Villas In Cumbria

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Victoria - Verified booking

  We had an unexpected but lovely stay at Springarth cottage after we had to move at very short notice from our original holiday cottage due to a serious problem.

  The owners took us in within an hour of Sykes calling them late on Saturday evening and made what initially felt like a total disaster feel so much better when we were warmly greeted by the owner. Springarth is a very pretty cosy little cottage within a small ,extremely sympathetic and well done barn development. The house is very clean and comfortable and beautifully furnished. There is parking outside the front door and a seating area which can be accessed via patio doors from the sitting room. There is also a very pretty little pond area that can be accessed from a gate near to the driveway. The cottage is easy to find as has a red telephone box and flagpole as landmarks and is close to the crossroads. The cottage is set within peaceful countryside and quiet roads. The kitchen has plenty of space , storage and is well equipped. But do bring 1 large stock pan and an extra baking tray if you need to cook for a large family. ( as is usually case with most cottages). The living room furniture is very comfortable with enough seating for all 6 of us. There is a large traditional farmhouse table for meals in a separate room adjacent to the kitchen. Water pressure was fine in both the over bath showers .The bathrooms are clean and attractive. From here there is a useful large Sainsburys supermarket (easily accessed by car) in nearby Penrith for supplies (/approx 15 min drive)The cottage is also very handy for Keswick and Ullswater., and visiting Aira Force via boat. Grasmere in the Lake district is a 45 minute drive away mostly on good roads and worth a visit. There is also a riding stables and Llama/ alpaca attraction close by and several historic points of interest including Castlerigg stone circle and Arthurs table. The owner has thoughtfully produced some itineraries for days out to places of interest and towns within driving distance . But best advice if you want to book days out such as Ullswater ferries, riding, etc is to either book in advance of your visit or when out doing your shopping as the cottage is in a bit of a dip so the wifi signal is not the best. This was actually a positive for us as we really enjoyed the peace and proper family time together without our teenagers being permanently glued to devices. We brought a favourite board game with us and had lots of laughs in the evenings after some lovely days out. So don't let the wifi signal put you off as this cottage is lovely! We would definitely stay again if we return to this area.

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• Stephanie - Verified booking

  Kitchen surfaces/ oven and bathrooms very clean.

  Bathrooms lovely and very modern. Overall though, house is quite dusty in places, with a number of cobwebs throughout. They don’t bother us much, as we live in a rural area, but I can imagine would be off-putting to some guests. I did an online shop with Morrisons for when we arrived, but found I couldn’t use much of the cupboards or freezer when unpacking my shopping. Freezer is in desperate need of defrosting. Once I had removed all the ice trays and broken freezer doors that were stored inside it - I managed to use one of the shelves for my food. I’d say it’s currently around 50% ice - so needs attention. It’s definitely a “home away from home” as felt lived in and is lovely and warm. Everything you could need is in the kitchen - but it is bordering being cluttered. All of the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen are full. I unpacked/tidied one of the cupboards and moved items around, so that I could store my shopping. It would have been nice to have just one empty cupboard to unpack my shopping into. I understand it’s a dog friendly place, so again we can turn a blind eye, but there was dog poo around the front of the house and on the grass, which was nothing to do with our dogs. We removed what we saw so the kids could play outside. We are very vigilant with picking up after our dogs, but realise some people aren’t - so this is not the fault of the cleaners really, it’s just annoying. The furniture in the tv room is tired and somewhat uncomfortable, but the furniture in the second living space is lovely, with a lovely view. Finally, the lighting throughout is tricky. Only the kitchen and bathrooms have ceiling lights. The rest of the rooms have just one or two lamps. This was ok for some of us, but my Mum, for example, struggled to read upstairs and opted to get ready in the bathroom due to the lighting in her bedroom. We therefore spent most of our family time in the kitchen, eating, chatting and playing games around the big table, which was great. I think overall, nice enough, but maybe a bit too expensive for what it is. We wouldn’t stay again. But have enjoyed our holiday away from it all. Thanks.

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• Phil - Verified booking

  Stephen was really friendly and helpful.

  When we arrived at the cottage the dishwasher had been left with items in and had flooded the kitchen, which Stephen sorted. The actual cleanliness wasn’t great and it needed a really good clean. We were told that the last people hadn’t left it in a good state and that their cleaner was ill, but that should not have affected our stay. There was also debris under the sofa cushions (which we didn’t find until leaving and checking we hadn’t left anything there). There was rubbish under the main bed and under a rug, which we moved as it slid. There was some items which hadn’t been washed since the last clients had left. There was a few issues - we found that the shower leaked down the living room wall, the kettle was broken and could have caused a burn, the waste disposal caused the electric to trip, leaving us without a fridge/freezer overnight, no working light bulb in one of the bedrooms and mould on the shower curtain. All of these issues were addressed quickly by Stephen, but for the amount we paid, you would have expected a lot higher standard. We have stayed in 6 different cottages over the last 6 years, in the Lake District, to visit my sister, who lives near Penrith, and we have never experienced so many things go wrong before.

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• Anna - Verified booking

  Yew Tree cottage is an absolutely stunning cottage on a lovely little hamlet in the north lakes.

  The cottage is furnished to a high standard and facilities provided are fantastic. The beds are super comfy and it is so quiet in the village that you get such a good nights sleep. Our only criticism would be that the smoke alarms in the kitchen/dining area are so sensitive that they go off even when using the toaster- if this could be addressed, that would definitely be an improvement. The garden is so special and has been carefully designed to allow you to relax and enjoy being amongst the wildlife. You definitely need a car in order to stay at this property as there is no public transport nearby- the nearest pub being in the next village at Great Strickland. With a car however, it is ideally located to be able to visit lots of lovely towns such as Keswick, Grasmere, Penrith, Ambleside and other attractions such as Lowther Castle, the Jersey Ice Cream Farm, and Askham Hall. I would definitely recommend this cottage to anyone looking for a relaxing time in the north lakes. The hosts do a brilliant job at making your stay extremely comfortable and offer those added touches to make it even more special - including a gorgeous bunch of wild flowers from the garden and delicious homemade blueberry muffins - it is a very special place to stay.

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• Sue - Verified booking

  We found ‘Springarth Cottage’ to be very warm, comfortable and the kitchen is particularly well equipped for preparing meals.

  The photographs of the cottage are certainly not current. General cleanliness was not up to scratch, dusty skirting boards and doors etc. The bathrooms were clean but the kitchen surfaces were certainly not Covid clean, the area near the kettle was sticky with sugar and the toaster was filthy with liquid grease in the base, presumably from previous toasted sandwiches. The lid of the kettle was broken which we reported as we left. Although this cottage does not have an enclosed garden there are some good walking areas nearby for dogs and the roads are quiet. We found the cottage perfect for our boxer, with plenty of room to accommodate her bedding. As Newby Court is a small holiday complex the courtyard would benefit from a general tidy up. We certainly enjoyed a relaxing holiday at Springarth and would certainly use it again. The situation of this cottage suited us perfectly, driving distance is close enough to the Lake District amenities.

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