Thirlmere At The Graythwaite Estate | Sawrey | Far Sawrey | The Lake District And Cumbria

Customer rating

4.0★

4 Guests
2 Bedrooms
1 Bathroom
Pets Yes
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Features

Off road parking
Open fire
Garden / Patio
Cot available
Highchair available
Washing machine
Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing

Cleanliness

Comfort

Facilities and Maintenance

* Based on a combined average customer score

27 Customer Review(s)

Paul
June 2026

“The property was clean except for cobwebs on the wall above door and skylight and living room window.”

Quilt was lumpy and cold do with being changed. The oven was hard to use as the writing and symbols were worn off. Overall it was clean and tidy and I would stay again the location was very peaceful it was great to sit and listen to the cows , sheep and birds instead of traffic and noisy people

Quilt was lumpy and cold do with being changed. The oven was hard to use as the writing and symbols were worn off. Overall it was clean and tidy and I would stay again the location was very peaceful it was great to sit and listen to the cows , sheep and birds instead of traffic and noisy people

- Paul, June 2026

Thank you for your review. We're really pleased to hear that you enjoyed the peaceful location and found the property clean and tidy overall. It’s lovely to know you would choose to stay with us again, and that you were able to relax and enjoy the sounds of the countryside. Thank you also for your helpful feedback. Cobwebs can occasionally be a challenge in older buildings, but I will certainly speak with housekeeping to ensure extra attention is given to those higher and less obvious areas. I will also ask them to replace the quilt and check others across the properties to ensure they are in good condition. We appreciate you taking the time to share your comments, and we hope to welcome you back again in the future. Property Owner
Catherine May 2026

“Entrance was dull and not inviting ,no welcome pack was a let down .”

Kitchen appliances are worn and some equipment we did not use ,chopping board being 1 item .Overall cleanliness was not good ,Could not see views from cottage unless stood up but view was lovely from the shared lawn area .I would not stay again as I think it needs some care and attention.

- Catherine, May 2026

Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We're sorry to hear that the cottage did not meet your expectations. We appreciate your comments regarding the entrance, cleanliness, kitchen equipment and overall presentation, and these points will be reviewed with our team. We're pleased that you were able to enjoy the views from the shared lawn area and found them lovely. Guest feedback is important to us and helps us identify areas where improvements can be made. Thank you again for your comments, and we wish you all the best for your future travels. Property Owner
Sue July 2025

“Overall we had a lovely time, very quiet, great to watch the swallows and listen to the owls.”

A couple of niggles, please can you consider putting a image of the oven dials near the cooker, as the numbers have all rubbed off. Was a stressful bit of guesswork trying to work out grill or oven. Found manual half way through the week. Disappointed there was no freezer as would have liked to have had some ice creams. Needless to say we enjoyed the flat.

- Sue, July 2025

Thank you so much for your kind and constructive feedback. We’re delighted you enjoyed your stay and appreciated the peace and wildlife — it really is a special spot for that. We’re very grateful for your helpful comments about the oven dials and the freezer. Unfortunately the kitchen isn't enough room for a fridge/freezer, but there is a freezer in the communal laundry room in the courtyard. I'll make sure we update the cottage information file in the property. It’s great to hear you still had a lovely time overall, and we’d love to welcome you back again soon. Property Owner
Hannah July 2024

“Afraid there were a number of things you should consider improving at this property: Fridge needs a freezer component Fridge door compartments are broken Microwave needs instructions Two bins for the separation of waste (as this is requested) Lock on bathroom door rather than a screw!”

Bedside tables and lamps per bed The hook on the twin room blind has broken

- Hannah, July 2024

Thanks for the honest feedback—it’s really appreciated. We’re taking note of all your suggestions and will be reviewing them as part of ongoing improvements to ensure guests have a more comfortable stay. Your input helps us make things better! Property Owner
Paul February 2024

“Very warm on arrival.”

