Hammerhole at the Graythwaite Estate

Gathering at “Hammerhole” for our mother’s 93rd birthday was a very special time for us all, but especially for her.

The house being situated so beautifully on the edge of Lake Windermere was idyllic. The house itself did have a few issues, which had been mentioned in previous reviews, and it’s a great pity these have not been addressed, the most frustrating of which was the kitchen tap! The house had been recently decorated, which was lovely. Unfortunately all the silicone in the bathrooms needs replacing because of unsightly black mould, a tap cover needs replacing, and there were springs poking through the bottom of an armchair. I could go on listing a few more issues, including a dog, presumably local, using the garden as its toilet morning and evening, but really all that aside we had a special, wonderful stay and hope that this house is given a bit more loving care, because it certainly deserves it! Would we revisit? Try and stop us!!

The house is in a gorgeous location and the bedrooms and bathrooms were fine.

I wanted to contact you though as the house is in no way worth the £5750 we paid for a week over Christmas. I’ll list some of the issues: Chipped mugs, mucky sofa and chair, clogged up hot tub - I have photos, really mean welcome pack (4 firelighters, 7 dishwasher tablets, 1 loo roll in each loo- some processed orange juice, nice biscuits and coffee. Bit mean for 10 of us at that cost), bathroom extractors not working as full of fluff, food left in a cupboard, fridge freezer in need of defrosting and extra freezer outside was muddy inside! Kitchen tap loose. Nowhere near enough hooks for coats, outside lighting not suitable for hot tub. The hot tub is obviously not cleaned out between visits. It was not warming the water anywhere near enough and the water was not flowing round the system. Eventually we flushed the filters with the hose and a large amount of stinking dead skin and hair came out! It did work after that but not really what one would expect from what is purported to be a luxury holiday venue. This was a big treat holiday for us and we made the most of it because we were all together after the death of our Mum but the facilities and cleanliness for that astonishing amount of money is dreadful. You really need to review the cottages you recommend more closely. I imagine that the estate and you don’t really care if you don’t get repeat bookings and there will always be someone new drawn in by what appears to be a perfect place. I’ll be interested in your response.

Wonderful house spotlessly clean.

Big comfy beds just needed a little touch up with some of the decor but this did not detract from this wonderful house. Would highly recommend it and we would book here again.

We have just returned from a wonderful family holiday!

The property was ideal for us with a downstairs bedroom and en-suite for our elderly parents. The dining table was great and the open plan layout meant we could all be together whilst cooking. The downstairs shower room and toilet was very useful. The beds were extremely comfy and the house was warm and cosy. The location and views were amazing and we benefited from lovely weather during our stay. We were able to sit outside and the fire pit was well used, with a plentiful supply of logs. However given the price of the property we did have some niggles. The dishwasher did not work properly which meant we had to rewash many of the dishes. The dishwasher had been mentioned in other reviews so should have been replaced by now. The cleanliness in the bathrooms could be improved- mould and cobwebs. The barbecue was filthy so we didn’t use it - luckily we had brought disposable ones. The shelf in the fridge door was faulty meaning bottles fell out when you opened it. These problems did not spoil our holiday but just need to be rectified for other guests. The price was premium, the view was premium but the house a little unloved!

We’ve just returned from a wonderful stay at Hammerhole.

The cottage, facilities and location are absolutely tip top. We’ve had a wonderful time kayaking on Windermere, enjoying the beautiful local walks in stunning, picture book scenery and exploring some of the local towns. We also took advantage of the indoor swimming pool which is nearby and great for kids and adults alike. The cottage itself is warm, well appointed and comfortable. There’s almost an en-suite for every bedroom and the additional downstairs shower room was a boon for the slightly less mobile among us. There’s also a well appointed kitchen, a huge dining table and comfy sitting room area. Outdoor space is absolutely blissful with a private garden abutting the lake, a beach area, small wood, lawned area and your own jetty. (We didn’t use the hot tub this time but would definitely fire it up next stay!). There’s also a useful utility/drying/storage room alongside the cottage. The Graythwaite company and owners have been excellent to deal with, and we honestly couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

It was a beautiful cottage with really comfy beds and a lovely welcome box too.

