Dog Friendly Cottages In Ambleside

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Mark - Verified booking

  The cottage was beautiful, along with the stunning views, and beautifully maintained colourful gardens.

  Beds were comfy, WiFi worked, games room was fun, plenty of board games for use, There are lovely places to easily walk and enjoy the views. Information booklets were provided. It was truly lovely. I cannot give this five stars because of things that need tending to, or updating. I'm sorry but, the couches in the lounge seem to not have been cleaned in ages, and that was unsettling. One bath towel, per person for an entire week was too few (many people with long full hair, need a second towel for their hair, or a second towel during the stay). Even the cheapest places we've ever been to offer something for a first morning (or beyond the first morning). We've even been left 'welcome baskets' with scones and jam. It would have been nice to have had even instant packets of coffee and a couple of tea bags and biscuits for that first morning (I cannot think of any hotel or B&B that doesn't provide that). We had to go shopping, came home and made eggs, only to find there was no salt and pepper (and I certainly wasn't going to make the run out again, when hot eggs were on the table). Some very inexpensive long-use items such as these, would have been appreciated. The cottage stated it wanted specific soaps to help keep the water system clean (that's fine--no problem)--but an absolutely minimal supply was provided (less than a quarter of a bottle in two sinks, nothing... not even a simple bar of soap in the shower, no clothes washing powder). I'm fine if I must bring my own, but to then find it's unsuitable and can't be used, then to go to the market and find the cottage friendly 'Ecover' products weren't in stock and spending time searching for 'acceptable products'--well, this was a headache--I don't want shopping worries, or commitments when on holiday, please. A small self-turn-on light at the master bedroom vanity would be nice (constantly walking back and forth to the opposite wall isn't a big task, but it's a nuisance), along with a self-turn-off light at the bedside (falling asleep and having to get up and go to the wall to turn off a light seems ridiculous). Also, a magnifying mirror at the master vanity please (it's very helpful for aiding in applying make-up, or using tweezers). The kitchen layout is odd, but that's just my opinion and it can't be changed--the dishwasher is across from the sink, not beside it, and the rubbish bin is clear across from the sink on the opposite wall. Large spatulas, spoons etc. to cook with are most handy when in the drawer next to the stove whilst cooking, instead of across the kitchen in an inconvenient place. We had a big pot that we brought for a family dinner (glad we did--there are pots, but not one BIG pot). The ladle is way too small and short--almost like a camping ladle--a long handled one would have proved very helpful. There's only one jug which was used as a water jug, but we didn't have another jug for juice. We separated our glass, plastic, paper, compost, and rubbish, only to find upon leaving, that there was only one 'all-in-one rubbish bin' out front. Very sad and disappointing, considering the cottage did not want any chemicals, sanitisers, oil, or even milk down their drains, and wanted everything 'eco' with 'Ecover'. We did see that there was a recycling plant when we were on our way out, but the car was packed full of our suitcases etc., and we certainly weren't going to drive back to the cottage, separate everything, and take everything there. I would hope that the owners could provide many bins, for these several usages. Constantly pouring the bit of excess milk from a cereal bowl or coffee cup (milk and oil cannot be poured down the drain) into the bin seems wrong, and then the bag leaked, and I spent my time cleaning a bin--not what I care to do on holiday. I would have paid the extra twenty pounds (that would have been an overpayment, but I would have paid it) in knowing that basic things: soap in the shower, full liquid soaps and washing powder, a few tea bags, some coffee and UHT milk packets, a small bottle of vegetable oil (or similar), a few tea biscuits, and salt and pepper were provided. Most travellers are tired, have packed and unpacked, and just want to waken to a shower with soap, and a simple something to eat and a hot drink, to get them started. I felt this seemed both cheap, rude, and unwelcoming on behalf of a luxury cottage. When places really 'welcome' my family--I can tell you, I am impressed, start off very happy, and I recommend the place to friends, and want to return there myself. Although the cottage was nice, pretty, roomy, great views...I would not want to return because it did not provide the basic niceties, and I would not want to spend my time cleaning someone else's bin, ever again.

  Read more less >

• Kimberley - Verified booking

  This really is an outstanding property which I am loathed to fault at all.