Has log burner but no fuel provided. Difficulty accessing wi fi code via e-mail with no wi-fi! Tv is via Fire stick which was lost when internet was lost. However this and one or two other issues were dealt promptly by the maintenance people. Excellent comms with Graythwaite Estate.

- Paul, February 2024
Caroline January 2024

“We stayed for 3 nights in January as 2 adults, 1 baby and 1 dog.”

Location is beautiful and the apartment was warm. Several maintenance and housekeeping issues including thick cobwebs across the ceilings, large stain on the sofa, dirty bath mat, lights not working (bathroom mirror and oven hood) and no batteries in kitchen clock. Oven dials have worn away and are impossible to read, so cooking was challenging. A shame that nothing is provided for the fireplace - I would think it normal to provide matches and the first set of logs for guests, and we would have expected to buy any more than that. Similarly only 2 dishwasher tablets were provided which was disappointing as we didn't want to waste money buying an entire packet for 3 days. 4pm is too late to check in, especially as it was dark by 3.30 and there is no street lighting. Otherwise, we had a good stay and were glad to discover Beatrix Potter's village - but we would choose alternative accommodation in future.

- Caroline, January 2024
Kelly June 2023

“Such a beautiful location to stay.”

Great space for children to play. Apartment was comfortable and had everything you'd need. Bathroom heating was on when we arrived, despite it being a heatwave! Also, it was a little stuffy as all the windows had been shut. Bathroom had some cobwebs and was a little tired, but overall we loved it and would stay again.

- Kelly, June 2023
Jane January 2023

“Had a lovely stay at Thirlmere, even managed to find it in the dark as the directions were accurate!”

Very comfortable, had all the equipment you would need, was clean and presented well. Highly recommend

- Jane, January 2023
Victoria March 2022

“Love the new sofa (we were there in October’21).”

Beautiful accommodation, could do with a freezer compartment in fridge but otherwise we love it and hopefully we will be back

- Victoria, March 2022
Callum December 2021

“Such a lovely cozy little accommodation with amazing friends members of staff.”

It has become a place we can’t wait to go back too

- Callum, December 2021
Paul November 2021

“Kitchen and bathroom upgraded since our last visit.”

Generally clean but-no logs available as mentioned on details. Heated towel rail still not working ,clock not working (how long does it take to change a battery!. 2 sofas are now very tired and in need of replacement, we felt it necessary to use a cover before sitting on them, pretty nasty really ,they spoil an otherwise pleasant apartment Prices now excessive!

- Paul, November 2021

Thank you for your feedback following your recent stay at Thirlmere. I am pleased to advise this property now has a brand new sofa, any issues such as clock not working can be rectified if the guests make us aware at the time, housekeepers can often miss small things like this. Property Owner
Barry May 2021

“Comments : Nice location,easy to access the local area.”

Clean, updated since our last stay ie kitchen, carpet, TV. The two sofas are showing some wear but all right. No Owner specific details or instructions and WiFi connection would be easier with a Code No to input rather than trying to pick up an e-mail without WiFi. Hot Water extremely Hot and therefore needs warning notice. Disappointing that there is not a freezer or compartment in the refrigerator,especialy for self catering. TV very limited Sky channels better with Freeview.DVD has to be plugged into TV instead of Sky.

- Barry, May 2021
Judith December 2020

“The tv did not work, one side of toaster did not work.”

- Judith, December 2020
Liz September 2020

“We had a lovely stay in this very pretty cottage , it was very clean and comfortable.”

The location was ideal for us as we love the village . The only little niggle was that we had asked for a cot and high chair which should have been in the cottage but weren’t, had to go looking in the laundry for them . Other than that everything was better than we expected as we had been led to believe the rooms were a bit tired but everything seemed good to us

- Liz, September 2020
Carla August 2020

“Lack of WiFi; couldn't connect”

- Carla, August 2020
Alec August 2020

“Very clean accommodation.”

