Thorney How

Very pleased with the comfort of the property and its facilities.

Access was good as was parking. Had a very enjoyable week. The request to alter two superkingsize beds to twins was dealt with by the owners - thank you. Only one minor issue we had was concerning the separate downstairs toilet being out of order. It meant that all guests had to use their bedroom toilets. Would have been useful to be made aware of this problem before we arrived with 6 children as we might have made a different allocation of the bedrooms.

The cottage is very spacious with plenty of seating areas for a lot of guests and the beds were really comfortable.

It’s a little bit tired in places and whilst they supplied laundry and dishwasher tablets, we would have appreciated salt and pepper! We also booked Little How and because there is a connecting door between the two cottages that was really useful. Ideal for very large groups who are going to a wedding at the Lancrigg.

An excellent venue for our girls weekend.

Spacious, comfortable and well-equipped - the air fryer was a bonus! Plenty of scope to gather indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather. A short, safe, walk into Grasmere and great access to the countryside from the front door. Ample parking for our group. Our only snag: some of our group had trouble finding the entrance gate. Perhaps a photo of the lane would be a helpful addition to the listing.

The size of the house suited us but unfortunately as soon as you enter the property it has an overwhelming smell of dog which is very off putting.

Cleanliness of some of the bedrooms was not the best, overall it feels a bit tired and could do with a refresh.

We rented Thorney How for a family event last year, and this time, as we have more grandchildren, we rented Little How as well.

We had a wonderful time, the property is perfect for such a gathering with plenty of usable spaces. Good walks and the town nearby. The response from the owner and the local office for the two gardens to be joined together was both swift and helpful. We have both properties booked for next year and are looking forward to that. PS If there was a barbecue as well as the firepit that would be a great addition. PPS we stayed there when it was YHA over 50 years ago - it is rather more luxurious now!

We are a walking group of 12 - 15 well-aged, well experienced, (straight) men from Devon to The Highlands who meet up once a year in the Lake District in January for some serious walking.

Thorney Howe is the best property we have ever used. Finding a property that caters for that demographic is extremely difficult, but this one does just that. It even has a drying room.....

Really great base for a big weekend away - easy walk into Grasmere for cafes/galleries on a rainy morning and then right at the foot of Helm Crag for a hike.

We loved the space and large dining area.

A very comfortable house, shared with Little How.

Clean, with lots of space for a group of friends to get together. Plenty of space to spread out and be sociable or have a quiet time. Short walk into Grasmere or straight onto the fells. Couple of the bedrooms felt damp and a welcome pack would have been appreciated. Apart from that, great

We booked Thorney How to accommodate some of our wedding guests for the weekend.

The location next to The Lancrigg was perfect, and everything about it was just ideal. A massive living and dining space, a kitchen with everything you could ever need to cook anything you wanted to, cosy rooms, a drying room for wet gear/clothes, and fantastic heating throughout making you forget the cold November day outside. It was an excellent place to stay, and I hope to book it again one day with friends for a reunion.

Lovely accommodation and perfect for our group.

Wonderful area, with lots of outdoor adventures had during a week of mixed Lakeland weather. Kitchen was great for catering for a group of 16, and there were plenty of everything (mugs, glasses, plates, etc), along with a great array of kitchen equipment. Beds were really comfortable. Drying room was well used and very efficient. Would definitely recommend and would look forward to returning. A few improvements to make it even better (please note these were minor and didn’t interfere with our enjoyment of the accommodation). - A couple more tea towels would be good. We only had two. - One of the upstairs showers was leaking through to the ground floor - we reported this and someone arrived to look into it on the same day - great response! - The fridge in the kitchen was leaking water onto the floor - we mopped it several times a day but still got wet socks if we weren’t careful. - A lockable bike store would be appreciated. - The sofas could do with an upgrade.

It was the perfect house for our groups needs.

Fantastic. We will be returning to this property hopefully next year.

We stayed in Thorney Howe in early September.

The accommodation was perfect for our group with clean rooms and all the amenities we required including great kitchen facilities to allow us to cater for our big group. We had a fantastic walk and dip in Easedale tarn and enjoyed the proximity to the village. Some of the group making early coffees one morning were pleasantly surprised by some young Deer right outside the cottage where the cars were parked.

A wonderful holiday in a fabulous house in a wonderful location.

Would rebook without hesitation.

A beautiful house set in a stunning location.

Great place for the 16 members of our family to meet.

Lovely property.

Mark was very helpful when we had any issues. Amazing property along with Little How for a large family gathering.

Lovely house in perfect location.

Great for large families and people with a dog as has enclosed garden. Also had 2 guests whom were slightly disabled so the downstairs bedrooms were perfect

Really enjoyed our family holiday celebrating my 80th bday.

