Upper Lodge

Very much enjoyed our stay.

The garden was well kept and lovely to relax in. One issue for us that would mean not staying again is the location- while it was lovely if you wanted to go anywhere on foot it was a real hazard for pedestrians and dogs. We loved Windermere and Bowness but getting there was really stressful unless you were happy to drive. And after several hours travel we did not want to get in the car all the time. We appreciate that this is not something the owner or Sykes can change but perhaps to suggest to the council that better pedestrian walkways is a must!

The positioning of the cottage isnt clear.

If you use the name when you search it gives the impression of it being in a different place to where it is. If you want quietness and seclusion, this is 100% for you, couldn't ask for a better place, lovely views and I would recommend without hesitation. If you prefer being closer to amenities, this isn't where to book. Pretty well positioned for visiting places. Plenty of parking space. Easy for 3 cards, at a push maybe 4. Initial access a bit dodgy, but more than doable and easy after you know what to expect. According to the description it is less than 1 mile to the nearest pub, what it doesn't say is you have to partially walk along an unpaved road - sorry, but it isn't safe (if there is a better pathway, please leave a note for future guests). If you don't mind driving everywhere, not an issue. The Marina is certainly worth popping down to. The gardens are magnificent (easily the best we have seen at a rental), lost count of the different trees...., there is a significant steepness in the rear garden - imagine if you go when there is snow the kids could have great fun with a sled. Those less mibile might have difficulty with the slope. The internet is generally good in the lounge - which is larger than the picture indicates - sometimes iffy elsewhere in the cottage. Goes down very occassionally (clearly not the owners' fault), so if you want to see your favourite programme I would probably record it at home, just in case (likely won't have an issue, but as a backup). Seen some comments about the general lack of cleanliness, can't say any of us noticed an issue. Sure there were a few scruff marks, so? One or two things need replacing, such as the ice cream scoop, but generally the kitchen is large, smart and well equipped. Whilst comfortable and quiet and large, as indicated above the location didn't suit so we would not stay there again, but sure many would love it.

A very clean and comfortable cottage, which is well equipped, in a lovely location.

There is a well kept garden, which is on a hill and our two Greyhounds liked running to the top. Bowness-on-Windermere is a nice town with plenty of places to eat and also Windermere, which is slightly less crowded.

The property looks great but we had multiple issues (heating, drainage, water pressure, shower, ev charging, wifi/connectivity) some of which were resolved after a visit to the office but some which were, it seemed, just the way it is.

Would not recommend and won't be returning.

I would recommend upper lodge it’s in beautiful surroundings we had a lovely time it’s very comfortable and spacious.

the gardens are lovely and very dog friendly

Wonderful Easter week at Upper Lodge everything was provided including dishcloths, scourers, dishwasher and washing machine tabs.

The lodge was very clean and tidy great off road parking and a plug in point if you had an electric car.Bottom garden great for a bit of childrens cricket and with gate closed meant our dog could run free. We brought plenty of logs for the woodburner which gave a cosy feeling to the living room at night.Internet good in living room but lost in kitchen but then it is the lake district. Large radiator in living room never came on but the rest of the house radiators worked well and we were never cold. All in all great accommadation in a great location and the owners have listened and corrected all the minor problems mentioned by other guests. Thanks again for a wonder Easter week. Dave & Pat Harris

9 January 2026 Wonderful place, and in a lovely quiet position.

Owners went out of their way to service/repair the living room log burner before our arrival date(and communicated well with us about this issue..!!). Yes, living room was a little on the cooler side……but nothing a few logs on the log burner didn’t solve..!! A very comfortable environment to stay in. A wonderful weeks stay, to the point we are booking again for in a few weeks time. Thank you. Nigel.

No Wifi and Heating was not working correctly 2 of my did not stay and the remaining 2 guests left on sunday .

it was awful

Enjoyed our 4 night stay at Upper Lodge.

Nice, quite area with only sheep for neighbours. Easy to travel to different areas near the Lake. Everything we needed as far as accommodation was concerned.

A lovely out of the way cottage.

Fantastic enclosed garden for our St Bernard and Tornjak dogs. Clean well equipped and comfortable . The only small issue was it wasn't cold enough for a log fire but not quite warm enough for no heating and there was no heating coming through into the lounge otherwise it was perfect and I would stay there again.

