Blencathra Barn

A super stay in a barn perfect for larger families.

The garden and hot tub were a great bonus with fabulous outdoor seating, perfect for outdoor breakkfasts and BBQs. Lovely, quiet area just 15 mins from Pooley Bridge. The barn was spotless with some signs of wear but nothing which spoilt the holiday. We gave 4 rating for comfort only because the bed in the attic room was very uncomfortable including hard pillows. Otherwise we had a smashing stay.

Great location 5 minutes away from Penrith.

However the property is in need of some TLC, expecially the kitchen & the patio area.

Disappointed and Let Down After Returning Visit We stayed at this cottage seven years ago and had fond memories, but sadly this return visit was a huge disappointment.

The cleanliness was well below standard — we had to mop the kitchen floor ourselves on arrival, the cupboards were filthy, and the grill pan was caked in old bacon grease. The kitchen bin absolutely stank. It was clear that no proper cleaning had been done for some time. Dust was thick behind and under the beds, and overall the place felt neglected. Outside, the patio slabs are loose, uneven, and overgrown with weeds — not only unsightly but also a trip hazard. What’s most frustrating is that there appears to have been no maintenance or updates in the last 7 years, yet the price certainly doesn’t reflect that. For the cost, we expected a much higher standard. Unfortunately, we won’t be returning and couldn’t recommend it in its current state.

Upon arrival everything looked great, but upon closer inspection there were a few things that had been overlooked by both the housekeeping and maintenance side of things.

Only 4 forks in the drawer for a property that sleeps 7, this was rectified by the owner quickly though. Dirty towel left in the linen basket Kitchen knives were all blunt apart from 1 and there was no way to sharpen them as the sharpener was broken, again the owner rectified this but not until the day before we left. Door handle on downstairs shower room was falling off Bannister coming away from the wall Front fell off the bedside cabinet when opening the drawer, agian this was fixed by the owner the day before we left. Pull switch for the downstairs shower room light gave up on the second day but as were only using this during the day it didn't matter too much and was replaced by the owner the day before we left. Dvd player had no hdmi cable Outdoor area was nice but is in need of a large dose of TLC as a lot of the slabs are loose. Outdoor furniture needs replacing as it is starting to fall apart. Overall this was a good holiday but all these little niggles just took away from what would have been a great holiday. Forgot the hot tub.... this is always something we look for in a holiday but with the time limits on when you can use the tub it spoils things a bit. If you are out for the day and come back for dinner there will be only a couple of hours when you can use the tub. The neighbours at the back of the property also appeared to come out every night at about 5 minutes to ten and look down the garden, like they were checking to see if anyone was in the tub after the allowed time. All in all a nice property with a few niggles. Not one we would book again.

Location of property was brilliant.

The garden was ok but could have had the grass cut. The weather was hot and sunny but there was no garden parasol and no natural shade. The cottage itself felt tired and could have been cleaner, dishes and cupboards felt very grubby. Top bedroom looked lovely but bed too low and difficult to get up from. On last day was disturbed at 8am from hot tub cleaner, please leave cleaning of hot tub after guests have left. Internet connection poor

We loved our stay at Blencathra barn.

It's a great size with plenty of rooms & bathrooms. Certain things need a little update maybe a new coffee table etc but on a whole it was a very nice week away, our dog loved the garden. I would go again without a doubt

It was lovely place and the scenery was amazing.

Hot tub great, kitchen facilities and number of bathrooms very good. Comfortable seating and dining area. Only negatives were the mattresses on the single beds were very poor and uncomfortable and, despite having a DVD player (as requested) there was no power cord or lead to connect the player. So, it technically had a player we just couldn't use it. Some soap in the toilets and surface spray for the kitchen would also have been useful. Overall a great time, with some minor elements that would make a big difference.

Really not great, all the glasses plates and dishes were dirty upon arrival, a bin bag was left outside the door.

Tap in the upstairs bedroom wouldn't stop running, tap in the downstairs bathroom sprayed water everywhere. No hand soap or handtowels were provided. Wine bottles from previous guests where stuffed between the coaches. TV was not plugged in and we had to find an extension lead to get it to work. Sheets in the bedroom were cleaned but all of them were marked and I had one of the most yellow pillowcases I've ever seen. There was broken glass at the side of the house. One positive was that the hot tub was clean and nice. Another was that it was cheap if it wasn't would probably have just left, do not recommend.