Well stocked kitchen, there was even a cafetiere. Plenty of room in the bedrooms and well laid out. The table was big enough for family meals, playing games etc. Excellent outside areas including picnic benches, ideal for the children to play games, run off energy etc all within a very safe compound. Nice and quiet. The only minor drawbacks for me, which didn't spoil the holiday were, the access to the lake (or lack of) No freezer compartment in my fridge and the seating consisted of 2 x 2 seater settees. These were only an issue because i had recently had surgery on my leg and needed to use walking sticks to move. The access to the lake involved climbing over a fallen tree (impossible for me). I needed to ice my leg every 2 hours so i had to walk to the communal freezers to get my ice. This would have been easier with a freezer box in my fridge. Finally i couldn't get comfy on the settees because i had to have my leg elevated and i couldn't do this on the 2 seaters. Having said this, these are only minor complaints that affected me and they wouldn't affect most people. I would highly recommend staying in any of the cottages in this very safe area.

- Alec, August 2020
Jenna August 2020

“The cottage is in a lovely location, very quiet and peaceful but easy access to the fells/ lakes / tourist attractions of the South Lake District.”

The cottage was well equipped and very comfortable, as well as being spotlessly clean. There is plenty of parking and the shared outdoor space is a real bonus. A minor issue with a velux window was resolved promptly, on the same day as reported, by the maintenance team. However there was no WiFi available for the duration of our stay, this was reported to the office on the first day but they were experiencing problems due to poor weather the week before. It wasn't resolved during our stay and there is no phone signal at the cottage either, which was a shame as other than this our stay couldn't have been better...well, unless we can pre order decent weather that is! :-)

- Jenna, August 2020
Meryl October 2019

“We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday.”

The accommodation was very comfortable, very peaceful and warm. It is very central which was great for us first time visitors to the lake district. We did battle to find it however but not sure what else you could do to make that easier. One thing that was unusual is the fact that tea towels are not supplied. We had been travelling in Northumberland before moving on to the lake district and didn't have tea towels with us. We bought three cheap ones in Windermere and used them as placemats as well since there were no placemats and we were loathe to put hot dishes directly onto the table. The grinder unit in the rock salt cellar was also missing...as we found out the hard way !! But that is not something I would expect to be checked between lets. All in all it was a great holiday and I would happily return some time in the future. Thank you.

- Meryl, October 2019
G August 2019

“When we arrived inside of the apartment we found a wasp nest on the floor with wasp all over the apartment.”

There was a door in the roof opened and from there they entered. There was no broom and nothing to clean. We reported to Sykes cottages with calls and sending photos; Sykes did not do anything. Every time we called it was a different person and not aware of the problem. A second agency appeared (another property manager and owner of several cottages) who sent messages (inefficient and “just from the desk”) but not a person to clean the apartment. According to them, Sykes did not provide the accurate information related that the wasp nest was inside of the apartment. Nontheless they never called and just limited to send messages not resolving the situation. It was until Thursday (that luckily we were there and not out in a trekking) someone came to clean it. One day before our departure, 6 days after we first called and complained !!! The most important learning for us: never rent a house from an agency or not the direct owner, since they will not care and you will be meeting “just employees” answering mails and calls not willing to resolve a problem to the end as an owner will be doing. Definitely Airbnb is a better option. You have the owner interested in having a good rating and therefore resolving the problems !

- G, August 2019
Daisy May 2019

“My family went there for a short break.”

All things are nice and comfort generally, if I need to comment on anything that would be the shortage of toilet paper. As we are four adults and stayed for two nights, we only found two roll of toilet paper and the quality is not quite good. But everything else is perfect. We like the scene looking outside our windows. Will recommend our friends to come here.

- Daisy, May 2019
Philippa April 2019

“Good directions to the property In the property the settees need updating, not comfortable and dated.”

Beautiful surroundings. Shame high chair ordered wasn’t in the property on arrival as requested, had to collect it from storage area.

- Philippa, April 2019
Matthew February 2019

“I really enjoyed my stay in the cottage it was just what we were after some of the facilities were getting a little tired like the sofas but the setting and footpaths nearby really made up for this.”

