The White House

The leaving times mean you feel pressured to pack the day before which feels like you have lost a day of your holiday.

The pictures are years old and on arrival gives the feeling that the place internally is tired.

Great location and beautifully kept garden.

Comfortable, clean and spacious accommodation

A very spacious property and comfortable.

The garden is immaculately kept and is a real feature of this house. The rain water gutter on the back of the house is broken ( looks like it has been like that for some time) so when it rains it is a bit like Niagara Falls ! Ideally situated for strolling into Cartmel

Beautiful property, large rooms , large library and study ,great garden areas very spacious ideal for 6 to 8 people very close to village centre and Cartmel priory .

10 minute walk to race course. Large onsite parking for several cars. Could not fault it. Wish it was mine.

The house is perfectly situated in cartmel especially for the races.

Plenty of space and a large walled garden for dogs. The carpets in the hallway room and main bedroom are heavily stained and could do with cleaning. This is the only criticism I have of the house. We had a lovely holiday and this was our second time at the house.

We enjoyed what was our third stay at the White House.

We loved the gardens and the location was perfect for exploring Cartmel. Our only complaints would be the early arrival and departure times and the fact that feathers kept escaping from the two easy chairs! The recycling was a problem though. There was already a substantial amount of bottles and other recyclable rubbish there when we arrived but no information as to what days rubbish was collected. We put everything out on the Wednesday but it was still there when we left.

Lovely property with well tended walled garden.

Our dogs, 2 pugs enjoyed the garden and snuggling up to the aga! The master bedroom was very comfortable and the bed especially so. One problem was the French doors in the kitchen which we were unable to open. There was a lack of general information particularly nothing about refuse collection end recycling. When we arrived the bins at the front of the property were overflowing with rubbish bags. We went online to the council website to find the information and we had missed the Monday collection. Overall a very enjoyable holiday in a lovely part of the lake District and we would certainly like to return.

Very spacious comfortable property with beautifully kept gardens which are a credit to the Gardeners.

The house has oodles of character.The French doors from the lounge seem to lock on a whim and could be a security risk.The outdoor patio table and chairs have also seen better days and could do with upgrading.Care needed when driving out of the gate as high stone walls prevent clear view to see whether any traffic is near.Also just a general cautionary note on the roads around Carmel which are narrow twisting and in some cases have steep gradients.They carry more frequent than you would think.heavy goods,commercial,industrial and agricultural vehicles which you can and will meet on bends.iIf you are not the kind of driver who is put off by this,then this may not be the place for you.

The gardens were a privilege to spend time in- absolutely beautiful.

The house is splendid- very large and airy. We enjoyed spending time in the White House and it was so easy to reach the centre of Cartmel. The bathrooms in particular could do with updating and it might be worth highlight that the house is on a busy road.

Didn’t know how turn off the aga it was on all the time Think you should adjust your arrival and leaving times to 4pm and 10 am The later is very early when you are on your holiday, giving no time to have a breakfast and clear up comfortably considering the cost of the rental

The White House is a great property and we enjoyed our stay.

There is a lot of varied space indoors, quite quirky in places, but the weather was such that we spent most time in the lovely gardens. The location is excellent being in the heart of Cartmel. Facilities were very good although had hoped for a croquet set for the advertised croquet lawn. Only complaint is the restricted check in/check out times. I did contact Sykes Cottages to query this but didn't get a reply in time. Would definitely stay again.

Great old house for 6 of us and 1 dog.

The large garden was a delight and superbly cared for by the gardeners. Cartmel village and the Priory well worth exploring as was Grange. Fell Foot Park (NT) for a relaxed picnic , Hampsfell for a more strenuous hike for the super all round views.

Not enough information about bin emptying days and how to use some equipment.

The property was very well equipped, clean and comfortable.

We have used the White House twice now.

It isn't a modern property but has so much character it's hard not to like it. Our dogs just love the gardens which are very secure. There is everything you need. The property is large enough to have a bit of private space if you need it. The kitchen area is huge and we spent a lot of time around the kitchen table. Would highly recommend it. Cartmel is a wonderful place to visit we have been going for many years now.

If you love Cartmel, the White House is an ideal home to enjoy the village.

The property is spacious and comfortable, with a great kitchen, an incredible library and full of antique quirkiness. The gardens are superb and wee tender. Overall, a great place to pass the time.

Firstly, this property is beautiful, the gardens are stunning.