Lovely getaway to Blencathra Barn.

Had everything we needed and more. Plenty of space. Hard to use remote controller at times but mainly streamed off laptop so this was circumvented. Garden good size and dog friendly. Hot tub good size, lovely temperature and in good condition. Location great for travelling into the heart of the lake district, in a quiet village but safe feeling. Overall lovely stay and would love to return in the future.

Our stay at Blencathra barn was good.

The place is spacious and the area is perfect for exploring Lake District. The beds were comfy and the rooms were clean. The area is lovely and quiet and the pub close by is perfect for a drink and a bite to eat. The only problem we faced was more with the facilities which really should have been sorted. The bathroom handle door upstairs was broken upon arrival and we were unable to close the door, which isn’t ideal when you’re staying with 5 other people. This issue was resolved quickly when we contacted the owner but it shouldn’t have been that broken in the first place. The en-suite bathroom taps were also leaky and very weak, not being fitted to the sink properly and making a noise all night. The heating rail in the en-suite bathroom also wasn’t working. The hot tub stopped heating on the last full day we were there, which was gutting as we all couldn’t have our final time in the hot tub and we had been looking forward to it all day. A man had came earlier that morning to clean it and unfortunately must have made the hot tub go awfully cold, making it unusable. All in all a lovely holiday that would have been perfect if it weren’t for the facilities of the home.

Property smelt as soon as you walked in of wee and just a dusty old smell.

There was black little hairs on the bed upstairs at the top, we had to clean the property before we could settle including knifes plates etc for them to feel clean. It’s a shame because the property size is great and location is great with the feature of the hot tub again was great it could be an amazing place but needs updating just looks old worn down. Not sure what takes so long to clean saying you have people out by 10 am and then don’t let people come until 16:30 if I had that long to clean the house would be immaculate and it certainly wasn’t. Wouldn’t stay again and that’s a shame because it has massive potential.

Nice property and great hot tub.

Lovely property.

Plenty of room for the 2 familes and dog. Loved the hot tub and garden space. We cooked and ate in garden nearly each evening but were always mindful of residents nearby and kept the noise to a minimum. The barn was Ideally situated to travel around the local area. The local pub was friendly and we visited a couple of times. We had no complaints at all and throughly enjoyed the stay. Beautiful area and would highly recommend. We miss the recliner chairs now we are home.

Everything about blencartha is really good as the accommodation is very roomy and plenty of bathrooms so everyone can get sorted.

Outside is a fantastic space for dogs however the only thing that we found was having a small dog he did escape under the fence in a few places .

Fantastic property, well stocked kitchen, and nice touch in providing dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid, tea towels, oven gloves, cleaning products and basic seasoning.

Perfect for our furry friend with an amazing, secure and enclosed garden for her to have fun in! Hot tub was immaculate and a welcome addition, after a days walking in the lake district! The peaceful village location was perfect for accessing the busier central and north lakes areas. Would highly recommend this property, and love to stay again!

Lovely barn, cosy and clean.

Had everything we needed. Beds were comfy and the hot tub was such a welcomed treat after several days in the fells.

Our family had an excellent stay at Blencathra Barn, thank you!

Spacious inside and out, well equipped, a well stocked games cupboard, quiet location while being close enough to the lakes and mountains. It turned out to be a great spot to view the northern lights outside, and a perfect view of a thunderstorm from the sitting room.

Absolutely fantastic

Nice cottage in general but misses the mark with maintenance.

The oven was broken and wouldn’t switch off so we had to switch it off at the main socket. Very dangerous if you forget to do that. When we arrived the top floor bath was wobbling and leaking. To be fair to the owners the maintenance guys were out the same day and patched that up. The TV was basically useless as it runs off an indoor aerial with no signal. The WiFi was patchy at best and not secure as it was shared with next door. The taps in the main bathroom seem be plumbed in back to front and the hot one was loose and went from cold to scolding in 2 seconds to the point my mother in law burnt her hand. The beds aren’t the best and mattress on one or the single beds had springs poking through. The bed on the top floor seems have sunk a bit as well. One of the chairs in the garden also has a loose leg which again nearly caused and accident. Not all negative though. The hot tub, garden and location were all great and the local pub is brilliant. It wouldn’t take much to get this place to the right standard but there were just too many small things which put a cloud over the holiday. Wouldn’t recommend unless these maintenance of the place is massively improved.