We’d love to return.

We got snowed in at the house , such a stunning place we didn’t mind!

! The facilities , location and surroundings are wonderful. The estate staff are amazing , so helpful and supportive- feel like we made new friends.

Excellent accommodation, beautiful location.

Well maintained property and facilities. Highly rated Book now !

A gem of a property, we had a fabulous stay - thank you Graythwaite.

We made use of the Estates facilities including shop and swimming pool. The property details which Lakelovers have are not 100% correct, we had to call the Estate Office to check a couple of matters, the lady we spoke to at Graythwaite was very helpful.

Fabulous cottage.

we were a group of wild swimmers and the location and facilitates were just perfect .what a fabulous location .the hot tub was amazing a word of caution one of our group stepped out and the steps upended and took a very nasty fall , if the steps have not been secured down or a wider set purchased please take a lot of care getting out ..two weeks later she still can’t sit down ! We also ran out of wood and didn’t read about getting it from the shop so make sure you take spare or buy it in AdVance Otherwise was fabulous highly recommend ,

Firstly this a beautiful cottage situated on the lakeside and we had a fabulous weekend stay with friends however as a premium listing with a premium price we expected more For 10 people there were just enough mugs , not enough wine / champagne glasses for everyone to enjoy a glass of fizz , only 4 dishwasher tablets provided for the whole weekend and no basic condiments which we have previously had in similar properties !

We also had to go out to buy pan scrubs , fire lighters ( only 4 provided ) and more toilet rolls It would have been nice to sit outside as the weather was very pleasant , however the garden furniture was dirty and unkept so this wasn’t possible The WiFi was unnecessarily complicated to access and there was no spare key for the property , which we reported to the Graythwaite estate on arrival via their helpline - unfortunately this issue wasn’t resolved before leaving By ensuring basic items were provided would have definitely made a noticeable difference to our weekend stay

Beautiful cottage right on the lake with fabulous views.

The hot tub was a real winner….very quick to heat up and lovely and cosy on a September evening! All rooms were beautifully furnished and beds very comfortable. The only small problem was that the dishwasher did not always clean the plates properly but this wasn’t a huge issue and certainly didn’t spoil the wonderful few days we spent at the cottage

The house is beautifully located beside Lake Windermere, the rooms are nice and the decor and furniture etc are very pleasing.

Couple of things that we found disappointing were the lack of supplies such as toilet paper, dishwasher tablets, tea towels, ordinary towels, even wine glasses, all were rationed, and it felt like the owners were skimping and providing the least possible. This was at odds with the premium price that was charged for the stay. We would have brought beach towels had we known that they would not be supplied, and there was strictly one towel each in the house. Separately the system for logging on to the wifi was complex and defeated most people in the group.

House was in need of refurb.

Walls grubby, dishwasher didn’t work and had clearly not been checked, lights in kitchen didn’t work, sink leaked and a washing up bowl had been placed to catch the water under the sink. Owner slow to rectify and indeed couldn’t rectify the dishwasher. Incorrect information provided about non allergenic bedding. Grass on lawn uncut. On the plus side the location was fantastic Come on Graythwaite get your act together this was not a premium property and should be amended within the Sykes listing until this is brought up to standard

We had a great stay at Hammerhole, the position on the lake is idyllic and the cottage was clean and reasonably comfortable, although there was only six of us and whilst there are beds for 10 it would have been a bit cramped in the living area for 10.

I would say the price for a weeks stay would warrant a little more on the amenities front such as canoe/kayak especially as it has its own jetty, but the hot tub and plentiful supply of wood was really good. Overall we would rate the stay as good although a little overpriced and the only real bug bear would be the check in and out which was far too late and far too early!!

Beautiful house in a stunning secluded location.

Perfect for big family get togethers for families of all ages. The location was amazing - right on the lake with lovely views. Added perk of being able to use the swimming pool exclusively for a prebooked time slot. We hope to be back one day and would definitely recommend!