  We had a fantastic time and I would most certainly stay here again. A couple of small things to improve our stay would be: 1. More matches to light the fires as we ran out immediately and in December this is quite important. The property is quite cold even with the heating on. 2. Bin bags would be helpful. I wanted to empty the bin before it got overloaded but was unable to as there wasn’t a new bin bag. 3. Cleanliness overall I felt was good. Linens clean and the place smelled fresh but there were cobwebs and dust everywhere which would not take much removing and make the place feel so much better. The floors in particular had cobwebs and the windows and blinds. 4. Directions to the property were fine but finding the property was hard as it is not obvious from the road where the property is and in December after a long drive in the rain and the dark this made for a bit of a stressful arrival. A lit sign that can be seen from both directions down at the bottom of the drive would help with this. Then locating the key was a challenge because there is a log store next to the property but the actual log store is at the bottom of the drive. When you know it’s obvious but again in the dark and rain and after a long drive this was problematic. I called the helpline though and this was solved very quickly. 5. Struggled with baking trays that would accommodate pizzas. The positives far outweigh the negatives and are too numerous to list but what springs to mind are: Wedgwood crockery, the overall quality of the refurbishment, the fires, the master suite, the games and books, the kitchen with everything (except bin bags), the utility, the boot room, the games room, the tv with sky and Netflix, the walks and location, the sound system. All fabulous! It’s the perfect place for a large group or family, it’s a perfect party house it would be perfect for a couple or smaller group looking for a quiet getaway. It’s ideal for hiking and our little dog really enjoyed her first holiday ever.

  Read more less >

• Val - Verified booking

  The Orchard was an adequately sized house for our family of seven people, well situated for eating out and walking in the hills.

  It was very clean with a good kitchen/diner. Holiday houses usually have a guide; a few pages of A4, often laminated, with key information on the house and area. It gives a summary of local shops and pubs and restaurants and any peculiarities. Such a guide could have said for example that you move the lever on the kitchen mixer tap to the right for hot water (not standard). There was no such guide. Be aware that the Co-op shop, the only grocery shop in Grasmere, closed on September 28th 2024 for two months. As logs are not provided mention of the “alluring wood-burner, creating a lovely ambiance” in the details falls a bit flat. A BBQ would be useful in the summer and there are no suitable microwave dishes and only one tea towel was provided. The set of appliance manuals needs to be reduced, removing for example, information relating to a non-existent DVD player, the rug in the living room and the fitted kitchen. The fan in the large bedroom’s en suite runs noisily for about 15 minutes after the light is switched off. The response when we asked Sykes for help was excellent; the toaster started blowing fuses and we had a new one in 30 minutes and the central heating was tweaked remotely when we said we were a bit cold.

  Read more less >

• Sarah - Verified booking

  Had a lovely stay at Spring Cottage.

  The cottage itself passed all our expectations! The facilities in the home are by far the best we’ve had via lakelovers (and we’ve had many over the years) with the added touch of logs being provided! The grounds are just fantastic which the whole family could enjoy, including our four legged friend! We were just a family of 4 so the two largest bedrooms (double master and twin) were just perfect and with lots of space (and what an en-suite the master double has, wow!) but I have to say I would be disappointed if having to use the small double room if visiting with more than 2 adults so other may want to take note of the size if visiting as a group. We were so pleased with our stay we wanted to book immediately again for 2025 but it’s a shame that the prices have gone up! We managed to get the house during a sale so that plus the increase is deterring us returning unfortunately which we are very sad about after such a lovely stay. It’s frustrating school holidays have to be such a premium at rentals when parents have no choice to travel then.

  Read more less >

• Terry - Verified booking

  What a lovely stay we all had as a group of friends and family.

  This is a great location for exploring this fabulous part of the countryside and the cottage makes the most of this with fantastic views from every window. The owners have worked very hard with this cottage from the stylish ensuite to the lovely gardens extending in all directions. There’s a great games room too where I’d imagine any children would love to get away from there parents! As a group friends we liked there’s different areas to relax and still have your own space. Unfortunately we did have a power cut on our last day for 10 hours which did scuppered our plans for the evening meal and also meant the on-site water for the property went down leading to no water so be prepared to have plenty in bottles for drinking and cooking. The only things we would have liked to have was bbq to make the most of the fantastic garden and ladies please fetch your own hair dryers. We would thoroughly recommend staying at this fantastic home and wouldn’t think twice about booking again!

  Read more less >