When we arrived the cleaning lady was still there finishing up next door, just as well she was as we couldn't gain entry as the key was not in the lockbox but in the door on the inside of cottage.

She had no knowledge of us arriving as said it had not been cleaned! When she gained entry with her keys it was a left in right mess by previous customers. She told us to come back in couple hours (by this time it would be 6pm+) not her fault but a break down communication either with booking agent & owner. When we finally get in on first glances the ladies did a fab job in a short space of time to clean and prepair it for our stay. It was during the stay we started to find little bits not so perfect, the cottage could do with a little TLC and money being put back into it and bring up to date with current times. The kettle could do with replacing as has rather alot scalling init. The TV Ariel is no use at all, everytime you want watch TV you have to retune and lucky dip what channels you pick up. There is an outdoor ariel socket on wall why there's no extension into this instead the crappy plug in ariel?? Luckily the TV is a smart TV so can use your Netflix/prime accounts if you have these. The WiFi is shocking slow, the router is next door and you piggy back off that, it was hit and miss alot the times. The bathroom door handle needs attention, no one dared locked the door incase it came off and you got stuck in there! The shower in main bathroom is a cheap of the cheapest ones going and pointless for double shower that size, plus there's not alot hot water it runs cold and tepid, so don't think if having a bath. Cheap plastic toilet seats. The hottub man comes Friday & Mondays. We noticed He doesn't empty them at each change over but simply wipes the seats, fish out the bugs, cleans the filters and replaces the chlorine tabs. So not sure how many guests have used same water before us? (He was there just finishing when we arrived Friday- the tub was 40° so obviously not been emptied and refilled) These may seem little things but when your paying £1200++ these little things do go a long way to making your stay more comfortable. The garden is good size, enclosed so dog friendly. Overall its a lovely cottage, ideal place as base while you explore the beautiful lakes have to offer.

Nice sized house and garden only draw back with this property is fences aren’t high enough.

So if you have a large dog who likes to jump they will need to be on a lead in the garden.

A great property in a nice quiet location.

Plenty of room in the property and a large enclosed garden. The only improvement I would recommend is that the hot tub maintenance person knocks before entering the property. Having a large dog it was a surprise to see someone opening the gate and walking in.

little jobs need doing loose cooker button, and toilet roll holders.

Floor sills dirty/dusty. Needs better attention from the cleaner - purfume bottle under the bed. Fire Alarm went off, and unable to switch off, owner unable to help as 2hrs away, eventually stopped after 2hrs, we were about to give up and leave as was our last night. Still we enjoyed our stay and would come again, as cleaning can be sorted and loose things overlooked for a short stay.

The cottage/barn was lovely, very homely and lots of space.

The only downside for us was the hot tub was not ready for use until our second day so we weren't able to make the most of it.

Cottage was lovely and clean.

Great welcome pack when we got there. Pub down the road was lovely. Great food and really friendly. Lots of space for 4 adults and a dog. Great location near to Penrith and ulswater. Will stay again if visiting the area. Thank you

The barn is lovely, good position for visiting various places in the Lake District & the hot tub great after a long day of walking/hiking.

Generally good facilities. TV is very small for the size room & reception isn’t great. The king bed upstairs is very uncomfortable, a large dip in the one side particularly which led to a few nights on the sofa - not what you want when paying for holiday accommodation. Generally though a nice place to stay.

Gaps at the bottom of the fence needs addressing at the back and to the side, as had dog escape needed to be out with them at all times, could do with new bbq because it had no grills, but part from that location was lovely.

A little underwhelmed at what could be a lovely holiday let.

The oven was a disgrace, swimming in grease and dirty. I forwarded pictures to the contact number in the information folder but did not receive a reply. The dials on the cooker was loose and need attention. A very basic kitchen, disappointing as I like to cook. The barbecue was similar, the skeletal remains of a large black bird didn’t help.

We had a lovely stay & would love to return.

Good base for the area & the hot tub was a bonus.

3rd time using the barns everything great as usual , hope to be back in the future .