The house has lots of rooms and has almost everything you could possibly need. This isn’t a modern property, the furniture is old and it doesn’t match but that’s the charm. The carpets could be a bit cleaner and there were dirty dishes in the cupboards but nothing too bad. We were lucky to get fantastic weather so spent a lot of time outside. The addition of comfortable seating in the garden would be appreciated. The metal seat at the front is very uncomfortable and the table out the back has seen better days. Location is fantastic, a 5 minute walk and you’re in the village. Shop right by to pick up what you need and not far from many tourist attractions. I would highly recommend the property but possibly not booking through this company. When I booked, I didn’t realise how awkward the check in - check out times were. Check in at 5pm and out at 9am is just too much. You loose a big chunk of your trip and to make matters worse, you are left instructions on doing half the cleaners job for them before you leave. As much as I would love to return, I won’t be for this reason, I’m supposed to be on holiday!

Loved our visit as much as the last time and we have already booked again.

The fabulous mattress was amazing and made it the stay perfect!!!

This house is amazing and really never disappoints.

This is our first Christmas here, however we have stayed in The White House on three other occasions. The house is fully equipped with everything a large family has and i would recommend this to anyone. Unfortunately there did seem to be an issue with the conventional oven during our stay which made cooking Christmas dinner very challenging. I have reported the fact the fan in the oven is not working and the AGA seems too low in temperature to be able to use as a cooking alternative to Sykes in a separate message as i know the owner if its the same one as a couple of years ago, is extremely good in putting right any reported issues so future guests can enjoy their stay, however its a shame this was not reported sooner as when you pay a premium for Christmas week, you expect the best. All that taken into account, i still believe the White House is one of the best holiday homes in Cartmel.

Lovely spacious house with fantastic gardens, a short walk from the village center.

Very enjoyable stay - the house was warm and welcoming.

It has a slight hint of genuine shabby chic but we loved it.

Big property so when the kids and grandkids came to stay for the weekend we had plenty of space. Glorious garden - the best ever. Brill parking which is great in Cartmel. The only odd thing was some stuff felt short for such a big house. On the weekend we didn’t have enough mugs to have one lot in the dishwasher and one in use, only 3 teaspoons, no milk or a welcome pack on arrival and small towels. Plus I hate being made to strip beds before you leave even worse when you’ve got to be out by 9 am. All that said we would very happily return. It’s beautiful and we had a wonderful short break. Great location. Loved it!

Weekend for 8 ladies.

Check in was 5pm. We arrived 3pm and planned to leave cars on spacious drive and go into town. We were pleasantly surprised house was ready and we were able to check in which was much appreciated. Fabulous gardens and outside patio area. House was spotlessly clean. Quirky layout downstairs with many rooms including a library, sun room, downstairs toilet and separate dining room with lots of space. Very large house. Great kitchen with everything you need. Beds were extremely comfortable and fresh smelling bed linen. Great location 5 mins from centre. Lovely little village with nice pubs/coffee shops and brewery. We had a great weekend. Would highly recommend.

The White House was everything we expected and more.

It was extremely comfortable, spacious and in a really nice and friendly neighbourhood. It had everything we needed and if anything was lacking we only had to walk a couple of metres to the convenience store nearby. The gardens, the pub and the bakery and the coast nearby made our stay extremely memorable.

A beautiful property in a great location, perfect for a family gathering.

Positives: - A big house, with plenty of room for both communal and private space - Lots of essential extras available to help make the stay practical for a family e.

g. vacuum, iron/board, microwave - Positioned in a truly outstanding part of the Lake District, and in a lovely village, which is close to many of the natural attractions - Really stunning gardens - Some really nice touches from the owners such as providing binoculars, and information on the locality (what to see and do) Negatives: - The house needs freshening up, as the decor is a little tired, and so it is not exactly as you would imagine when looking at the photos - The check in/out times are tough for a family with young children (ours are aged 1 and 5), and needs extending from check in at 5pm and check out at 9am, to something industry standard like check in at 2pm and check out at 11am - as it makes a huge difference for a family Overall: More positives than negatives, and it is better than average, but not quite in the upper levels of home stays for the price...... with the comparison made to lots of other examples, from a family that travels a lot.

Fantastic house and gardens.

We have been staying in the Lake District for over 30 years and the White House is definitely a favourite and we hope to return. It’s so conveniently located and the dog had a wonderful time exploring all the local walks. Thank you for sharing this wonderful house.

The cottage was lovely I read a lot of negative comments but we were pleasantly surprised.