Beautiful cottage in a perfect spot our 2nd time here will definitely book again The cottage is spotlessly clean and has everything you need It has now become one of our favourite places to stay

Upper Lodge was a wonderful cottage.

Very well equipped, lovely comfortable beds. We had a great stay. Dogs loved the garden. Views all round we lovely.

We had a wonderful stay in this beautiful property, the location was perfect, just far enough out of Bowness-on-Windermere to enjoy the peace and the sound of nature and within walking distance to the lake, shops and bars etc .

We met Emma the host who was a lovely lady who left us some goodies! Would love to return at a later date when we can get the family together again Thanks Emma

Upper Lodge, a hidden gem in Bowness, is a beautiful cottage nestled in a wonderful rural area with a large, secure garden.

Well-equipped with everything you’d need at home and more, the spacious and well-furnished cottage exudes a charming quality. The welcome pack was much appreciated. The private location, away from neighbours, makes it a perfect place to relax and unwind. Our two cockapoo dogs absolutely loved the garden, and we were delighted that they were in a safe environment. We enjoyed it so much that we’ve already booked again for next year. We’ve stayed in many Sykes cottages, but Upper Lodge is definitely our favourite. Well done, Liz! I don’t think you could have made it any better.

Very nice property, great location could have been cleaner (under the chair in the living room hasn't been vacuumed in a while.

..). Interesting to have tea towels, jay cloth and scourer sponge left but no washing up liquid?! Didn't have much of a homely feel to it and, frankly, a pack of digestives (not even choc ones!) being left as the only arrival gift was insulting especially as we are GF and other properties will have eggs, cake, biscuits, bread, milk, and/or alcohol. Having the enclosed garden was great for our dog although the suggestion of using the utility area to control him and the provision of a cage didn't make it feel overly welcoming where dogs are concerned

We recently stayed here as a group of 6 adults and 1 infant for a weekend to celebrate our friend beating cancer.

Overall, the house was brilliant I just have a few things that I felt really need improving. Firstly, the communication on the Sykes Cottage website is pretty poor. It’s near impossible to ask a simple question, you call a number that tells you to ask via the online chat for the owners number but the owners number is listed as the original number you called so I was just going round in circles. Eventually, I got through to someone and asked if there was a high chair at the property, he advised that sadly no, there wasn’t but in fact, on arrival there was a high chair there in the kitchen. I also feel like the amenities were lacking. As a group of 6 there was 2 toilet rolls there for us, 1 hand wash between 2 bathrooms and one kitchen, and no washing up liquid. It’s not a biggie but I do feel that if there had been these things or at least been advised to bring our own, it would have made the stay 5* as we had to then go and stock up at the nearby shop pretty early on. Other than those points, the house was beautiful, clean and comfortable.

The home was in a lovely elevated position with private gardens and grounds, perfectly enclosed for our Dog.

The furnishings aren’t modern. It are perfectly acceptable. We had excellent weather whilst there for the week, and we walked out almost everyday from the property, which has great access to Boness and onwards, the ferry toward Sawrey/Hawkshead and other walks nearby. The dishwasher needs a service - wasn’t reliable in cleaning - but reduced the hand wash count none the less

Being regular visitors to the lakes, we’ve stayed in a lot of log cabins, lodges and houses over the years and Upper Lodge scores highly as one of the best places we’ve stayed.

The location was ideal for us and, unlike in a lodge, there were amble sized gardens for the dogs to be let out safely. In a lodge, if your dog doesn’t like going on the decking, you have to walk them to do their business, not great if it’s raining and they want out for a wee at 5:00am in the morning. This wasn’t a problem at Upper lodge. The lodge was a great size, clean, tidy, warm and very accommodating. We were that impressed that we booked next year’s holiday on day two of this stay. Looking forward to our next stay in Upper Lodge in May.

This is our third stay at Upper Lodge.

Our retrievers get excited from the minute we pull on the drive, so it’s clearly a big tick for them! We love the quality of the beds, the well equipped kitchen (Nespresso machine!), useful utility for the dogs, and large enclosed garden. Comfy living room with log fire and Smart TV. Owners have made additions since our last stay. new boiler and larger radiator in both bathroom, so the warm of the property was spot on for a November visit. Cannot rate this property enough. We are sure to return next year.

Radiator in lounge not working so cold !