The property was comfortable n spacious so we felt we were not on top of each other! Also very well equipped with crockery n kitchen utensils. Only criticism would be that there was no BBQ, not that the weather was good enough for one . Sorry weather did not allow us to use the fire pit.

Really great property, much bigger than anticipated.

All the bedrooms were so nice and spacious, which made for a very comfortable stay. Such a beautiful location, and so convenient for walks, pubs and swims. 10/10 place!

Great place for a group to stay, plenty of space, well equipped, warm and comfortable.

There were only three kitchen hand towels and NO tea towels, so this was an inadequacy which could easily be resolved.

It would have been nice to have been warned about lack of coat hangers in the rooms. In general, we were pleased with the equipment and accommodation, and enjoyed our week there.

Hi, this is our third family stay at Thorney How.

We absolutely love the property. I would however like to give some constructive feedback. This visit we were disappointed with the cleanliness of the second fridge freezer (we needed to clean it before use) and the shower base in one of the ground floor bedrooms was dirty (again we needed to clean before use) and all of the shower heads need to be cleaned. I have suggested on a previous stay that bath mats and soap holders in the ground floor showers would help the elderly/ disabled members of the family. Maybe the owner could consider the suggestion again. All of the feedback is given in good faith. We love the property and will certainly book Thorney How again. Thank you

I really can’t recommend Thorney How enough.

It is the most beautiful property and the views are unbelievable. The kitchen is the best equipped we have ever seen and has everything you need. The beds felt luxurious. The pictures just don’t do this place justice! Thank you for a wonderful stay.

We've been renting winter accommodation in the Lake District for the last 25 years for up to 15 (straight) blokes, for an annual fairly serious walking weekend.

Thorney Howe is the best we've ever had. Clean, comfortable and everything catered for. Thank you

Everyone was very comfortable and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Thank you.

Thorney How was the perfect place to base my women’s leadership retreat.

Nestled at the foot of Helm Crag it is ideally and idyllically situated with limitless opportunities for hiking from the house and surrounded by stunning views. The house itself was spacious, beautifully designed with a clean and comfortable aesthetic mixing cosy cottage with contemporary living seamlessly. Bedrooms were spacious and comfortable, the shared living spaces was ample and the presence of both a big porch and drying room made for super easy transitions in and out the door to and from the fells. We also had catering provided through Thorney How which was nothing short of superb. Jack provided nutritious, home-cooked, beautiful and utterly delicious meals and snacks throughout our stay, removing the stress of having to think about food and providing a level of care that enhanced my retreat enormously. All in all this house quickly became a home for our group and provided the warmth and comfort for us to be able to enjoy every element of our retreat with. Couldn’t recommend highly enough and will definitely be using again!

What a fantastic cottage, just a short walk out of Grasmere.

There is so much space for a large group (there were 12 of us) with the separate snug plus large open plan living and dining area. Useful features included an enormous drying room, a very well equipped / functional kitchen, with large pans etc for volume cooking for large groups. Lots of crockery, china etc that ment we never ran out or thought “we could do with”. One great thing that wasn’t mentioned in the details is that the bedrooms are all well away from the living areas, (separated by the front hall) and so anyone wanting an afternoon nap, early night or lie in was not disturbed by noise from the social areas… bliss for a light sleeper! Many thanks! Helen

Beautiful surroundings The kitchen was easy to use and stocked with everything you could possibly need even very large slow cooker and air fryer The drying room was very useful as was the snug.

We were short of freezer space as we had brought several meals ready frozen and there is only one very small freezer but plenty of fridge space. We couldn’t find a local contact number when we couldn’t get heating on in one of the bedrooms and it remained cold all week

Wonderful property, a repeat visit as our 3 generation family love it.

Nice bedrooms with elegant furniture and excellent beds, great having en suites; plenty of comfy sitting spaces; really functional kitchen and a table for 16 and plenty of crockery and glasses; AND, as we walk and cycle in all weathers and paddle board, the drying room makes the holiday so easy.

Beautiful position.

Perfect for large family groups.Very clean Comfortable beds Plentiful bathrooms We would return

We really enjoyed our time at Thorney How, a well laid-out house and a well-equipped kitchen.

The drying room was particularly useful. It did not feel crowded for 16 and we appreciated that the snug allowed people to get some peace and privacy. Very well located on the outskirts of Grasmere - easy to get into the town by foot or by car, and very well placed for heading up the valley into the hills. We'd be very happy to come back. The builders mentioned in some earlier reviews were not a problem.

We had a lovely stay at Thorney How.

Great location. Ideal property for a large family group plenty of room for everyone.Would highly recommend and will definitely be booking again. Thank you

I recently organised a big family get together in Thorney Howe.

