Reviews

We can’t speak highly enough regarding the Rowley Estate Properties – we rented Melmerby Hall, Kirkbride hall and Stag Cottage for a family wedding. The rooms are beautifully historic with the addition of modern bathrooms. The property was equipped with everything we needed to host a brilliant house party with no skimping on consumables such as dishwasher and laundry detergents – often absent in other properties we have rented. The local Church accessed through the gardens of Melmerby Hall and the addition of the highly affordable, modern village hall almost opposite the Hall made for the perfect wedding venue.

This magnificent Country House, cottage, gardens and estate was a perfect venue for 24 of our friends to jointly celebrate 40th birthdays in May 2019. The house is perfectly located, near Penrith and close to the Lakes District, Durham Dales and easily reached via the A66 or M6. We rented the main hall, sleeps 18 and Stag Cottage, sleeps 6, and it was superb in every way. The main hall is a blend of historic home with all of its original charm and character and modern, well appointed rooms (especially the luxurious en-suite bathrooms) and the awesome kitchen. The owners think of everything that a large group needs, including huge American Fridge Freezers packed with bags of party ice and a classy welcome hamper, milk, bread, tea, coffee and local goodies. We hired in the Rowley Estates’ recommended caterer, Lynn Hilditch catering, using the dinner drop off service on the Friday and Lynn and her team for a waited banquet in the main dining room/ Great Hall on the Saturday. Lynn delivered a stunning 3-course meal, including 30-day aged sirloin steaks and slow roasted lamb shanks. The food and service was magnificent and Lynn and team cleared up absolutely everything by the time we had finished our desserts. Perfect. The weather was great and we enjoyed drinks on the archery lawn and gardens in warm sunshine on the first night. There is a lot to do locally, including a number of fell walks and a lovely (if slightly pricey village bakery and cafe) plus a nice local pub which seemed to only open in the evenings. Melmerby Hall is a magical place where a large group can live like lords and ladies, recreate memories and enjoy a level of sophistication and splendour that is hard to recreate in modern venues and settings. Our group had a brilliant weekend and plans are afoot to make it an annual or bi-annual weekend in the Lakes. We booked through Kate and Tom’s but once set, we received outstanding communication and customers service from owner Christine Rowley. We received useful e-mail marketing with helpful local events, ideas and suggestions which helped us to get the most from our stay. I can’t think of a single negative about our stay – my only advice would be to take care driving into the hall and estate – the arched entrance is a snug fit for bigger cars. On the whole, Melmerby Hall is magical and a perfect venue for group celebrations and weekend escapes. 5-Stars

What a wonderful birthday weekend we have just spent at Melmerby – the Hall is amazing, the setting sublime, and we really appreciated how cosy and warm we were in such a big house. The kitchen is so well appointed, the bathrooms spotless, and the reception rooms and bedrooms extremely comfortable. Thank you also for the lovely welcome basket in the kitchen, and being so dog-friendly. Saturday saw the whole family enjoying riding with the lovely instructors at Bank House Equestrian centre, and the day was topped off by a fabulous meal in the superb dining room, provided by Lynn Hillditch and her excellent team. The exciting games of hide and seek were endless! An unforgettable experience, in a delightful setting !

Our family had a wonderful Easter weekend,the hall had a great relaxing atmosphere which together with the gardens (lawns) and aided by the superb weather gave our athletically minded family a great playarea. Badminton croquet,cricket,soccer,egg and spoon races and most of all for the oldies relaxing

A beautiful house for a weekend away with family to celebrate a 60th Birthday. It was very clean and well appointed. The welcome pack was exceptionally good. The whole experience was wonderful we hope to stay again.

Wow. Wow. Wow! Absolutely fantastic place to stay! We have just visited Melmerby Hall & Stag Cottage for a long weekend to celebrate my 50th Birthday! The house is exceptional in every way – such a warm and welcoming place, extremely comfortable and perfect for our large party of adults and children. Also being pet friendly it was great to be able to take the dog with us as well. He loved the big grounds and we had easy access to the walks in the surrounding hills and fields. Would also like to give a plug for the local Shepherds Inn (not on Trip Advisor) but a great place to dine and only a few minutes walk from the Hall. Thank you very much for your hospitality it was enjoyed by all.

The location of this property is amazing, beautiful gardens , great family friendly huge place for everyone to enjoy, its the ideal property to kick back and relax. Would highly recommend a visit for a long weekend break.

Another great time at melmerby , everything about it is fabulous . A great sociable kitchen for large groups , we will definitely be back , thankyou .

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.

Celebrating the wedding of the Harringtons and it’s been simply…..amazing.