Had to put jumper on ! Couldn’t get hold of anyone at lake lovers as it was 6 pm at night , lounge radiator didn’t come on all week Sofa in lounge terrible , very old and very very uncomfortable Shower awful no water pressure at all Wi-Fi none in kitchen and two days it didn’t work at all anywhere in cottage Not as homely as last time we visired , quite clinical No welcome card ie milk or biscuits which would have been nice and many other cottages do especially after our 6 hour journey Kitchen crockery not really suitable as it can’t be put in dishwasher and it can’t be put in microwave ! We are unlikely to come back

We were a little concerned before arriving, after reading some of the other reviews, but found few issues at all and had a really enjoyable stay.

We had no issues with the heating and if anything were too warm (this was at the start of a cold spell). The water pressure for the shower was low and might be resolved by a booster, but the temperature was fine once the water had been left running for a while. The property as a whole was clean and the kitchen appliances, cutlery etc. were plentiful and in good order. Just a couple of minor points for improvement - a lack of coat-hangars in two of the rooms meant we had to live out of a suitcase to some extent, and we were unable to get any response to our requests for firewood either by email prior to, or by telephone during the visit. The new sofas mentioned in previous reviews are still awaiting delivery, but we did not find the current ones too much of an issue.

Thank you for letting us stay in your cottage, we had a lovely holiday.

However, we were without heating for 2 nights with a baby, with no recompense. Sykes were great at bringing 2 portable heaters straight away, but these were nowhere near enough to heat the house or get rid of the damp in the air, and were a faff to move round the rooms. While we appreciated it was fixed on the first working day, that's too late for a holiday cottage where you've paid a lot of money, and only stay a few nights. Additionally, it's worth noting that the shower bathroom smelt really bad and had to be aired before use, and there were curly hairs in the bath. The shower is very low power and more importantly it changes temperature often and quickly even with no other water being used in the house, once turning truly scalding hot on me. The visitor instructions need updating as the thermostat in the hall does not appear to control the heating, and the bin is collected on Thursday, not Tuesday. The garden is incredibly steep, which is not shown on the listing photos, and the listing would benefit from being updated for this as I had anticipated more space for my child to play. There are lots of trailing brambles on the ground that aren't ideal for children. The drier keeps turning off after a couple of minutes. The wifi is very dodgy and only worked on and off. We couldn't get the radiator in the lounge to work. These are all things that would prevent me recommending the house to any of my friends or family, unless the price was significantly lower. That said, the house was beautifully clean, no dust anywhere, and no cobwebs (which had been mentioned in previous reviews). The sofas aren't welcoming (as per previous reviews), but were fine for me, just needed firmer cushions behind you, of which there were several round the house. The rooms were a good size, the kitchen was well stocked and everything in good condition (with a large freezer that was a welcome suprise!). We had a welcome pack with dishwasher tablets, rag and sponge. The location was excellent and very peaceful, with only views of fields or trees outside of every window. I would stay again, but only if I could be assured that the heating could be controlled to make the house warmer, as we never managed to get it fully warm, and in winter it can be bitterly cold in the lakes. I didn't really want to spend leisure time in the house because it wasn't cosy, so we spent as long as possible out of the house, that would be a problem if the weather was wetter or colder!

You will see from your records that I have booked several holidays with you in the past - particularly with Carbis Bay Hols.

This is the first time I have been totally unhappy with the accommodation. The unit is in need of a complete re-fit with new furniture all around. The lighting is old and was clearly cheap.The Bathrooms are poor, the shower is dangerous and does not work correctly. The unit is in need of a deep clean (old moldy dogs toy found under the settee). The paving by the front door is loose and needs general refurbishment. We only stayed for 4 nights and we paid £1145 - I would not of paid £500 to stay in that unit. I do think a refund is warranted.

Firstly the shower didn't work and this had been reported by previous occupants.

Halfway through our stay the shower was replaced. The dust bin was overflowing when we arrived. We put it out Monday night . It was finally emptied on Thursday. The bottom tray in the door of the fridge is broken. There was no dustpan and brush and the hoover handle doesnt extend and the hose is split. Very difficult to clean without leaning materials. The front rear bedroom was damp along the two outside walls and smelt musty. Above many of the cornices there were cobwebs... The beds were comfy and the location peaceful. The sofas are dire uncomfortable and need replacing

An absolutely lovely cottage in a fantastic location.