There were 16 of us altogether, from Australia , S. Ireland, Scotland , Wales and England. Our ages ranged from 12 to 87! We had a great week ! The house was perfect, well equipped, comfortable and welcoming! Everything we needed been provided .On the two occasions that I needed to phone the owner, Mark, he was most helpful and I enjoyed meeting him . Thank you Elizabeth Mclelland

Overall we had a good stay.

The equipment was plentiful and the large dining and sofa area was useful for the group. 7 of the bedrooms were great as ensuite but note that the 8th room is very far from the bathroom (have to go downstairs and through all the living spaces- we didn't realise it was this far from the description). We had an odd experience that made us feel uncomfortable and I hope the owners learn from it and don't do it to any other guests. We requested a highchair and were pleased that it was in the house when we arrived and we used it in the evening. The next morning, the highchair was gone. I called Sykes cottages and we received a new highchair outside the front door that evening. The owner/housekeeping have accessed the house without our permission, that we privately hired and removed it (without consent) and offered no explanation or apology. The whole group felt disgusted that someone had been in the house while we were in it - with children and adults sleeping and removed something without permission. We paid a lot of money for private hire so we were deeply disappointed and did make us feel on edge.

Great accommodation for our family reunion!

Suited all ages. Lots of great walks. Accommodation perfect with enough space for us to chill out personally. Loved it

We had 3 toddlers and 2 babies with us.

They had so many accidents on the paving slab stairs and the hollow behind the door to the sitting room. This place is definitely not suitable for small children. The back garden is tiny and misrepresented in the photos. At the bottom of it the area is full of wild plants and a sheer drop. We couldn't use the garden for the little ones it was just too dangerous. The beds were comfortable and the showers amazing. It would have been nice to have drawers in the bedrooms as we had to live out of our suitcases. Spent a long time cleaning on the last morning to make sure it was adequate for the owners.

We loved our week in Thorney How and Little How.

We wanted to book it straightaway for next year, but sadly, the week we need to get all the family together had already gone. Great location, excellent facilities, well looked after. Would recommend to anyone. (A couple of minor things, just to show that we aren't relatives of the owners! The oven doesn't work very efficiently, and the main fridge leaks, even if you do try assiduously to make sure the door is closed. and some of the towels are a bit thin for a property this price). But these don't detract from our 5 start rating.

Enjoyable stay for all 15 ranging in ages from 13 to 77.

A few minor pieces of (I hope) constructive criticism - 1 some female members of the party would have preferred to have a shower with a head that could have been lifted off rather than fixed in ceiling; 2 The shower doors in loughrigg need to be mounted securely on their runners; 3 The listing describing the twin bedrooms is a little misleading - it should just read ‘one of the twin bedrooms doors not have en suite facilities’ - obviously they can choose whichever other bedroom they want share facilities with, but as currently described it gives the impression there is some special facility between the two rooms. And finally -this feedback is for Sykes (but doesn’t seem to be separate box for this) - When viewing properties one sees a pop up saying’ reserve this property for £20’ This is deceptive - it’s more than £20 isn’t it?

The refuse bin was not emptied and contained ours and the previous owners rubbish.

Maybe a word to the council.

My wife and I booked Thorney Howe to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary along with our children and grandchildren.

We were grossly disappointed finding ourselves in the middle of a building site with builders vans parked on the property every day, construction traffic constantly running past the property and often finding the road blocked with concrete trucks. When asked to respect our privacy and move the vans I was faced with verbal abuse from the builders. Sykes were very good at helping to resolve the problem with the parking and the vans were moved. The very next day we were faced with the same problem, and was faced with the same abuse from the builders. Then the water supply was turned off and we were unable to shower or flush toilets.I feel sorry for anyone who will be staying at Thorny Howe over the summer as the building works are set to continue for the next twelve months!!! Paul and Liz

Thorney How was a super venue for a family gathering.

The facilities were great and the drying room a massive help as we had rain every day we were there. We had assumed, incorrectly, that the two twin bedrooms had an interconnected bathroom which was not the case. The 8th bedroom had no facilities and a long way to go for a loo in the night if needed! The living areas were spacious and the bedrooms comfortable. A great stay in a lovely area. The fire doors were a bit of a nuisance!

Fabulous property.

Very clean upon arrival. Fabulous for large family holidays, ample space for all ages, no one felt like they were on top of each other at any point. Drying Room was an amazing and welcomed addition. Bedrooms well appointed, but limited to zero storage for clothes - no cupboards, wardrobes or chest of drawers ?! Lounge and dining area comfortable. Excellent to have ample fridge space. Kitchen cooker took a long long while to reach temperature and meant we needed to plan early for our meals. Lots of car parking spaces. Overall this is one of the best large houses we have stayed in the Lake District, and a great location within walking distance to Grasmere and some excellent walks.

The property was fantastic for our family group and the thoughtful extras supplied for our dogs were very much appreciated.

