High Cleabarrow

We didnt wanr perfection, we wanted a family home, for a family Christmas that would fit everyone and their dogs in.

This quirky, old fashioned, characterful property fit the bill exactly. The gardens provided walks for all and peaceful places to just be, the kitchen was perfect for mass catering and the dining room was an amazing setting for our Christmas meal. Thankyou for your kindness.

Lovely accommodation with everything you might need, feels like coming home!

Would definitely recommend.

Lovely house,beautiful gardens, really well equipped.

Loads of hot water. Excellent location. Easy walk to Windermere. Loved the games room and tennis court. Very nice welcome of champagne and cake.

Very nice.

I think it would be great if the Garden was more secure. it is 90%

What a lovely property went for our 50th anniversary with the family and it was excellent plenty of room in the cottage would go back again kids loved playing on the piano and table tennis and tennis court and the gardens were fantastic

We had a very lovely time exploring the garden and house.

Safe enough for two one year olds to wonder around. The kitchen was always nice and warm due to the Aga, the bathrooms were clean and it was just a very pleasant experience. Next time will have to book more than a week as it went by too quickly.

They asked us late if we wanted double or single beds and then did not give single beds.

We managed OK. And one person was allergic to duck feathers - but found another duvet in the house.

Location was perfect and taking 4 dogs was a bonus.

However the accommodation was let down by worn and tatty sofas, the mattresses were seen to be worn and stained, hot water was plentiful but no radiators working in sitting or dinning rooms. Couldn't get hob to work but made good use of aga. Overall lovely position fantastic walks but house needs updating, was definitely quirky plenty of creaking floorboards

Next time we would book directly with the operating company as the Sykes wrapper made it more difficult!

Lovely property, perfect for our large group. The weather wasn't quite kind enough for us to explore the extensive grounds properly, but a lot of table tennis and a little tennis was played. The kitchen was well equipped so we were able to cook for 8 most nights. Some of the radiator valves didn't seem to work right, and a couple of the lights might need a little tlc from an electrician but none of it affected our comfort. A great stay.

Well equipped properly providing flexibility for different age groups.

A few niggles in kitchen, but we rectified that, as went away with chef and commis chef, 9 adults, bedrooms where very comfortable, lounge was lovely especially when fire was alight, plenty of coal, utility room has a couple of doors hanging on hinges, could do with bigger freezer for 10 people as no shops local, as we like to chill for a few days without shopping,one of the big bathrooms could do with lock on!

But besides all that we had a fab week and just what we needed to chill as a family. But we loved the house it was so quirky.

It was a lovely house and we all had an amazing time.

Thank you Lakelovers and the owners of the property.

I couldn't fault this accommodation at all.

I wish we had booked it for a longer period of time as it has so much to offer. We had an absolutely fabulous winter break here and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a cosy family getaway. The kitchen equipment was very well equipped and more, with the Aga taking centre stage for our family of foodies. The layout of the accommodation worked well, and it was clean throughout. The bedrooms were all generously sized and had really comfortable beds. I also appreciate the owner, who went the extra mile to make our stay very special. The communication was excellent, and we enjoyed our stay immensely. I am sure we’ll be back again. Thank you for a wonderful stay.

We have just had the most wonderful stay over Christmas checking in on Christmas Eve, wow what a beautiful property and gardens high cleabarrow is, the cottage has everything and more you could ever need, my children loved exploring the gorgeous garden, the owner left us gifts and was extremely generous to us which we are so very grateful for, one of the best Christmas’s we’ve had, I felt very sad leaving today but can’t wait to book up again in the future

High cleabarrow is a beautiful house with a lovely garden with a bonus of a tennis court.

Very comfortable, clean, very well equipped just a fantastic house to stay in a beautiful area. By far the best holiday home we've stayed in to date, couldn't fault anything about it.

High Cleabarrow was the perfect place to celebrate an early American Thanksgiving!