The dials on the oven are broken.

It was not possible to gauge the temperature for the bottom oven and the induction hobs took 10 mins to heat up when oven is in use. The bath on the top floor master leaks down through the door lintel of the twin room. The kitchen and reception areas had horrible damp, musty smell on arrival so had to go out and buy a load of air fresheners and scented candles. Providing one kitchen bin bag for a weekend stay in a house that sleeps 7, is unrealistic. Would have been nice if small basics like that , which are inexpensive, were provided. Ditto for the 4 dishwasher tablets- seems stingy, and just a few more wouldn’t cost the supplier much but would make the customer experience more comfortable. Whilst the above should be noted, it is a great sociable space so we had a great time and the hot tub is a wonderful addition to the property, which is lovely after a long day’s hike!

Blancathra Barn is a lovely place to stay it's got everything you need facilitie wise and the hot tub is a lovely place to to relax after a long day walking.

Stayed there at the end of March 2022 for a week and had great holiday and would definitely recommend. The only negative is the time's you can enter the property 4.30 pm and leave 9.30am you loose a day's holiday?. But would definitely return to this property again Ian

A lovely very clean barn.

I would not hesitate to stay here again. Lots of things to do close by or just relax in the hot tub! Will be back.

Really nice well kept property welcoming of dogs.

Nice big garden good location. Lovely hot tub (only downfall is you have to be out of the tub by 10pm, and the hot tub maintenance men let themselves in and out as they please, regularly)

This was my second visit and I will definitely be back!

Such a spacious house with everything you need and plenty more! The hot tub is an added bonus. Not far to explore the Lakes either. Would love check out time to be slightly later but I know covid plays a role in this, it just feels like you lose a day effectively. Great stay!

We had a wonderful weekend at the cottage.

It was a cosy place to stay during the storm. Everything we needed was there. Would definitely go back.

Great cottage with everything you might need for your stay, very comfortable, warm and spacious.

The Sun Inn just down the road was very welcoming and does brilliant food.

Kitchen was very dirty,we had to clean the oven before we used it.

..The flies in the whole cottage were horrendous we had to go out and buy lots of things to try and get rid of them

Beautiful place to stay but tv and WiFi signal very hit and miss much to annoyance of kids.

That apart really enjoyable holiday home ,will definitely be back.

Excellent, well presented property, comfortably housing 7 people and 2 dogs in a great location.

Very well equipped with large comfy sofas (recliners being an unexpected bonus) and brilliant hot tub. A pre arrival note to inform that pool guy arrives early on Friday morning to change the water in the hot tub to enable it to be usable after 19:00 by next guests on arrival day would help to set expectations.

This was our second time staying here and we were very happy with everything at the barn and would stay again

We couldn’t get into hot tub till 7 as the water had just been changed, that should have been sorted for our arrival, then when we got in the neighbour decided to cut his hedge with electric hedge cutters, we are key workers and when we do get away we like to chilax, not possible with that racket going on, also the hot tub was never hot, it said 38 degrees but no way was it that, and also there were no fizz flutes , plenty of other glasses but no flutes, I also thought it was overpriced 15,00.

00 for a weekend can’t get in till 4.30 and out by 9.30

Everything was spot on but the mattress in the main bedroom needs replacing as we hardly slept all week.

Twice I rang Sykes Cottages with questions for the owner.

You never did get back to me The window sills were covered with dead insects. Very disappointed that the owner would not consider refunding us fully or for the one night we missed due to my sister dying.

Simple booking and plenty of information emails.

Love the app so it’s easy to log in and check details

Lovely spacious barn conversion, 4 bedrooms sleeping 7 people.

Very well stocked with crockery, pots, pans, dog essentials etc. Very comfortable, warm and cosy. Hot tub brilliant. Couldn’t really fault the Barn apart from maybe a larger tv. (Comment from my boys and husband!!) Great garden at the rear too. Sun Inn pub (1 minute’s walk) were very accommodating also - plus great food. Lovely trip to Pooley Bridge and Ullswater for two country walks. Would definitely recommend.

very pretty well-furnished dog friendly place.

ideal location for exploring the lakes. hottub was great. would stay again

The cottage was really comfortable.