It would be helpful if they’d let us know that the logs would be replenished FOC, we only found this out the day before we left and after buying our own logs, no big deal but handy to know if you rent Hammerhole.

Overall we had a great stay in a beautiful setting and it snowed on Christmas Day!!

Stunning house in a beautiful location

Cottage is one we have visited before.

It has recently been renovated to a high standard. Beautiful location and lovely relaxing cottage.

Great location, comfortable cottage with nice space and of course great access to the lake.

We were very happy. That said there are some suggestions below; Lack of WiFi should be more obvious in the listing. Some board games and books and dvds would be good. Both map packs had maps missing. Bigger mugs would be great, all bar one mug were tiny! Great water pressure but so strong that the shower head moved of its own accord and soaked the ceiling. The water pressure also caused the pipes to bang loudly. Two of the toilets - the cisterns needed adjusting because they wouldn’t stop filling until the ball valves were adjusted. The swimming pool was unavailable for 2 days as it was being re-filled and £20 was quite a lot for the gym given it was pretty limited.

We have been to Hammerhole many times with our family and once again enjoyed our stay.

However we had reason to change the bedding sheets on this occasion and frankly were very unhappy with the condition of the eiderdown blankets inside which were very dirty and in poor condition. We did complain at reception and received one replacement but quite honestly feel that these items should be checked/replaced regularly to overcome such problems. We have booked Hammerhole again next year but will require reassurance that action has been taken in this regard.

The cottage , its position and facilities were wonderful and just as described.

This was a three generation family holiday, and we all wanted to canoe, sail and walk. It fitted the bill perfectly. The support staff at the Greythwaite estate were lovely. When a leak happened from one of the toilet cisterns it was fixed immediately. We also had plenty of dried logs for the log burner and milk delivered to the door. Only one issue disappointed and this was beyond the control of the staff. We arrived in the dark and encountered some dog mess on getting out of the car. In the morning we saw that the whole of the garden and driveway was covered in it! We couldn't unload properly or rig boats and we had to restrain an excited grandchild from going outside until we had cleaned it up. It took 3 of us an hour to do, such was the extent of the mess. Not a pleasant start to the holiday. Later on a staff member told us the previous occupants had 4 dogs and had left the property in a horrible state. All credit to the team for deep cleaning the inside in time for our arrival. There were still some poo stains on the floor inside, and the living room carpet smelt a bit doggy, but otherwise the standard of cleanliness was high. We are all dog owners and feel this was incredibly irresponsible of the previous occupants. Not only was it unpleasant but a health hazard. We hope you do not let them rent from you again.

Fantastic location.

Loved the jetty and the large comfortable home. Everything we needed was provided. Magical experience for our family and dogs. Thank You!

This is the perfect place on the lake.

Quieter than Windermere and Ambleside swimming and boating is a delight. Our dog loved it and everyone wants to go back again.

Great place, fantastic setting.

Facilities very good, loved our second time at Hammerhole. Just one little mention about bathrooms. As it sleeps 10 would be much better if all four showers were available. Two are in the baths and only hand held. A screen and overhead bracket would make all the difference

Beautiful location and scenery.

Perfect for a family holiday in the Lakes, even in January there was plenty to do.

We were a group of 8 friends spending a few days in the Lakes relaxing.

The location is stunning, lake shore literally right on the doorstep. Each morning was a different view, calm fog one day, brilliant sunshine another. Had a few issues with the waste tank, but the site estate managers did everything they could (including working by torchlight late in the evening and in the freezing rain) to remedy it. Didn't spoil our trip at all. The kitchen is well stocked with equipment for a large group, and there's an outhouse with a washing machine and second fridge/freezer. Plenty of hardstanding for cars, and fairly easy to find.

Location was wonderful.

Photos didn't do it justice. Magical.

Stunningly beautiful location - the pictures reflect the cottage exactly.

Expensive but worth it for special occasions

The cottage owners should list the location of the fuse box in the cottage manual.

We spent a few hours without lights because if this and saw another comment in the comment book mentioning the same problem.

I booked this house based on a) it being able to accommodate 10 people & 2 dogs & b) its location.

It did not disappoint.