Reviews

It was our second time at Glassonby for a family get together. The layout is super for giving everyone space, the large kitchen table is brilliantly sociable, and the kids loved the pool table. The welcome pack is an added bonus with lots of lovely treats. Lots to do in the area, we ate at the Shepherds Inn in Melmerby which was fantastic. Would highly recommend.

This was our second long weekend in this beautiful house, which we had in combination with Stag cottage and Kirkbride Hall. It is in a Peaceful, scenic location ideal for exploring the northern lakes but with easy transport links. The spacious and light conservatory just off a well equipped kitchen with a dining table for 20 meant the family could all be together while cooking and eating. If you prefer to eat in style, the impressive dining room is a magnificent room with a fireplace from the 1600’s. There are three further large sitting rooms, each with a distinctive style, one is very elegant with an open fire, the others less formal but still very comfortable. All the bedrooms are large and tastefully furnished with antique furniture, beautiful views and each with a lovely en suite bathroom with quality toiletries and white fluffy towels on the heated towel rails. In addition to the kitchen, there is a large utility room with large extra fridge and dishwasher and plenty of storage in cupboards and work surfaces and all the equipment you need to self cater to a high standard. However the atmosphere of a comfortable family home is maintained and it does not feel stuffy or precious . The artisan bakery cafe and gift shop three minutes walk away is an added bonus to the stay, and the welcome hamper is generous and full of Lake District treats and Rowley estate jams. There are many activities close by for the family to enjoy; we had a trip on the Lakeland steamer, Clay pigeon shooting, quad biking, cycling and a run up an adjacent fell. The support team was available immediately when needed to answer any questions or iron out minor problems and we are very grateful for all their care and hard work in looking after the houses of the Melmerby estate . We will certainly be back. It is far superior to all other locations we have had as a family and we can not recommend it highly enough.

We stayed in Jenny’s Croft for four days with our two daughters (14 and 12 years) and puppy. From the moment I contacted Christine it was a five star service. She gave me personalised itineraries and ideas about what to do even before we booked. The cottage was just perfect and we loved every minute. The treats left were so gorgeous and Christine even thought of the puppy- who had the most amazing first holiday. We were so impressed with every aspect: the cottage was immaculate with fabulous facilities down to every last touch. Even the fire was ready to light! It was so cosy but also plenty of space to settle in. There was a washing machine and dryer and even somewhere to hose down the puppy! The setting was superb and we enjoyed a short walk around Glassonby. The maps and instructions were so detailed too. We ventured out to Aira Force and the Ullswater steam boat which was fabulous and so dog friendly. We didn’t feel the need to go out for meals as the kitchen was so well equipped and Tesco had no problem finding us! We can not fault the holiday- so thank you to Christine and all the team.

This is the second time I have stayed in this fabulous place and was so glad to return with my family to celebrate my 50th birthday and my sisters 20th Wedding Anniversary. The whole family loved every minute of our time here and also ordered a hot tub from Leigh at Cumbria Hot tub Hire which was such a treat. We received excellent service from Christine and her team, nothing was too much trouble and every query or question was responded too extremely quickly. The hall is fantastic, everything You could possibly need is available for you, as well as receiving a fabulous welcome hamper when we arrived. Can’t recommend this place enough and is perfect for a family gathering. We are already looking to see when we can return.

Having enjoyed ourselves so much last year, we converged once again to this Idyllic place. Subtle changes made our stay even more comfortable- there are now two dishwashers in the main property and new dinining chairs meant that all 17 of us sat easily around the large table late into the night. Some of us walked in driving rain up Beda Fell and around to Place Fell, returning to the cosy house where the less adventurous members of our group had prepared cakes to enjoy in front of the roaring fire. Thanks to Christine and team for helping to make our holiday so enjoyable.

We had the most wonderful time here with our family celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. There were 16 adults, 8 children, 1 infant and 1 dog and everybody has had a fabulous time, magnificent house for the occasion and Lynn Hilditch was brilliant.

Very cosy cottage to return to after busy day exploring the Penines, Lakes, Hadrian’s Wall and local sites. Two pubs in Kirkoswald were good. Long Meg walk a lovely start to our week. Highly recommended place to stay, lovely welcome hamper and a treat to have the fire laid too. Thank you. We’ll return soon!!

My elderly parents and I spent the most relaxing week at Elk Cottage. Our whole experience, from initial booking direct to the end of our holiday was fantastic – everyone involved was so friendly and helpful. We wanted for nothing during our stay, the cottage was so well equipped (even down to a full herb and spice rack). We’ve never seen a welcome hamper like it before, we felt very spoilt. The cottage was comfort throughout with beds we didn’t want to get out of and it was spotlessly clean. A perfect place to relax and unwind – thank you to all concerned.

‘We discovered Elk Cottage when our American friends, Pat and John stayed here in August. We liked it when we visited them then and came back to celebrate Susan’s birthday. Despite some very wet and stormy weather on Fri/Sat, we were warm and snug (and dry!) here with everything we needed. Sunday was dry and Monday glorious after a frosty and misty start. Sunday lunch at the Highland Drove was lovely and Monday’s birthday lunch at the Sharrow Bay was very special. Many thanks to Christine for making us so welcome and thinking of everything! We hope to be back…’

We stayed at Elk Cottage for three nights – not long enough though! Everything was thought of here. We made our reservation directly with Rowley Estates – Christine was extremely helpful. She responded to emails promptly and the booking procedure was simple. Once we had booked, we were sent a couple of emails telling us that there were ‘where to walk’/ tried and tested ‘pubs/restaurants’/drives etc. We took our dog with us and there was a list of places to eat that were ‘dog friendly’. When we arrived there was a lovely hamper waiting for us with lots of goodies in it – plenty for a snack that evening and breakfast the following morning. My only wish was that we could have stayed longer. But, we know we will definitely be returning.