Beds were very comfortable with crisp, fresh bedding. The towels could have been larger and not big enough to wrap around some of the larger adults. The kitchen was well equipped but it was a bit annoying going in and out of the heavy kitchen door to get dishes and cutlery. These were just small observations because we really enjoyed our stay and would love to return when the weather is better.

Just had an amazing Christmas in this property, pictures do not do it justice.

Kitchen was well equipped, large living space. Beds really comfortable. Will be definitely returning Thank you Thorney How

A large group of us have been coming to The Lakes in December for almost 30 years.

Our requirements are for 7/8 bedrooms preferably all ensuite, pub in walking distance, nearby walks so we don`t have to drive and kitchen/dining large enough so that we can eat together. I have to say Thornley How meet this brief in every respect. The accommodation is spacious, beautifully decorated , warm and well equipped with plenty of parking. In terms of location it is only a 15min walk into Grasmere or the Travellers Rest (recommended ). There are also lots of walk options both short and long. Will definitely be returning.

Would highly recommend.

Really lovely property in perfect location. Quick walk into Grasmere and stunning Silverhow walk from property. Well stocked kitchen for mass catering and beautifully clean.

We absolutely loved our holiday at Thorney How!

It was the perfect house for mixed ages - the adults could walk straight up the fells without needing to get in the car, and the teenagers could walk into Grasmere. It's a brilliant location. The house had everything we needed - incredibly comfortable beds in lovely rooms, a great big main room to watch films, eat and play board games, en suites for everyone and a big garden. There is so much space that we didn't feel on top of one another - the kids disappeared to the snug while the adults still had two lounges to choose from. The kitchen is very well stocked and a second fridge by the back door was very helpful. The drying room was also a huge plus. It all felt very new and clean. We don't have any negative feedback at all - it was just brilliant!!

An excellent couple of nights at Thorney How with all the Family, 14 of us in total.

Sykes Cottages came to the rescue at last minute after being let down on a different property that the owner had double booked. Thorney How is great for a large group, the rooms are all en suite, so no waiting for bathroom. The only negative is the large oven, it takes ages to get hot enough to cook, so needs switching on a lot earlier than your intended eating time. An outdoor barbecue would be beneficial, especially in weather like we have had recently.

We were a family of 15 plus small dog and everyone really enjoyed the house.

We loved the views, space and location and felt it really suited our needs. The drying room, air fryer and board games available were a bonus! We had a few WFH in our party and issues with the wifi continually dropping, though when we reported it direct to the owners, they were really helpful and quick to nip out to reset it all. Sykes customer support on the other hand were not helpful at all. One of the rooms had a bad smell following some gurgling noises from under the shower, from the drains perhaps, but tbf we did not report that and it is probably an easy fix. On balance that would not deter us from re-booking or recommending to others. There was also loads to do in the area for all ages so overall 5 stars all round.

Facilities and location were perfect for a family of 17, eight adults and nine children ranging from 14 yrs to 8 months old.

We only ventured into Grasmere for an hour on the last day, seen it many times before. We enjoyed the place so much the consensus was “when can we do it again?” Catering in the kitchen was really easy, we had all our meals at “home” . Small things that need attention: Light above the sink in Fairfield was loose and didn’t work. Hot tap in downstairs toilet turns when switched off and goes outside the sink and finally the hot water became almost boiling after running for a short while.

Thorney How was an excellent space for our family gathering after Pandemic.

There are so many comfortable cosy areas for small groups, or pairs or all to gather.. it was all we could have hoped for and needed. It was a great place for any large group to stay whether sunny or damp …. or pouring down!

We had a wonderful stay at this property.

It had everything we needed and was perfect for a group of families. It was decorated and maintained to a high standard. I miss the cosy living room and log burner! We will definitely come back.

The property is in a superb location and some areas have recently been redecorated and re-carpeted.

The beds and duvets in the main bedrooms were very comfortable but the bunk bed mattresses were very hard and uncomfortable. The property is well heated. There are several maintenance issues that need to be addressed before we would consider a return to the property; 1. In the ground floor room with the double bed, the shower head sprays water onto the ceiling from the connection to the pipe work. The ceiling over the shower has loose wall paper and plaster that is shedding debris into the shower. 2. The showers trays are slow to drain and quickly fill with water. 3. In the dining area the left most window (with frosted glass) was impossible to close because the wooden window frame has expanded beyond the size of the opening. 4. At times, the kitchen refrigerator was leaking water across the kitchen floor. 5. There is significant black mold near the external door and we found dirt and food debris under the fridge.

Had a wonderful time at Thorny How.

12 of us in total, everything we needed, very clean, comfy beds and great showers. The enormous drying room they have which I don't recall being mentioned was fab. All our clothes and walking boots dried over night. Grasmere is a beautiful place, which you have easy access to walk into from the house.

Lovely property, very spcious and comfortable.

Well equipped and ideally positioned for larger groups.