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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• Wendy - Verified booking

  We all thoroughly enjoyed our four nights stay at Cross View Cottage, (two adults and two teenagers).

  We arrived in the village slightly earlier to park up (we always managed to find a parking space during our stay) and to look round Alston. The cottage is in a prominent position so it was easy to spot as we drove in and we couldn't wait to get inside and unpack. Collecting the key with the key code was easy. Once inside the cottage it was as good as the photos, beautifully presented and spotlessly clean. We loved all the original features, including the spiral stair cases. And having two bathrooms was definitely a plus! Even though we didn't really need to use it, we still lit the log burner in the living room on an evening. As it was a novelty, not having a real fire at home. Plenty of kindling and matches were provided, we just needed one bag of logs from the local Spar. A fruit/veg/plant stall appeared twice in the week under the Market Cross right outside the cottage, which we used. There are ample of shops for groceries etc in Alston so you don't need to bring lots of food with you! We even had one meal from The High Plaice Chippy close to the cottage, after completing the tree top challenge at Go Ape in Matfen, which went down well. We loved having this cottage as a base to visit places near by such as Penrith, Long Meg, Hadrians Wall and the High Force waterfall. We have since recommended Cross View Cottage to our family and friends. Thank you Shanthi and John for such a lovely stay in your cottage, it's a gem and we came home feeling truly revitalised.

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• Paul - Verified booking

  Marsh Villa is exceptional in every way!

  We could easily live here permanently! The attention to detail in every aspect was spot on & the place was immaculately clean when we arrived. So well equipped that we didn't need to bring a lot of the things we brought with us. Welcome pack & products etc included: eggs, bread, small milk, range of tea/coffee/hot chocolate sachets, biscuits, dishwasher tablets for the week, washing up liquid, sponge, cleaning products, mop, Hoover, iron & board, fire making materials, tea towels, oven gloves, handwash at all sinks, loo roll, kitchen roll, mini toiletries, salt & pepper, scrabble, playing cards, dog crate, bedding & towels. The only thing that isn't available is a hair dryer - so you need to bring your own. The only very minor negative is that the bedroom curtains are not blackout curtains. Amazing walks from the doorstep & ideally located to walk or drive into Silloth- which we found to be well looked after & the people were really friendly. Silloth West beach is better for dog walking than Skinburness beach, however our dogs enjoyed both. We also enjoyed the beach at Allonby, a visit to Maryport (25 mins) & also to Derwent Water (about 50 min drive). We will definitely be recommending Marsh Villa to our friends & family. We would definitely return.

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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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• Angela - Verified booking

  We three ladies had a wonderful time staying at Cross View Cottage.

  The cottage was clean, comfortable, warm and perfect for our stay. The beds were extremely comfortable and we slept better than we have in ages. It is definitely not suitable for anyone with mobility issues but we found it really quaint. Alston has everything you might need on your doorstep. We visited the church, almost next door, the CoOp, handy for supplies, the takeaway, for delicious pizzas and fish and chips and most other shops for souvenirs and just to chat to the local people who were extremely friendly. The journey to Alston from Penrith took us across stunning moors to a height of nearly 2000 feet but what a view from the top!!! We caught the train from Penrith to Edinburgh, just an hour and a half away, and did the tour of the city on an open top bus, we also visited the Lake District and Barnard Castle, all definitely worth the trip. Finally, the best meals we had whilst in Alston were in the Cumberland Arms. The pub was not much to look at but the chef is a genius. If you enjoy walking, stay at Cross View cottage, you won’t regret it.

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