“We were purposely looking for somewhere just outside the Lake District National Park as we know that offers far better value, is less congested, and yet is just as beautiful, and within easy reach of the parts of the park we wanted to visit.”
Rose Cottage fitted the bill perfectly, and we somehow knew that once we established that the owner runs her own B&B business elsewhere in the Lakes, every detail would be taken care of by someone whose own livelihood revolves around welcoming visitors.
Lazonby itself and the surrounding villages are lovely and mostly peaceful, yet the road access to most busier parts of the Lake District is excellent. While the cottage is less than 10 minutes' walk from the railway station, lying on the famous Settle & Carlisle railway line, you do really need a car to make the most of your stay. We arrived as two family groups, and were able to park both our vehicles reasonably easily.
We had an eventful time getting to grips with the cottage's hob and oven, but overall all of the appliances are excellent - probably more than most people will need on holiday. Another good touch was the plentiful supply of crockery and cutlery, as we find many holiday cottage owners only leave a bare minimum.
The village's Co-op store is large and generally well-stocked, but you're only 20 minutes' drive from the town of Penrith where there are two large supermarkets, so keeping supplied isn't a problem.
One minor quibble would be about the bedding supplied - this was probably fine for visitors at cooler times of the year, but in the main bedroom at least, is somewhat over-generous for the summer, and we were rather warm on most nights. A lighter-weight duvet as an alternative to the one supplied would be just the job!