The cottage was pretty clean on arrival with lots of cleaning stuff already in place which was nice. The only thing is suggest instead of getting groceries delivered from supermarkets would be maybe click and collect your groceries as our delivery driver had no idea where to go and turned up 30 mins early which wasn't great as we were running a little late as it was! All in all though a brilliant stay and I'd definitely recommend staying at Thrilmere

- Matthew, February 2019
Elizabeth August 2018

“Absolutely fabulous cottage in the Lakes, warm, comfortable and very well equipped.”

Couldnt of asked for better views and location. Pub in walking distance. Booking very easy and well communicated instructions.

- Elizabeth, August 2018
David July 2018

“Lovely apartment in a beautiful location, we will definitely be booking again”

- David, July 2018
Mark June 2017

“Lovely apartments.”

Very clean and modern with good facilities. Wonderful views with good local dog walks.

- Mark, June 2017
Lynne June 2017

“Wonderful apartment, fantastic location overlooking the lake, walking distance to pub and Hill Top,will definitely be returning.”

- Lynne, June 2017
Matthew September 2016

“Great location and lovely property.”

Thinking about going back up in a few months time for some photography - so will be booking with you in the future

- Matthew, September 2016

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Summary

All first floor
Two bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x twin
Shower room with shower, basin and WC
Open-plan living area with kitchen, dining area and sitting area with woodburning stove
Shared laundry.
Electric storage heaters with woodburning stove
Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge, washing machine, tumble dryer and freezer in shared laundry, Smart TV
Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
Cot and highchair available from the communal laundry
Ample off road parking in shared courtyard
Use of shared lawned garden
Two well-behaved dogs welcome
Sorry, no smoking
Shop 2.2 miles, pub 3 mins walk
Please note that logs, kindling, firelighters, and matches are not included in your stay but can be ordered using the Goodeats link in your key collection information
WiFi and Mobile phone signal may be limited due to the location of the property
Water from private supply, fed from freshwater lake
Ospray Safari’s are available at Esthwaite Fishery
To avoid disappointment, we recommend booking Graythwaite Adventure in advance
Please Note: This property charges a £100.00 Good Housekeeping Bond
Please Note: Esthwaite property is an independent company and no one has rights to be on the water or fish or swim without paying Esthwaite water fishery
Please note that we can’t accept check in on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Years Day

The property

Situated in Cumbria, this cottage benefits a modern interior, inviting you to experience a refreshing holiday with your loved ones.

Inside, there is a well-appointed open-plan living room comprising a fully equipped kitchen and cosy sitting area, where you can relax and unwind of an afternoon, once you have explored the wonderful attractions surrounding the area.

If the day's events haven't tired you out, then the modern kitchen is sure to inspire you to break out those cooking skills and eat together at the dining room table.

Down the hall you will find two lovely bedrooms; one double and one twin.

Both rooms have a range of wooden furniture, with ample storage space for your personal belongings and a lovely, rich purple colour scheme for the bed linen, which gives the rooms a homely feel.

Sawrey is situated near many neighbouring towns with access to many local attractions, including Levens Hall, a stunning family home dating back to Elizabethan times.

With the finest furniture, clocks and paintings.

Explore the fascinating artefacts linking the Hall to the Duke of Wellington, and enjoy a lovely walk through the lavish gardens and lake.

Thirlmere is a wonderful countryside holiday home.