The Aga was fabulous- made the the best overnight turkey soup ever. The house managed to be cosy and spacious at the same time - perfect for the 9 of us. Would love to come back sometime in the summer! Gorgeous gardens and the table tennis was great.

Hi We totally enjoyed our stay at High Cleabarrow.

Fantastic house and location. Very comfortable specially with the log fire on. Only issue was the amount of toads on the ground floor in the morning, however understandable given the location. We will be definitely staying again. Kind regards Neil and Debs.

The property is amazing, characterful and charming .

It is very well equipped and the tennis court and games room are an added bonus. l especially loved the garden with its beautiful planting, gorgeous summerhouse (with view) and all its little twisting paths and surprises round every corner.

What a lovely part of the world, the house is very nice but we feel a little let down on a few things that would make an average stay into a very good one: - the kettle was broken and we see from the comments section in the book that the previous 2 rentals the kettle was broken for them too - this is quite hopeless.

- We were max capacity for the house and there was not enough loo roll, a simple thing to get right for your next tenants. - The pillows were thin and very uncomfortable, a few of us did not sleep well. These small changes would be transformative and make it an excellent stay, but sadly we can’t quite be so thrilled about the place when considering how much money we spent.

Fabulous house and gardens although i think both needed a little TLC.

We were a family of nine and the size of the house was excellent everything there we could have needed and great for the dogs. Felt the house was lacking in cleanliness in some areas and that the house was needing some updating mostly in the bedrooms. I think for the rental price more attention should be paid.

Fabulous characterful cottage ,beautifully furnished so we felt immediately at home.

The garden was magical, perfect for children to explore and have adventures and entertainment for gloomier days. It was ideal for our 3 generations to get together after 5 years for grandpa’s special birthday. Thank you so much for sharing it.

Everyone loved this property.

Warm and cosy. Wonderful to come back to after a days walking. Very well equipped and spacious, The AGA is fabulous and we cooked almost everything on it. Beautiful garden and really enjoyed the table tennis room. We had a great time here and were sad to leave. Great location and walks from the house which were brilliant. Would recommend this house most highly. Thankyou for a wonderful and memorable holiday

The online pictures were much nicer than the actual property.

The house itself was smaller than expected especially the ceiling heights which we could forgive, the most disappointing element was the smell and cleanliness. We would not expect crumbs on the kitchen table and would have expected the carpet, sofas and soft furnishings to be cleaner. The beds and bathrooms were nice and clean but I think the carpet needs replaced in the small upstairs toilet, it smells like a public toilet. The house and gardens are full of lovely character but the garden especially was unkept and grubby. Its a shame as there is so much potential to this house. For the price we paid I expected much more from this house especially expected it to be immaculate.

Really magical place.

Wonderful cottage, cosy and spacious, brilliant amenities, amazing location and the garden is just the best. From grandparents down to the litttlies and the dogs we all thought it was the best place we have stayed. My mum had a wonderful 70th birthday. Thank you.

Lovely holiday home.

The bed configuration was not as expected as the property listing advised 2 king size and 3 double, we had not requested anything different, but arrived to find 2 twin and 3 double. This was a minor inconvenience but not so much as to require us to reach out in any way. Great to have a ready supply of coal for use on the open fire. With a smiling face we found there being a massive pile of large logs, and no ability (no axe!) to use them, a little teasing. Kids enjoyed exploring the garden - watch out for the tics and the early morning gardener with his leaf blower!!

High Cleabarrow is a spacious home with lots to do and only a 30 minute walk down hill to Bowness.

We thoroughly enjoyed the table tennis, tennis court, board games, open fire and local walks. The kitchen is well equipped - we even found a cooking thermometer so we could make fudge! - but smelled of damp and some things needed a good clean before use. It didn't stop us from having enormous family suppers and entertaining friends! The bedrooms are lovely, the gardens are glorious and well tended and the house full of character. We had a wonderful week there. It is great value for money.

After so many disappointments, I was particularly attracted by the garden.

