Guests say
The Cragg is a characterful and historic cottage appreciated for its warmth, comfort, and excellent location for walks and local amenities. Guests enjoy the property's charm, spaciousness, and well-equipped kitchen, with particular praise for the Aga and cosy atmosphere. The garden is also a highlight, offering a peaceful outdoor space.
Cleanliness has been a concern for some guests, with reports of cobwebs, dust, and mould. However, recent reviews suggest improvements, indicating a possible deep clean and better upkeep.
The location is highly praised for its tranquillity, proximity to Hawkshead, and the abundance of walks directly from the property. The setting is described as beautiful and peaceful, contributing to a restful break.
The property is generally found to be comfortable, with cosy beds and a warm kitchen thanks to the Aga. Some guests mention the quirkiness of the old building adds to the comfort, though others note the need for better mattresses and the inconvenience of thin walls between rooms.
Facilities are well-regarded, especially the kitchen equipment and garden. However, there are several mentions of maintenance issues such as wobbly furniture, a broken chair, and a need for a deeper range of kitchen utensils. The driveway access and parking are also noted as challenging.
There is insufficient information regarding any thoughtful gestures or gifts provided by the hosts, so a score cannot be given. While guests have provided feedback on various aspects of their stay, there are no specific mentions of gifts or special touches that would indicate thoughtfulness.
About this property
A characterful, Grade II listed property dating back to 1695, The Cragg is a spectacular farmhouse resting in easy reach of the centre of Hawkshead, with footpaths leading you to the centre of the village, as well as Claife Heights and Latterbarrow, making this a truly exceptional base from which to explore the Lake District National Park. Offering families or groups of friends an idyllic base in Cumbria, this impressive property is sure to be one you'll want to return to. Enter from the porch into the traditionally-styled kitchen, with stone-flag floors and original oak panelling, here you can come together to enjoy all your evening meals, the AGA bringing a welcoming warmth to the room as well as being of wonderful assistance with the cooking, with an electric oven and ceramic hob to assist too for a more contemporary way of catering, with the additional appliances intertwined with the utility room including a microwave, fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer and even a dishwasher!
Carry your conversations through into the sitting room and flick on the television for some background noise as you converse into the evening, or spend a moment to yourself with a good book in the snug where you can curl up next to the woodburning stove for a truly relaxing way to end the day. When it's time to rest, choose from four beautiful bedrooms, with a family room hosting both a super-king-size bed and a single, perfect for those travelling with a little one, accompanied by a king-size, a double and a twin, offering a varied sleeping arrangement for a variety of group needs, each room flaunting stylish interior with calming hues of blue.
Take your pick from either the bathroom with a luxurious roll top bath or a quick rinse in the walk-in shower of the shower room to start your day, before venturing out onto the private patio to enjoy a hearty breakfast ahead of a day of fun-filled adventure. There are plenty of walking and cycling routes from your doorstep, leading you through the many wonders of the National Park, with the local village of Hawkshead fulling all your needs for day-to-day shopping as well as their being a lovely selection of quaint shops, cafés, a scrumptious ice cream shop and many more delightful eateries to take your pick from, being sure to explore the atrractions of The Fitzwilliam Gallery to observe beautiful artwork and the Beatrix Potter Gallery while being in the Beatrix Potter country, where you can venture through a 17th cenutry house to see the original illustrations of the author.
For an action-packed day out, visit Windermere, stopping to see the National Trust owned Wray Castle along the way, a Neo-gothic 1800s castle with a wonderful play area for the little ones, as well as Brockhole on Windermere being en-route, a true Arts & Crafts treasure with spectacular gardens and a range of activities such as kayaking along the lakeshore, treetop treks, krazi karts and much more, while Windermere itself hosts a plethora of waterside eateries, wondrous views from Queen Adelaide's Hill, golfing opportunities and the wonderful The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, providing something for every taste. Tackle the peak of Claife Heights for an experience to remember, or enjoy a more leisurely stroll amongst the Stock Ghyll Force in Ambleside.
Surrounded by outdoor adventure, The Cragg is the perfect choice for an escape to Cumbria.
