Reviews

Kirkbride Hall was a magical place to stay! On a beautiful estate just outside of a small village (with an excellent pub and cafe), it’s bordered by church and woodlands that provide such a peaceful setting. The house itself is amazing, thoughtfully designed with everything you need. You can set out from the house on foot for some great walks, or are within a short drive of great hiking, climbing and everything the Lakes has to offer. Christine was so responsive throughout and provided high chairs, travel cots and an extremely generous welcome hamper – nothing seemed too much. The garden of the house is so serene, bordered by these majestic stone walls with the golden hour catching the row of trees on the lawn and a back gate leading straight into the woods behind. A truly magical place.

Just had an absolutely fantastic stay at Rowan Retreat, we were there for a whole week. The little shepherds hut had everything you would need for a stay. Waking up to that view every morning was like having a little slice of heaven, just for us. Christine couldn’t have been more helpful beforehand with various emails about what to expect and about the area, not that we strayed very far. We will definitely be back soon. Thank you!

What a fantastic retreat! We had a wonderful and relaxing time staying in the Shepherd’s hut on the Rowley Estate. The communication from the point of booking with suggestions of walks and places of interest was a lovely touch. The hut is private and peaceful with plenty of outside space to enjoy including the fire pit. A lovely welcome hamper with jam from the estate, delicious bread, cereal, orange juice, milk, tea and coffee was really appreciated. The hut was toasty even when the temperature dropped to 3 degrees outside. It’s an ideal location to explore Ullswater lake and Pooley Bridge with easy access to shops at Penrith. We’ll definitely be back.

Fabulous Shepherds hut in a quiet secluded spot by the river. Lovely seating area with firepit and wood supplied. Loveiy welcine pack of food. Extremely comfy bed. We will definitely return. Thankyou so much.

Superb accommodation and a great place to use as a base. Very comfortable and well looked after by the hosts.

I spent 4 nights staying at Hawthorn Retreat during September 2024. It was thoroughly enjoyable experience. The location is completely secluded, quiet and rural but only 6 miles from the M6 at Penrith. In the other direction, it’s only 6 miles to Pooley Bridge at the north end of Ullswater … and from there on you are properly immersed in the Lake District. The hut itself is cosy, warm and very well appointed and presented …. plus the bed is very comfortable, albeit that one literally has to climb into it. On arrival there was a lovely “goodies” hamper with essentials (bread, butter, eggs, milk, jam, tea and coffee) also being provided. Additionally, the hut has a very compressive folder with information on how to work everything plus extensive guides to local facilities, walks and cycle rides. All the administration of the booking, payment and the practicalities of arriving and checking in and out were very efficiently handled, giving one confidence that one is dealing with a competent and professional organisation. I’d DEFINITELY recommend a stay in Hawthorn Retreat and hope to return myself sometime soon 😊 ! John Pinfold, Cheltenham, UK.

We recently had a four night stay at Elk Cottage and didn’t want to leave. As with all the Rowley properties we have stayed in Elk Cottage was perfect. From the hamper full of local goodies and the personal greeting card. There really was everything you need to have the most relaxing and peaceful stay. A superbly equipped property set in beautiful grounds. We hope to return soon. Thank The Rowley Estates

This was not my first visit to the Rowley Estates properties but it was our first visit to Kirkbride Hall and like every other property this one did not disappoint at all.
We were a family of 8 of various ages from 5 to 75.
The house itself is certainly big enough for you to socialize all together without feeling on top of each other.
The kitchen has every dish, cups, pots, pans and utensils you could ever want.
We were very lucky to hit on a long weekend when the sun shone because the garden is just perfect. Big and very private.

As a regular visitor to the Rowley Estates one of my favorite things is the hamper you receive. Its is filled with the most amazing goodies. Far better than any other gift hamper from other companies.

Christine and her team really look after you if there are any queries you may have.

Will definitely be returning.

Amazing top quality Shepard’s hut. Great features such as wood burner and outside space. Great little bathroom, everything worked perfectly had no problems. Fantastic location! would love to come back again!

A very comfortable and well-fitted out holiday property. The beds were excellent. We appreciated the welcome basket of goodies. Communication with the owner was meticulous and speedy. Attractive and quiet location.