It’s all in keeping with the house. Lovely gardens. When we arrived there was a casserole dish broken in the draw. I took a photo. Time and dates it as it always concerns me when renting. That you think it was done by us! I can send photo if you like. One major issue was the rug the sides of which are curled up. Both children tripped then my poor mum tripped and fell. Please tape it down or remove. We do love the house and found it clean and very spacious. We loved running around the garden with the children and Easter bunny fun. We loved the room by the office we had the patio doors open early morning sat drinking coffee and listening to the birds. The village itself was fantastic. We loved it. We purchased some great beer, whisky, and wine, we had a lovely cheese board. Fantastic idea! We live by cheddar gorge, where famous cheese is made they should do the same. We tried the sticky toffee, certainly a treat. We stayed very local apart from a short trip to Windermere where we had cream tea with Peter Rabbit and friends. Beatrix potter museum experience is well worth the spend. Children loved it. We would love to return sometime.

We thought it was wonderful, didn't want to leave.

Hopefully we will be back when the weather is a little kinder.

Fab house and facilities.

Great spaces to sit together and catch up, as well available spaces for quiet reflection. Close to all local amenities. A great village with lots to offer.

Fabulous property.

Beautifully furnished, lovely gardens and fantastic location.

Great place to stay, ideal for few families great location and plenty of room for parking a few cars.

Only downside is I think 5pm check in is too late 3pm would be more suitable and check out at 9am is to early 10am would be better, I no it’s a big house that’s my only grumble, nothing wron with the house, we were there for the heatwave weekend would have been great to have had a couple of sun beds as such a lovely garden to spend time in.

We have had a lovely few days at The White House.

The property is lovely and the location is very close to the centre of Cartmel. We would definitely recommend it.

We had a lovely stay at the White House - the house was big and comfortable and had everything we needed with a beautiful garden.

The village was lovely - we particularly enjoyed sitting in the square having pizza and listening to live music. We’d love to come back again.

Great position.

Love Cartmel and area with all it has to offer. A characterful house with a fantastic garden let down by some cheap furniture and fittings. Sofas were uncomfortable, teapot and coffee pot not big enough for 8 guests, I could go on. In my experience not a 5* property but could be. Having said all that I would book it again at it served our extended family brilliantly with lots of space for the children.

We have been to The White House at least 5 times over the past three years.

In all that time there has been no investment whatsoever. The furniture is now very dated and uncomfortable, stained (kitchen chairs) and threadbare (bedroom furniture) wooden tables are stained and rickety. The fire extinguishers have a three year shelf life but are five years old. The kitchen cabinet lights don’t work and the provided bath towels are no larger than a general hand towel, these were here three years ago. All in all you are paying a premium price for second rate accommodation. The owners need to invest some profits into replacing a lot of fixtures and fittings. That being said the house and location is brilliant but the lack of investment has made it shoddy. We would love to return but not with the interior in this state.

Great house, perfect location loads of space, kids loved all the space.

Would definitely go back.

The White House is a lovely property with a large garden in a beautiful village.

I would recommend the property for a large family or group of friends.

We had a lovely time staying at the White House, it was very comfortable and a great location.

We look forward to returning to the property again soon.

This was our second stay at the White House and we loved it as always.

Lots of space and plenty to do, really comfortable home. Some features could do with changing to be more appropriate for large groups i.e. bigger kettle, fridge size not big enough for 6 for a week. Sofa doesn’t seat all guests and isn’t that comfortable to be on for movie night. The very late 5pm check in and extremely early 9am check out needs changing it massively effected the stay. We lost a day with it and spent our last full day in the house getting ready to go rather than enjoying ourselves. Other than that we had a brilliant time and will highly recommend it

Lovely house.

Great garden for the dogs. Although near the village road, being a walled garden it felt very safe. Fabulous central location for Cartmel. Really enjoyed the mini break. House had everything you needed. Beds very comfy. Would definitely go back.

An excellent position in the village.

Great parking and garden for the dogs. Beds very comfortable. House would benefit from a refurbishment.

A large property in a great location in Cartmel.

The huge, dog friendly garden was a delight with ample parking although the gate access was very tight. The property is in need of a refurb though- very old fashioned with ancient fittings and furniture. The property wasn’t overly warm and we were disappointed that the Aga was not on despite it being mid October- it made the kitchen cold as there was no other heating in there. On ringing Sykes about this they did very promptly send out a heating engineer who fixed the lukewarm radiators although he did not address the Aga issue. The property was well equipped and in a great position, easy walking distance into Cartmel and I would definitely return if it ever undergoes refurbishment

A great house with lots of space and a lovely large garden.