We had terrible weather but were able to enjoy the cottage and spend family time together. We had a couple of good days out and the cottage is central for travel onwards. Well equipped. We had no problems at all. The hot tub was really nice. In terms of improvements just a chair in the dressing area would have been really useful. I used that room as a study area and this was really helpful. We improvised with a dining chair so this was not a problem. It was a lovely quiet place to read. The cottage is really quirky and has real character and is really worth a visit. I loved the ensuite bedroom and appreciated the unusual layout. We really had a lovely time and the cottage was better than expected. We were all comfortable and refreshed after our stay. We hope to book again.

Very central

The property was grubby.

The foolrs had not be cleaned and felt sticky and were filthy. The kitchen was dirty, even after the re-clean it was still grubby. The units felt dirty and sticky. The chopping boards were dirty. The tiles were full of food splats. The curtains are hanging off in the lounge. It appears the bear minimum of cleaning is taking place. I scrubbed a white wooden coffee table in the lounge with a white cloth, soap and water; the cloth was black afterwards. Same with the dining table. For what we paid for our 4 nights, the place was dirty, unkempt and tired looking downstairs. This is the 2nd cottage I have had from Sykes and it will be my last. Regards

Such a lovely cottage.

With everything you could need. Hot tub was the perfect touch & was ready for us as soon as we got there! Only downside was how hard it was to find initially as it's out of the way. Would definately stay here again & would highly recommend.

Lovely property but would benefit from some improvements.

Washing machine not working and bed in twin room wooden slats broken. No communication relating to when hot tub was being cleaned, a maintenance man showed up at 7.30 on two different days. Poor communication from property manager, issue with burglar alarm spontaneously setting off. Property manager took 2 hours to respond to text/calls.

The barn could be a great place to stay but needs a little love downstairs !

It looked like it has been decorated with white paint, with no dust sheets down. The floors downstairs were covered in paint, so made it feel grubby. Sofas, rug & coffee table all need renewing. It really let it down. The first morning I got the Hoover out as one rug appeared unohoovered, but the Hoover was full & smelt terrible, the tumble dryer was was thick with lint & water dispenser not emptied. Mirror on the wall at bottom of top staircase had to be cleaned as was filthy. Just no attention to detail. On a positive note the kitchen was well equipped, great quality cooker etc Plenty of hot water Upstairs was good the bedrooms & bathrooms & plenty of space. Top bathroom needs a smal storage unit as no where to put toilet/ makeup bag so these had to go on the floor Garden well fenced in & good jsize. Needs attention to detail wouldn't take much to smarten up.

Fantastic cottage which was perfect for a gathering of friends.

Beds very comfortable and hot tub was brilliant. Only slight annoyance was the early check out time of 10am, which there is no flexibility on. 11am would be a kinder time to choose, like most hotels do.

Please refer to my trip advisor review to see how many issues we encountered.

What really disappoints me is that all our issues are all touched upon in previous reviews yet neither Sykes or the owner obviously cannot be bothered to rectify/act upon the obvious issues with this place. Obviously as long as both parties are getting their monies everyone is happy except the customer. In summary, I find it deplorable that Sykes refused to bring any pressure to bear onto the owner despite me supplying photos of all the various issues, people vote with their feet, you will never have another penny from me again.

Really lovely barn!

Would definitely use again. Great range of facilities, I was even more impressed with how kitted out the kitchen was. Normally when we’re hire a home/caravan the kitchen has such a limited amount of pots, trays and utensils! The only thing that was a small downfall is that the hot tub took a while to heat up, by the Sunday it was up to temp and we enjoyed a dip! The garden is fenced in very well, so good for the pooches. My partner and I stayed in the top mezzanine bedroom and it was a dream! All in all enjoyed very much.

House wasn't very well cleaned downstairs we found peanuts and sweet wrappers in the main seating area.

Internet needs sorting out. we couldn't get signal most of the time we stayed there.

The barn is in a lovely location for getting about.

hot tub is fab as is the garden for the dog to run about safely, upstairs us lovely and clean but I think the downstairs could do with an update as settees were not very comfortable and it wasn't the cleanest as there was lots of dust and cobwebs especially behind the furniture but a suppose that's down to the cleaner's,the biggest downside was that the dog wasn't allowed upstairs at any time and wouldn't settle on a night time being in a strange house so I had to sleep downstairs with him apart from that I would go back especially in the summer.