It was certainly large and well-maintained near the house, although further away some of the paths were obstructed by roses, and the pond is not as shown in the picture. It probably needs more than a few hours on Tuesday. When the weather was warm enough we had some pleasant hours sitting there. Inside, everything necessary is provided, apart from (as usual) cups and saucers; these seem to be regarded as old-fashioned. Beds were very comfortable and the heating upstairs was OK. The television was covered in dust and the remote for the dvd player was useless. The owners have admitted it doesn't work, although it's supposed to be "universal". Early on, I got new batteries for it in case that was the problem. Evidently, somebody thought the original one would be more useful at home. The big problem for us was the cold downstairs. The kitchen has an oil-filled radiator which we couldn't get to work (even though we have a similar one at home). The dining area we used for laptops and we sat in front of the one radiator. The lounge also has a single radiator which was inadequate for us oldies. At 82, I'm not going to lug large logs around and act as a stoker. After a couple of days we were thinking longingly of home. We got more heating by adjusting the thermostat. June is supposed to be a summer month but it isn't this year, except in the south-east. The sun doesn't make any difference because of the age of the house. We came back two days earlier and what a difference! No heating while away and none since. Old Droomer wasn't perfect (because of the steps) but the weather was similar and we had no problems with the heating.

I have stayed at Highcleabarrow on many occasions and everyone I have been with is really impressed with the property and value for money.

Great walks from the door and within easy reach of Windermere and Ambleside. Great gestures from owners who provided cake and Campagne. Great holiday.

Didn't attempt to use the Aga!

- But would have done if the other oven/cooker hadn't been there. We only stayed 2 nights over the Easter weekend, and it was perfect for our large family gathering. Easy to find. Lovely rooms. I would love to come back for a whole week sometime. I am happy to recommend - close to Bowness and Windermere (handy). table tennis table brilliant. I took my two dogs and their own throws to put on the carpet. Lovely gardens.

January 2022 - Family birthday weekend We had a fabulous stay at High Cleabarrow!

Trying to find it was a bit difficult but once we did and we got settled in it was brilliant! The house has all the amenities you need and feels like a real home away from home. The bedrooms were all a great size, plenty of bathrooms/toilets and the grounds are lovely - even in the depths of the Lake District winter! It is really well placed to access the south Lakes and some of our party walked back from Windermere one morning which they said was a 25 minute walk. We enjoyed the use of the tennis courts and also played a few of the board games on a rainy afternoon! Thanks again for a brilliant stay!

Well appointed cottage….

homely and perfect for hosting a New Year’s Eve dinner party. Well located close to Windermere.. only minor point was the lack of recycling facilities

My family and I had a wonderful Christmas week in this beautiful old quirky house, this is the most well equipped house I have ever rented and we have rented many over the years.

The arga was fabulous and cooked our Christmas dinner to perfection, all agreed it was the best Christmas Dinner to date. The welcome pack we received on arrival was such a lovely surprise and much appreciated, champagne, Xmas cake, port, biscuits and a family quiz game, it was both wonderful and thoughtful. The house itself was warm, cosy and inviting, with a beautiful Christmas tree and decorations, we had lots of fun playing tables tennis in the games room it was just a pitty we never got to explore the beautiful gardens as the weather wasn't great. The location of this lovely house was perfect, very close to Windermere but also quiet and secluded. My only niggle was that the carpets needed a good vacuum, we discovered that the hoover the cleaners used was totally blocked and didn't pick up at all, we managed to unblock it and gave the whole house a good vacuum on arrival day, also I think a new mop would be good, as the one their was pretty useless and shredded every time we mopped the floors, this is not an issue with the owners but Lakelovers should be aware of any cleaning issues. The beds were super comfy and the bed linen good quality. All in all we have a fabulous week in this lovely old quirky house and unlike the rest of my family, never bumped my head once. Thanks for a lovely stay. Tracey and family from The Wirral.

The cottage was beautiful, warm, comfortable and really well equipped with everything you could wish for.

Quirky and full of character and charm. The beds were really comfy with good quality bed linen. The gardens and grounds were beautiful. Loved it!