We think the owner popped into the garden early in the mornings must days, which set our dog off. The only down side was the late entry time at 5pm then a very early departure time of 9am.

Lovely, homely, comfortable house and fabulous garden.

Parts of the interior are 'tired' or needing repair/refurbishment (e.

g. curtains lacking adequate tracking or with insufficient hooks, chipped mugs, no cafetiere). The garden was an absolute delight.

We found the house to be spacious, comfortable and well-equipped.

The garden was superb and immaculately kept. The location is ideal for exploring the south Lakes and there are drinking holes and eateries too numerous to mention and covering all budgets. Our one criticism is that there appeared to be a degree of penny pinching on the housekeeping side. For example, for a 3 night break we were left with precisely 3 dishwasher tablets, two bin bags and 3 toilet rolls. The hand soap dispenser in the downstairs loo was practically empty on arrival and absolutely empty on departure. All of this grated given the cost of the property for a short break. Finally, whilst we appreciate in these times the need for the house to be thoroughly cleaned between stays, collection of keys after 5pm and departure from the property at 9am, cuts down the stay considerably.

Lovely property.

Lovely village. We will definitely return. it feels more like a home than a holiday rental.

We had a fabulous stay.

Just one thing of note. The main bathroom toilet overflow was constantly running.

I thought the property was great.

However, check in time was too late and the check out time was far too early, particularly on a Sunday morning, and at the price we paid.

Our 2nd visit was equally as special as the first and the vast amount of space and facilities meant we could could be together but also have enough privacy too.

I got quite used to the aga as the week went on and loved cooking on it.

We only chose the property because it had a walled garden and near a pub.

We had never heard of Cartmel. The White House had the security for our dog that we needed so that made us very happy. The place itself was very shoddy and tired, if I had been paying the rates that are charged in the summer I would have not been happy. I guess the owner does not need to spend the money to smarten it up if he can still charge a full price. Cartmel is a little gem, glad we were the and not in Bowness or Ambleside.

A fantastic house with everything you need in a perfect location in Cartmel.

This is our second time of staying at the White House, and actually love the house and what it has to offer both in the Winter but especially love it in the Summer when you get full use of its wonderful garden. Its also important as guests as we familiarise ourselves to the cottages, that from time to time we may encounter the odd issue that has not been previously flagged to the owner/management company or booking agent which on this occasion we did and they did their very best to resolve and make sure we were happy. Unfortunately for us, the heating was not working correctly upon arrival, however after a call to Sykes, within 2 hrs they had an engineer out to the house, which on a Friday evening is exceptional service. The Gardens are maintained beautifully and as a regular visitor to holiday cottages and especially to Cartmel, we often ask ourselves the question "Could we live in the house" and when the answer is an unquestionable YES then we know we will be back again. Thank you to the Sykes team and especially to Jason the owner for making sure we were happy.

We stays for new year, on arrival we found no outside light on, it was pitch black, raining very heavy, without a torch you would find it hard to open the lock box.

In the main lounge there was an open fire, a small amount of kindling and just 4logs, no paper, no fire lighters, how do you light a fire ? And NO wood available to keep it going at least until the next day The central heating only came on at 6 pm until 9pm, not enough in the winter There was no hand sanitizer provided, no soap in the main bedroom and only 1 toilet roll in each room , for £500 per day, you expect more. To ask up to 6 people to share one bathroom and leave by 9 am on the day of departure is unrealistic. Due to the arrival and leave times, you only get 2 and an 1/2 days holiday Would not book again for that reason alone It did have one good feature, it’s the location, the house could be much better.

We stayed in the White House for a week in November.

The property was fabulous. It was very clean and the kitchen was great, very well equipped. Really enjoyed using the aga. We have two springer spaniels and they loved the garden which was huge. It was very secure, it had high walls all the way round. There was no way for them to get out. The only two things I could say were that the toaster wasn’t working and it would have been good to have a longer hosepipe to shower the dogs when we got back from a muddy walk. But that really is nit picking. The beds were really comfortable and the bathrooms were lovely. We enjoyed it so much we have booked to go back in March. Cartmel itself is a nice village. Plenty of shops and pubs. Only a 5 minute walk and you are at the racecourse which if you walk across has amazing walks for the dogs. Lots of fields and woods.