Lying at the northern tip of Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake, Ambleside makes a superb base for touring the central Lakes, with Grasmere and the Langdale Valley just a short drive away. There is plenty to do here - cruises, boat trips and watersports on Lake Windermere itself and numerous shops, restaurants and pubs in the village to suit all tastes. On the lakeside at Waterhead, the parkland offers lovely views down the lake and a short stretch of beach, whilst a walk in the other direction, following Stock Ghyll through woodland, will bring you to the entrancing waterfall of Stock Ghyll Force. Along with the Lake and the great walking on offer, Ambleside is also famous for its annual rushbearing ceremony and the diminutive 17th century “Bridge House” - one of the most photographed buildings in the Lake District and now the National Trust Information Centre.
Accommodation
Four bedrooms: 1 x family room with one super-king-size and one single, 1 x king-size, 1 x double, 1 x twin.
Bathroom with roll top bath, handheld shower, basin and WC.
Shower room with walk-in shower, basin and WC.
Kitchen/diner.
Utility.
Sitting room.
Snug with woodburning stove
central heating and woodburning stove.
AGA, electric oven and ceramic hob, microwave, fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, TV with Freeview and DVD, radio and WiFi.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
High chair at the property.
Off-road parking for four cars.
Private patio and lawned garden with furniture and secure bike storage.
One well-behaved pet welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Nearby points of interest
- Hayes Garden World Ambleside
- Lake Windermere
- Lakeland Motor Museum
- Laurel and Hardy Museum
Reviews (42)
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Carole
However its delivery was rustic at best and lacking attention to detail or care at worst. I am surprised that this is a Sykes property, given my prior interactions with the company. As constructive criticism I offer the following remarks. - The "welcome" folder(s) don't look like they've been updated or cared for in years. The folder is beaten up, pages hanging out and the information is incomplete and not up-to-date. There is no Sykes franchised folder. - As example to above - there is no wifi information in the folder, except for an incorrect password with no network name. We found 4 available networks and had to cycle through all, fail to log in then give up and find the information from the router directly. Not impossible but just very unhelpful. I updated the folder myself for the next incumbents. - There were incomplete instructions on the Aga itself - luckily I have had one so knew how to turn it up. Without having done this, cooking a Christmas dinner for 7 would have been impossible. - Added to this one of the electric ovens was not working, it should be fixed. - The kitchen, utensils and utility room were not clean. I had to clean all pots before use and I cleaned the major dirt from the utility surfaces (tops of white goods and shelves). - In general, this is not a clean and tidy presentation of a property. The games cupboard, kitchen cupboards, pantry lacked any organisation or care. - I think it important to let people know that the walls are thin and have gaps in them as privacy may be an issue for some - especially as this is advertised as for 8. - No instructions on the central heating - we worked it out for ourselves but.. we had to as the property was not warm when we entered. - The property was stripped bare of helpful leftovers from previous visitors, apart from a welcome pack of 4 dishwasher tablets, a bin bag and a jay cloth. I had enough washing liquid for two washes. There was no wood for one's first fire even or offer of how to obtain more. This all just felt rather mean! I would have left all this kind of stuff behind for the next users, but did not feel inclined to this time. I book cottages for our family get togethers twice a year - either via a company such as Sykes or through Airbnb, and in 5 years this is the worst presentation we've had. Sorry. - The main (only) table is pretty rocky. We fixed it as best poss by putting coasters under two of the legs, but I think a wedge or better fix is needed. If anyone down the line breaks this table, it's not their fault! - First Christmas property I've had without any attempt at decoration - not a major issue, but just added to the general demeanour. - I wouldn't bother with the old stash of walking boots. Many are not usable. - Others have also mentioned the drive should be flagged as an issue for low-chasised cars. On the plus side, plenty of hot water (very hot!) and a good location. Local pub - The Outgate Inn was very friendly and nice food/ good service.
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Zoe
Heating was not obvious how to use. It was not good value for money.
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P
Had everything we needed for a lovely family holiday. Clean, tidy, comfortable, and cosy. Just for balance, it may not suit everyone as the walls between a couple of bedrooms are very thin, what do you expect for a property of this type, and age! Also, the access to the parking does need some faffing about as the slope up from the Hawkshead side will have your car bottoming out! That said, it suited us well.