Following comments are suggestions.

The house needs a good deep clean ,furnishings and carpets ( consider replacing downstairs flooring ). The dining room and lounge had a strong damp smell that was not pleasant. The tumble dryer does not work well, impossible to dry clothes , essential for families and wet days. Garden needs a good cut back as too overgrown. Patio area needs replacing as dangerous for little feet. Generally needs upgrading, without loosing its charm. Similar homes nearby, the outside areas were maintained better.

This was our 2nd visit to High Cleabarrow and we’ve loved it both times.

The only difference is that last time we stayed it was winter and the agha was working. It was a bit more difficult to prepare a family meal on just the normal cooker but we managed

This week has been like spending time in a National Trust property.

An incredible property and stunning gardens. The perfect place to get away from the everyday and have a proper break. Lots of fun and lots of games, especially with the ping pong and tennis. The surrounding area is beautiful and a week doesn't do it justice. Some beautiful walks and trips out. The weather has been a complete added bonus. One thing to add is that the kitchen has been the best one we have had in a holiday property. Perfect. Thank you for a fantastic property for a family holiday.

A few points: Outside: On the positive side the garden was lovely and a major plus.

However the tennis court had been badly resurfaced with bumps and ridges that made it almost unplayable. Inside: the property was rundown and could do with an upgrade. The mattresses were very old indeed and should be replaced with ones of a decent quality. The rest of the bedding was high quality - so we were happy with the duvets etc. The bath towels could be more a generous size The hot water had been timed to come on at limited times, which often meant a cold shower if you took a shower at the wrong time. Moreover the single towel rail was cold which made it hard for towels to dry. Signs: I would advise placing the name of the cottage on the gate post - the laminated sign stuck there says what it is not rather than what it is - which makes it hard to find.

What a really comfortable, cosy and completely charming house - a really great house with so many great features.

Love the bumpy floors and all hidden features of days gone by. We'll be back. Thank you.

Very comfortable stay.

Fabulous location and restful garden. Jack's favourite painting is the abstract one in the bathroom. Fabulous holiday. We will be back

Have loved spending the week in this beautiful and charming house, finding it very well appointed and equipped.

The collection of pictures is fab. Blown away by the garden - perfect for all ages. Thank you. Hope to return.

Fab time thanks!

Place was/is lovely. Thank you for the lovely cake and champers - much appreciated! We loved this house. It's been so warm and comfortable and the gardens are just beautiful. Wish we had more time to explore and enjoy the surroundings. Can't wait to tell friends and family about this wonderful place. Thank you,

What a wonderful, charming house!

We have been really comfortable and felt very much at home here. The children have loved exploring the gardens, playing tennis and table tennis. We have had so much rain but it hasn't stopped us having a great time. The AGA has been amazing. Kept us all cosy and helped to dry the coats! Thank you. Great week.

A lovely house, garden and location.

This is indeed a special place. We have enjoyed our stay so much we have already booked to return in the Spring! We enjoyed our outings to Levens Hall, Muncaster Castle and Holker Hall as well as the odd game of tennis and, for those that play, your beautiful piano.

This house looked after us for a whole week - its walls keeping us warm, its beds keeping us rested and its table keeping us amused as we played games after long walks in the rain.

We have laughed until we cried. Thank you house for having everything we needed that we knew, and things we didn’t know we needed! You have been full of charm throughout our time on holibobs and we will miss you.

What a lovely, quirky and comfortable old farmhouse.

Equipped to a high standard it gave us everything we needed and more. The well equipped kitchen, with plenty of fridge and freezer space, helped feed eight of us for a week. The AGA gave a great cosy warm feel and cooked for us. We had a super fire for 2/3 nights in the cosy lounge and 6 of our group kept us entertained on the piano. Everyone loved the tennis court and table tennis facilities, with all we needed to have hours of fun and exercise. Hoping to book again for next autumn. And then there’s the amazing garden which was explored to the full.