Barn was as described.

Warm and welcoming. Well stocked kitchen. Was away for my 50th birthday with 6 ladies from work there was plenty of room for all of us. The top floor was a hitt with everyone. Only a few downsides hot tub too cold to use on the first night also could do with some kind of shelter all the top of it. Down stairs toilet had no bulb in also toilet with keep filling so was unable to use toilet or shower on ground floor. Wi-Fi works fine. Could do with better description on where to park cars, you could not park to estate cars by the side of the barn as there is slate up against the wall. Great weekend away lovely warm barn, definitely will be back already looking to book up with the kids and grandkids. It was also nice to hear and Skyes cottages give NHS discount. Thank you so much

Cottage was comfortable and spacious, kitchen was very well stocked, beds comfy, mezzanine bedroom amazing, plenty around to do and in a good location, the hot tub was fantastic although on a change over day ie Fri mon you carnt use as too cold, Wi-Fi is none existing so needs sorting as Wi-Fi is advertised, apart from this we really enjoyed my 50th birthday week

Blencathra Barn was a lovely place to stay with its private garden and the hot tub was a great place to relax after a days walking or seeing the sites.

The Wi-Fi was either very intermittent or non-existent but you would expect this in places like the Lake District. The only real problem we found in the Lake District was that there are very few bins to clean up after your dog which is very surprising as it is in general a dog friendly place with many places welcoming them

Everything was great about the accommodation.

The description is accurate but requires greater explanation about the mezzanine to really understand what you are getting. The fourth bedroom, off the first floor landing opens up into an area that we used as a dressing area, complete with table and built-in storage. From this level you go up to a floor built within the rafters of the house. On this level there is a king size bed and a door to a bathroom containing toilet, bath and sink. At first, being over 6ft i was concerned about the height but actually it is no problem and the chances of bashing your head are very low. What this bedroom does provide is privacy from the rest of the house. The mezzanine over looks the dressing room area of the bedroom. Windows and Velux windows make the area very light. I would avoid using this room for anyone with mobility problems.

Stayed with 4 girlfriends for a 50th birthday.

Not far from Penrith, Lovely picturesque village. Great views. There's a well stocked kitchen, Large dining area, the bedrooms were clean & beds comfortable. Lovely big garden, great place for kids to run around in. Hot tub is fabulous, clean & well maintained. However there were some issues that spoilt our holiday. No external aerial for TV. an inadequate indoor one that we couldn't get a signal on all weekend!! Despite a phone call to owners a difficult conversation due to very bad phone signal! Asked if someone could come out & sort this. No one arrived at all. So a basic TV was not available. The WIFI was non existent! The Hub stated could not be found! & I tried every room! There's a blue ray player but the remote left would not work in the TV to get to correct channel. changed batteries (our own) still didn't work. Unable to use that also. Bulbs were missing from 2 lamps looked for spares as stated in welcome folder none were found! We swapped one from lounge area. The small toilet on ground floor had a sink on top of cistern this was full of water on arrival so unable to wash your hands in this bathroom. Old bar of soap, a soggy tissue & 2 disposable razers found on shelf in large shower on the first floor. Upon arrival we checked out the Hot Tub thankfully this worked great. Sadly we had to clean up the patio area. The previous occupants had left a few items of wet clothes, cans, & rubbish littered around! (Unbelievable how people leave property) however this should have been picked up by the cleaners. They must not have gone outside at all! Chairs all array table not cleaned. Extremely disappointed with this & find that totally unacceptable. Such a shame as the location is perfect, barn a great size. reported to sykes when I returned . Owners need to visit this property for themselves as I do blame the quality of the cleaners! for most of it. My advice to owners ... invest in a good broadband & get an outdoor aerial fitted.... Our saving grace... The local pub The Sun inn a few minutes walk away! Fabulous. Worth a visit & a great restaurant. Lowther Castle 15 minute drive away also worth a visit. There's a Morrisons & shopping area 10 min drive away too. These complaints were made in May by other people. But nothing has changed.

Came here with my partner and three young children, they all loved it from arrival, such a lovely cottage and immaculate, all facilities needed for a week away, it was a home from home.