Esthwaite Farm Cottages

A beautiful collection of eleven stone properties, located close to Esthwaite Water, in the idyllic village of Near Sawrey, Lake District National Park. From the moment you approach these delightful cottages, along picturesque narrow lanes, lined by swooping trees and quaint stone walls, you cannot fail to fall in love with this wonderful setting. It is the ideal choice for a break away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Set in a charming courtyard, these eleven homely properties provide welcoming accommodation, many featuring a warming woodburning stove. There is a mix of one- and two-bedroom properties, over one or two stories. With some having open-plan living areas and all with comfy bedrooms, fit for a great night’s sleep in this quiet and tranquil part of the world. The large lawned area allows children and pets to play safety whilst you relax and gaze across the valley. Take a walk to the forested hillsides or maybe take the private path down to the water’s edge. This is truly an unrivalled location for exploring all that the Lake District has to offer. Whatever your motivation for taking a break, there’s something for everyone nearby. Walkers and cyclists can get their kicks at nearby Grizedale Forest. Lake Windermere and Coniston Water offer opportunities for river cruises or water sports. Take a drive through the charming surrounding villages, including beautiful Hawkshead, and explore the boutique shops in Ambleside or Bowness. Further afield, the towns of Keswick and Ulverston are well worth a visit, and kids will love a trip on the Haverthwaite Steam Train, just a few miles away. These characteristic cottages offer the opportunity for a memorable stay that you will want to repeat again and again.

Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £100.

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About the location

SAWREY

Hawkshead 2 miles.

The village of Sawrey is situated two miles from Hawkshead down the eastern side of Esthwaite Water, overlooked by the woods and tarns of Claife Heights. Sawrey consists of two separate hamlets - Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey - both with a cluster of picturesque cottages, tea rooms and pubs. Near Sawrey is famous for Hill Top, the 17th century farmhouse where Beatrix Potter wrote her acclaimed children's stories. Now a museum, owned and run by the National Trust, Hill Top is one of the most visited houses in the Lake District. Far Sawrey is the hamlet furthest away from Hawkshead and the nearest to the ferry point on Windermere. It offers a church and pub/restaurant with a beer garden. There are good walks in the area, including those to Claife Heights and in Grizedale Forest. It's also a great base for enjoying a wide variety of typical Lakeland pursuits - with watersports close at hand on Lake Windermere, fishing on nearby Esthwaite Water and, of course, fell walking.

Please note Esthwaite property is an independent company and no one has rights to be on the water or fish or swim without paying Esthwaite water fishery.

This property offers the following short breaks:

Winter
Off-season
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Features

Reviews & Ratings

“The property was clean except for cobwebs on the wall above door and skylight and living room window.”

“Entrance was dull and not inviting ,no welcome pack was a let down .”

“Overall we had a lovely time, very quiet, great to watch the swallows and listen to the owls.”

“Afraid there were a number of things you should consider improving at this property: Fridge needs a freezer component Fridge door compartments are broken Microwave needs instructions Two bins for the separation of waste (as this is requested) Lock on bathroom door rather than a screw!”

“Very warm on arrival.”

“We stayed for 3 nights in January as 2 adults, 1 baby and 1 dog.”

“Such a beautiful location to stay.”

“Had a lovely stay at Thirlmere, even managed to find it in the dark as the directions were accurate!”

“Love the new sofa (we were there in October’21).”

“Such a lovely cozy little accommodation with amazing friends members of staff.”

“Kitchen and bathroom upgraded since our last visit.”

“Comments : Nice location,easy to access the local area.”

“The tv did not work, one side of toaster did not work.”

“We had a lovely stay in this very pretty cottage , it was very clean and comfortable.”

“Lack of WiFi; couldn't connect”

“Very clean accommodation.”

“The cottage is in a lovely location, very quiet and peaceful but easy access to the fells/ lakes / tourist attractions of the South Lake District.”

“We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday.”

“When we arrived inside of the apartment we found a wasp nest on the floor with wasp all over the apartment.”

“My family went there for a short break.”

“Good directions to the property In the property the settees need updating, not comfortable and dated.”

“I really enjoyed my stay in the cottage it was just what we were after some of the facilities were getting a little tired like the sofas but the setting and footpaths nearby really made up for this.”

“Absolutely fabulous cottage in the Lakes, warm, comfortable and very well equipped.”

“Lovely apartment in a beautiful location, we will definitely be booking again”

“Lovely apartments.”

“Wonderful apartment, fantastic location overlooking the lake, walking distance to pub and Hill Top,will definitely be returning.”