Newlands Fell Cottage

We recently stayed here for a family holiday and, overall, had an enjoyable break.

The biggest positives were the stunning views and the fantastic location. It's ideally situated for exploring the Lake District, with Keswick and Buttermere just a short drive away. The apartment itself was clean, the bed was very comfortable, and we appreciated the off-road parking at the rear of the property, which we found much easier and safer to use than the spaces at the front. The complimentary spa passes were also a lovely bonus and made for a very relaxing experience. There are a few areas where I think the property description could be improved to help manage guests' expectations. It would be helpful to clearly state that this is a first-floor apartment with no direct outdoor space, and that the front door opens straight onto a road which leads directly to the Newlands Pass and Moss Force waterfall. While the location is excellent, it was not expected to be so close to a route that can become quite busy at times. The location pin provided was around a mile from the actual property, and the directions weren't very clear, so it took us quite a while to find it. Although there is parking at the front, we found large vehicles (motor homes) often struggled to pass when our car was parked there, so we felt more comfortable using the rear parking instead. It would also have been nice to have a small welcome pack, or even just tea, coffee and milk, so guests can make a hot drink after a long journey, especially as you cannot get in until 5pm, so a first drink would have been nice. The apartment was quite dark, even on sunny days, as there aren't many windows to let in natural light. We also found sound travelled very easily from the apartment below. Unfortunately, during our stay there were four young men staying downstairs who were enjoying a different type of holiday, with late nights, while we were a family with a teenager looking for a quieter break. As we had our dog with us, cooling the apartment down was a little difficult. We couldn't simply leave the front door open because it leads directly onto the road, so we had to wedge it open carefully while keeping an eye on our dog. We also couldn't find any outdoor seating for this apartment, as the bench at the rear appeared to belong to the neighbouring cottage. There were a couple of maintenance issues too. The electricity tripped several times while we were preparing breakfast, and on our final evening there appeared to be an issue with the water supply. Overall, we still had a lovely holiday, helped enormously by the beautiful weather, allowing us to spend most of our time exploring the Lake District rather than indoors. The apartment was clean and comfortable, but it does feel a little dated and could benefit from some TLC. As the properties are currently up for sale, it did leave us with the impression that maintenance and attention to detail may not be a priority at the moment. With a few improvements and a more accurate property description, this could be an even better place to stay.

This property had the best view we’d ever had while staying in a cottage in the Lake District & we’ve had many holidays here over the years.

It was a perfect location & very tastefully done inside & to a high standard. It was a shame that there weren’t more windows to let in more light & to show the view more but this may have been down to planning regulations. The only recommendation we could give to the owner was that only hand towels were provided. We’ve been caught out before at other Skye cottages that have stated towels provided, so we always bring two bath towels with us anyway. We would go back here every time we visited The Lakes as it was just perfect. So thank you for allowing us to stay here Rose & Ewen Isaacs