrooms all good - in the details it would have been nice to have a picture of which bathrooms were near which bedrooms so we could have sorted out who was having which room before arrival - there were seven of us - but in the end everyone was happy! The en suite was the only bathroom pictured - it was really nice but even there the basin tap was loose and it won’t be long before some heavy handed person breaks it! We did manage to get the conservatory door open but it needed a strong man and then it was almost impossible to shut again - certainly not fit for purpose!! Rubbish collection vague, nowhere in house to say which day bin went out- eventually found one mention at bottom of travel directions!!? No recycling crates which was ridiculous as the recycling lorry definitely visited the road on the same day as the rubbish collection! We did find note in folder suggesting we took our recycling home with us! We would have needed a trailer!! However, the weather was kind to us and we all had a lovely holiday - being able to walk to the shops and the lake a real bonus!

Great location and perfect size for our group of 8.

Parking was a blessing. Drying room was brilliant and hallway was great for loads of shoes and coats. Decor is tired, needs addressing. Bedroom furniture needs updating, drawers very stiff to open and close in twin on top floor. Patio door still broken despite it being reported numerous times. No whisk in kitchen again, it's been reported loads of times. One of the single beds has a horrible stain on the mattress. There were marks on pillows and one of the duvet covers had a hideous mark on it, we had to wash it before using it. TV was difficult to use, the apps not very good on it. Not the best reception but then we were in the Lakes! Fridge was freezing contents!! Hair dryers need upgrading, barely dried our hair. Blinds needed on the bedroom windows. The curtains are very thin and bedrooms were very light from early in the morning.

Great property

Great location perfect house for 2 families to stay in.

Kitchen contains everything you need from hand whisk to salad tongs! Enjoyed the views from dining room whilst eating. Lots of games & jigsaws & dvds for rainy days. Didn’t use the conservatory & garden this stay as was February but we did use it when we stayed last summer.

A lovey comfortable home from home.

The house had everything we want in a holiday home, we enjoyed it so much we booked again for next year!

An enjoyable stay at Striding Home in Ambleside.

Well appointed, close to the village and peaceful. My kids appreciated the musical instruments provided for use.

I had been concerned after reading a negative review but was pleased when we arrived to find this has simply been one person’s experience rather than the norm.

The house was well equipped and the photos on the website don’t do it justice. There is a clear view of the lake from the lounge and all rooms are comfortable and clean. We had an issue with a wasps nest which we reported and it was dealt with immediately. We also reported a loose tap in one of the bathrooms and again, this was mended witching the week. I would say that the sliding doors out to the garden need some attention (as reported in the previous review and clearly not actioned) they are very difficult to slide open and close properly. The location of the house is excellent, and while uphill, it allows for great views on the return trip. There were 4 of us staying but the space would be excellent for up to 4 couples or a large family.

The holiday was 5 of us sharing the house (3-10 July 21), a couple in the en-suite room and 3 of us each having single occupancy of the other rooms.

Striding Home is a lovely big house (up a very steep hill) with plenty of space and lovely, if small, garden. When you enter the front door there's a large entrance area with loads of hanging space and a huge boot rack. The views, especially from the lounge, are stunning. The bedrooms were lovely and the beds were fantastically comfortable and I had a 6' wide bed to myself! :) I'm afraid the praise can't go any further than that. I think the owners are doing the house up bit by bit. As I said the bedrooms have been updated, as has the en-suite bathroom, but the other bathrooms are very dated and my friend and I, sharing the upstairs bathroom, had great trouble turning the shower on and off, the knob is sooo stiff. There is also a leak from that shower which comes out at floor level and runs towards the doorway, so be careful you don't slip! We used one of the towels to leave in place to mop it up. There were times when our toilet made an horrendous sound when it was flushed. The kitchen is not very well equipped. There is a huge stove but it's very very old and some of the rings don't work properly and/or so wobbly you can't put a saucepan on them. The kettle is so old you can't see the water level. the fridge freezer has certainly seen better days and is the old style that freezes the food that gets to the back! There are not many mugs and not much cutlery. If there were 8 people staying there (which it holds) you'd be putting the dishwasher on after every meal! When the sun was shining in the lounge you could see how the cleaners had dusted ROUND the ornaments on the windowsill - better if they hadn't bothered! Also they hadn't dusted the table behind the tv, or the fireplace. It makes one wonder about the bathroom cleaning. The guy in the en-suite said he had to clean out the drain of the shower for the water to go down - he said it was really bunged up with hairs Ugh! It all needs a really good fettle. There's a music room downstairs which leads into a lovely conservatory. We would love to have used this more but the patio doors proved so stuck that only the guy could open them, and then with great difficulty. They certainly need looking at. Coming back to bedrooms - in the write-up it says one of the rooms is a twin. I had rung Sykes and asked if the twin could be made a double, us being single occupancy. Sykes rang me on the morning we were setting of to go there and told me he had just spoken to the housekeeping staff and no, they couldn't do it as double. Lo and behold, when we got there they were all made a double!! I don't know what happened but there was a definite miscommunication there. My room was a zip&link which can be either so beware if you need twin, it might be pot luck what you get. Ambleside is lovely and we had some great walks with good weather but I'd be wary of staying at Striding Home again.

Fabulous house in an excellent location.

Really well equipped with everything you could possibly want. Lovely layout. Very spacious holiday home. Some of the communications from Heart of the Lakes/Sykes around covid were contradictory or unclear. They could do with revising.