“Our group consisted of 17 people (10 adults, 7 children including a new born) and 1 dog but Roa Island House accommodated us all comfortably.”
The listing is accurate in the main but perhaps under sells certain elements of the property including how well equipped the kitchen is (coffee machines, slow cooker, additional electric hob etc.). The property was very warm throughout and despite its exposed location in the island, was not subject to any substantial impact (leaks, drafts, noise) from the wind or wet weather.
The bedrooms and bathrooms were great, with only the ground floor rooms (a double and a triple) sharing a bathroom ...
The listing is accurate in the main but perhaps under sells certain elements of the property including how well equipped the kitchen is (coffee machines, slow cooker, additional electric hob etc.). The property was very warm throughout and despite its exposed location in the island, was not subject to any substantial impact (leaks, drafts, noise) from the wind or wet weather.
The bedrooms and bathrooms were great, with only the ground floor rooms (a double and a triple) sharing a bathroom (though a separate toilet is available). Some of the beds themselves were akin to a small double so may need to be considered during room allocation. We had asked for the ground floor triple to be configured differently (the first floor triple ultimately configured in this way) which was unexpected but not materially impacting to the stay. In terms of bathrooms, having two baths available was great for young children in the group.
The additional amenities such as the hot tub and sauna were used throughout the week without issue and the conservatory/games room and garden provided lots of entertainment for the group whether participating or watching.
Location wise we were very happy with the ability to roll on to the ferry for Pier Island, walk across the causeway to The Concle Inn or travel to nearby activities (swimming, padel boarding, hiking, parks, museums etc.). We visited The Old Farmhouse (Ulverston) on one evening for a celebration meal who were very accommodating and the food was delicious.
Some small caveats were 1) The property has fire doors throughout which are set to close by default - with young children this resulted in possible pinch points or an inability to open doors on occasion. 2) The stairs are quite tight and steep which again for young children was a consideration but may also restrict access to those less mobile. 3) The property has some traditional wood flooring in parts, and bare feet (and those with socks) were susceptible to splinters so slippers/crocs would be recommended for indoor use in these areas.
Overall we came away very happy from our stay and would consider returning in the future.
Thank you for your constructive feedback which we take on board. Unfortunately, there is not much we can do about the fire doors (we had many discussions with the local fire department on this issue) and the stairs are an oddity as the original owner, one of the Barrow industrialists, completely forgot about the stairs when he planned the house back in the 1860s. Most of the floors in the corridor and bedrooms are modern and lino based but the floor in the living room is original wooden floor. But overall it seems the guest had a very good time...and that is the important thing and pleases us.
Property Owner
