“We recently stayed at this Lake District cottage, drawn by its promise of a private, scenic location with a hot tub and high-end feel.”
Overall, it is a beautiful spot in a stunning part of the Lakes, but the stay was marred by quite a few maintenance issues and small oversights that felt disappointing given the rental price.
Arrival and first impressions
The directions were clear and helpful, though the signage on the gate could be larger and more obvious. It would save drivers from having to stop and double-check. Access is via a shared driveway through the neighbour’s garden, with two manually operated gates. The driveway ...
Overall, it is a beautiful spot in a stunning part of the Lakes, but the stay was marred by quite a few maintenance issues and small oversights that felt disappointing given the rental price.
Arrival and first impressions
The directions were clear and helpful, though the signage on the gate could be larger and more obvious. It would save drivers from having to stop and double-check. Access is via a shared driveway through the neighbour’s garden, with two manually operated gates. The driveway down to the property is narrow, uneven, and lined with trees and bushes, making it tricky to manoeuvre. There is advertised space for three cars, but turning even one around is challenging, two is just about doable, and three would require reversing uphill on what feels like an off-road track. We managed, but it was not relaxing.
Upon entering, the cottage generally felt very clean, well-maintained, and fitted out to a good standard, with some lovely decorative touches like the coat hooks in the master suite and a fantastic shower unit. The bedding was fresh and clean, and we appreciated the basic cleaning pack provided. It is always a nice touch. There were blankets, games, books, and local attraction guides, which added to the welcoming feel. Furniture was suitable and in good repair, the TV and Wi-Fi worked fine (though signal is understandably limited upstairs in a stone cottage), and the showers were hot and powerful. These are basic things done right.
Settling in and kitchen/living areas/bathrooms
The kitchen had some issues that became apparent quickly. Only one roll of toilet paper was provided in one bathroom, with none in the other (outside). This was a surprising oversight for such a minor expense to the owner. One hand soap dispenser was broken (outside). The kettle was in need of descaling or replacement. Both frying pans were essentially destroyed, with Teflon flaking off badly, and utensils were limited. Knives had plastic handles that were flaking apart. Crockery included several chipped mugs, plates, and bowls that really should be replaced.
The dishwasher performed intermittently, error-coding repeatedly and not cleaning properly. In the living area, plaster was falling off the wall near the door and curtain pole. The door to the conservatory or orangery jammed shut, and the door between the lobby and kitchen had dropped requiring adjustment. Both clocks had dead batteries. Light switches throughout felt oddly wired. They were either upside down or operating in the reverse direction to what is normal.
The second double bedroom stood out negatively, with black mould around and near the shutters. This was concerning in a holiday let.
Hot tub and outdoor experience
The private location delivered fantastic views from the hot tub, with little traffic and a peaceful setting. The tub itself, however, was a little underwhelming. The jets were weak and clearly need servicing. There were no hooks for towels or robes, nowhere dry to place them, and no handy spot for a phone (for music) maybe install perhaps a small ledge above the light switch? We would have loved a tall table nearby for cups or cans (glass is not permitted). A pathway up to the hot tub would also be ideal. Even in flip-flops, walking across wet grass in the dark is not pleasant. If the privacy screen is closed, there is no way to retract it from inside, and no easy step around the corner post to reach the tub area. A small additional raised flagstone would solve this nicely.
During the stay
A neighbour was out servicing the garden and driveway around 4pm on both days. He was perfectly pleasant, but it is worth noting as that is often check-in time. Another neighbour appeared with a barking dog around 7 to 7:30am each morning. This is not controllable, but something light sleepers (or those with dogs) should be aware of.
Departure and general notes
No instructions were provided on what to do with the bedding at the end of the stay. We also were not sure where to dispose of dog poo bags. Clear guidance on that would help.
In summary, the cottage has a lot going for it: a truly private and scenic spot, high overall cleanliness and quality in many areas, and thoughtful extras like games, books and guides. The views from the hot tub alone make it special. However, the accumulation of small-to-medium maintenance issues, worn kitchen items, and practical oversights detracted significantly from what could be a fantastic experience. A few cost effective targeted updates (new pans and crockery, servicing the hot tub, addressing mould, better driveway access info/signage, basic supplies like toilet paper and maybe some provisional kindling/wood) would elevate it considerably. We would hesitate to return in its current state but appreciate the potential which might make it seem better value for the price.