Warm and comfortable with everything that we needed, the cottage served as the perfect base for enjoying the lake and exploring the local area. We particularly liked how private it felt and the garden was lovely too. Many thanks, we’ll definitely book again.

Well appointed, comfortable, warm cottage.

Great location close to Bowness. Good parking and outdoor space. Roomy bedrooms. Very clean. Two minor maintenance issues found and reported upon arrival, but otherwise a very well maintained lovely property.

Shower did not work for the majority of our stay.

Rang about this but nothing done. Very difficult as there were 5 adults

We were delighted with our stay in Upper Lodge.

The location and rooms were just as described in the Sykes listing. Beautiful quiet location with lovely gardens. The location was a perfect base for us to explore the Lake District. We visited in May but would be an ideal base at any time of the year, the lodge has heating and a separate boot / utility room. Thank you for allowing us to stay in your amazing lodge and would certainly like to come back at some point. Would happily recommend this lodge to friends and family. We visited many locations from the lodge including: Ullswater via Kirkstone pass, Coniston water, Ambleside, Grassmere, Kendal, Grizedale Forest, Hawkshead and Keswick. We also took the yellow cruise from Windermere and steam train up to Haverthwaite which was an amazing day out.

We wouldn’t normally book a property in Bowness as it can be busy but Upper Lodge is in a very quiet location outside of town, it is a grand old property with lots of space and has been furnished and maintained to a high standard.

.especially comfortable beds. It doesn't merit 5 stars though. You asked for feedback so please allow me to justify these scores, not just having a moan. Cleanliness is marked down because although it is generally clean along kitchen surfaces and bathrooms and lovely crisp, white bed linen, there were high-level cobwebs everywhere and grubby in some areas. Comfort….the sofas and chairs in the living room are exceptionally uncomfortable. Facilities and maintenance…the house was bare of consumables such as washing up liquid, kitchen roll etc and we had to wait for our Sainsburys delivery on the day of arrival before having a coffee/tea as, unusually nowadays, there was no welcome pack. Kitchen was well equipped, it even has a Nespresso pod coffee machine. The garden is lovely and secure for dogs (some cottages claim a secure garden which turns out not to be). It’s close enough for a quick drive to the lake for dog walks morning and evening which we chose to do rather than walk on the road locally (the map on the website listing misplaces the cottage location…it is actually on the east side of the main road to Kendal A5074.) With a little TLC from the owners this could be a GREAT cottage, and one we would definitely return to.

Unfortunately the garden was not pet friendly and very steep with dog poo in it.

There's no where to walk directly from the cottage due to the busy road and no paths. The kitchen was quite dirty and a welcome pack would have been nice. The sofas were quite poor and we had to clean the wood burner. We left after a couple of days even though we had paid for the week. Feel quite let down mostly because of the poor outside space for our dog.

Overall a lovely place to stay in the Lakes, the beds (think they were V-Spring) were the most comfortable mattresses we'd ever slept on, just heaven to have such good sleeps while on holiday, usually we hardly sleep at all on terrible mattresses, so Upper Lodge was the best ever.

This was the only holiday let we've ever stayed (and we've stayed in a lot over the years) where there were no cleaning products what so ever, being asked to leave the property as clean as you found it, is difficult when there are no cleaning products to clean it with !! At these prices, customers shouldn't be expected to bring their own cleaning products as well. Apart from that we loved every thing about Upper Lodge and its gorgeous gardens and the surround fells and views through the trees of Lake Windermere.

Second stay at Upper Lodge this year.

Ticks every box! Spacious clean cottage, well equipped kitchen, Very comfortable beds, smart TV and good wifi! The cottage was warm, but also has a log fire for extra cosy evenings. Quiet location. Secure garden for the dogs, fantastic to have a warm utility room given it was a wet week.

Upper Lodge is lovely and peaceful.

We had small frogs appear when it rained and one evening we seemed to be surrounded by pheasants. Six at the front, about nine on the back garden and another five around the side. We put the wheelie bin roadside on Monday evening as stated on the Heart of the Lakes poster in the kitchen but it didn't actually get emptied until Thursday morning. Guessing the bin day has changed. Despite the rain we had a fantastic time and couldn't fault the cottage whatsoever.

Too far from Bowness to be walkable, very windy road with poor or no footpath.

Shower cubicle door too narrow. Very quite and beautiful location. Pity about the weather.