Internet a bit slow and phone didn’t work but us adults felt this was a bonus and enhanced the holiday. The hot tub was amazing as was the whole cottage. Any questions we had the owners were contactable immediatey to respond to queries. I would recommend this cottage and would love to stay again in the future

Had a lovely stay at Blencathra Barn.

However there are a couple of bits that we thought could be improved to make future guests’ stays even more enjoyable. The decor in the lounge was dated. A sign about how to use the hob (the fact that it may have been pushed too close to the wall) would’ve useful to save us faffing and wasting your time asking you. The sign on the hot tub needs changing as it’s falling apart and not legible. Maybe a nice framed sign attached to the fence rather than taped to the top would’ve been neater. Could do with some small bins in the bedrooms. There was no washing line, which would’ve been useful when washing our clothes as the weather was good that week. The bbq was small, considering the cottage was for 7 guests. We tried to bbq but it was a nightmare, and so ended up using the oven. The WiFi was awful, we didn’t have any. And when asked we were told it would sort itself out which it didn’t. No parasol outside and it was really hot that week. Being 30 weeks pregnant I was struggling to find shade in the garden where I could be with the rest of the family. Please take this as constructive criticism to help improve your lovely cottage.

There was a sunny south facing garden but no parasol for the tables and chairs outside.

The dishwasher did not work properly. The internet did not work at all although the property is advertised as having wi-fi. Modem could not be located throughout our stay which leads me to believe that it was located in the cottage next door and was supposed to somehow be shared. There was a washing machine but no washing line to dry it. In the welcome guide we were told that there was a bike shed - when we contacted the owner because we couldn't find the keys she said "oh, the people before you must have taken them". Although we did have a lovely holiday these things have spoilt it slightly. Additionally when we tried to contact the owner regarding a problem with the toilet and that we couldn't find the BBQ, she seemed completely uninterested and did not go out of her way to help us. The cottage is lovely in a lovely area but needs some more TLC and attention to detail.

We loved the cottage, garden and hot tub but were disappointed that not one of us could get the hob to work even after following the instructions in the manual and using initiative.

The oven still worked however so this was not too much of an issue, more of an annoyance. Secondly the shower on the first floor had such poor pressure and the water temperature was always changing from boiling to freezing. The hot tub was a great addition and we thoroughly enjoyed using it as well as the garden, which the dog loved! We would stay again if the facilities listed above were fixed :)

The key safe was very difficult to open.

We eventually walked in to be greeted by several houseflies, which continued to be a nuisance throughout our stay - where are they breeding? I soon found that the hob was filthy and no hob cleaner was supplied - I had to buy some & clean it before using it. The windows were dirty, both kitchen and back room, as was the tiled splashback behind the cooker. The kitchen bin lid was dirty - good job it's foot-operated. I had to clean out the fabric softener compartment before I could use the washing machine - it was completely clogged with gunk and washing powder - and empty the fluff filter in the tumble dryer. The cutlery drawer had crumbs in and some of the cutlery was dirty, as were some of the place mats. The dining room floor had breakfast cereal on it and a load of dust from where the stone wall is crumbling! The downstairs loo was badly stained - I left it cleaner than it was, but it clearly hasn't been properly clean for many weeks. The bathroom sanitary bin was left half full - yuck! There were light bulbs missing in the kitchen (1) and the single bedroom bedside light, and the light in the extractor over the hob wasn't working either. The microwave was too small for most of the dinner plates supplied - they couldn't turn. TV reception was poor, as were the wi-fi and phone. The low ceiling and huge beam over the bed in the mezzanine rendered it unusable, even for little me! Lucky only five of us were able to come on the holiday as it turned out. We were surprised to find no welcome pack - not so much as a pint of milk - no leaflets about local attractions, no information about the local recycling scheme (i.e. take it all to Morrisons car park), and no notes on how to operate the central heating system. On the plus side, the hot tub was ace - the best we've found anywhere - and the towels supplied were very good quality. The location was very convenient - just a few minutes' drive from Morrisons and handy for Ullswater, Derwentwater and plenty of other lovely places. We enjoyed a good meal with our grandchildren at Gianni's Italian restaurant in Penrith. We had lovely weather all week, so we didn't have to spend much time in the Barn, and actually had a really good holiday.

Quiet location , close to pub