Lovely spacious and comfortable house.

Very well equiped. The garden is fantastic and fully enclosed. Loads of parking space. The location is perfect. Lots of great pubs and restaurants within walking distance. Our only negative is the property management company strict entry rule of 5pm. This is too late. Its a bit miserable in the dark nights when you have travelled having to hang around till that time to get entry when you can clearly see the property is empty. I called to ask if we could go in but they said no. Also having to exit at 9 am is also rather early especially in winter.

A lovely house with superb facilities which more than met our needs.

A great location and some lovely walks. Thank you to all those who made the place look so clean and welcoming. We particularly appreciated the AGA and our elderly dog felt welcome too. Sadly the weather (Floods) prevented us from using the garden but we would love to explore more of what Cartmel has to offer in the future.

We all had a wonderful time so much so it has been rebooked for 2 weeks next year!

Kitchen is very well equipped and the accommodation is incredibly dog friendly. The only downside is the size of the 4th bedroom .. fine for kids but a bit cramped for 2 adults. Cartmel is a lovely village

Spacious House and Gardens.

Full of Character. This large and very attractive house is traditionally furnished and full of personal items which makes it a very welcome home from home. As well as the large sitting room, there are cosy rooms where smaller groups can retreat to. Although there is an adjoining dining room, the large family farmhouse style kitchen was perfect for all our meals. It was an excellent base for our family of eight. We enjoyed the rambling garden with all its shrubs and flowers and the huge lawn where games were played. I would highly recommend a stay in this fabulous house.

Just back from a few days break at the White House and absolutely loved it.

House was immaculate, garden was amazing for the kids and dogs and couldn’t have asked for anything more!

This was our second time at the White House and we loved our stay here.

There is so much space for 8 people inside and outside, the location is superb and the gardens lovely. We would definitely stay here again, the only slight issues were there was no grill pan (a bit inconvenient) and the larger of the twin rooms the beds are very high and a little uncomfortable - this is nit picking really as we would come back in a heart beat - I would highly recommend staying here and look forward to returning.

The house is full of character and a great base for the Southern Lakes.

The gardens are beautiful! We loved the Aga but it’s worth noting that it runs cooler than my aga at home, so we needed to use the electric oven too. It’s also worth noting that there was only 1 tea towel provided and no oven gloves - which I would have expected. There was plenty of crockery, but a general lack of large serving/cooking dishes big enough for 8 guests. Otherwise the kitchen was well equipped. The Wi-fi was good. Some hand soap in the downstairs loo would have been nice (and better than the hand sanitizer provided) All in all we really enjoyed our family get together at the White House.

What a beautiful house and gardens, the house is full of character and decorated accordingly, some great books in the Library/Study to look though.

We really enjoyed ourselves and the dogs loved the spacious dog safe lawns too. Read on previous feedback about the poor WiFi, this is NOT the case, the WiFi is full signal all downstairs aided by the boosters in the kitchen and by the writing desk, perfect. But of course poor signal upstairs as you would expect - old house solid walls ! The AGA is great for cooking and well worth cooking the Sunday joint in, if you haven't experienced an AGA roast give it a go its mouth watering. Jen the gardener has and is doing a fanatic job in looking after the garden and as she was the ex-housekeeper she knows all the history of the property, very interesting lady to talk to. All in all a beautiful location easy for exploring and Cartmel is such a beautiful village with restaurants and interesting shops. Would highly recommend. Thank you Jason and family for giving us the opportunity to stay in your beautiful family home.

Really enjoyed our stay - only downside was the house was quite cold.

The radiators in the main bedroom need bleeding as they were only very luke warm. House was very well presented and clean.

House was exactly as shown on the pictures, full of character.

Lots of space for our family of 6 and 2 dogs. Comfy beds and big rooms. Disappointing the Wi-fi didn’t work well, but didn’t spoil the holiday. Lovely and clean, staff were really friendly and informative. Great location to Cartmel, pubs, shops and surrounding Lake District. And the gardens were amazing, fab for our two gun dogs. Will definitely be coming back again.

A lovely and large holiday home which has a brilliant location in the pretty village of Cartmel.

The house is very old fashioned, with poor WiFi, but lovely large rooms, a brilliant AGA cooker and amazing garden. Sykes were also very helpful when required during our break.

White House is a lovely large cottage with enclosed gardens, which are well looked after.

Would recommend this cottage as it has lots of space for larger groups and a bonus is how dog friendly it is.