Reviews

This is a lovely house, lovingly refurbished, wonderfully maintained, well stocked and a lovely real wood fire. In easy reach of Ullswater, I would recommend it for anyone wanting a lovely base in the Lake District.

No matter what ‘home’ means, there is surely something warm about that place. It’s a place where we are with friends and family, making happy memories. A place that quickly helps us make it as our own. It nurtures our moments to forever stay in the happy place of our hearts. In short that was our experience at Riverain. Exceptionally beautiful property in the vast lands of the english moors. With all the comforts and amenities we needed to call it a home, it gave us the space to have a time that best suits our emotions. In totality, I can say that Riverain for me and my family is just not a home we stayed in, its a feeling that is going to stay with us…forever.

Perfect for a big family celebration, all the space and equipment you need. The long building layout meant babies/children could sleep quietly in some bedrooms whilst the other end could be noisy and party within the living area. Fantastic dining table which turned into a snooker table! The main bedroom suite with cast iron bath and double shower in room was stunning! Great for our dogs to run around and enjoy the well kept garden and wonderful views. Village is close by and worth a walk to. Owners were exceedingly helpful. Wonderful memories made in our second stay with Rowley Estates.

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.

Thank you for a wonderful week in this beautiful house – the view from the sitting room is sublime and the house is brilliantly equipped for the large numbers – if you look, you will find. We particularly enjoyed walking from the house and not repeating ourselves once. The response to the internet going down and the hot water failure was exemplary – truly customer facing, thank you to the team.

A wonderful, relaxing house, fantastic views even in typical Lake District weather. Just a fantastic place to have a holiday. We will be back!

We have not long returned from our visit to Blencowe for our wedding..amazing!Christine, Gillian and Joanne were amazing from srart to finish! The stay was everything we wanted. Brilliant break away with everything on your door.

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

This was our second stay in a Rowley Estates property and it lived up to our high expectations. We booked the Farmhouse and the other two buildings on the site. The space and comfort are marvellous. Plenty of room for the coming together of a large family party and also for privacy and quiet when required. Kitchen equipment is of a high standard and there were generous welcome provisions in each property. The area is beautiful with plenty of footpaths nearby.

Such a lovely place!! We stayed in the 6 bedroom house which was beautiful.
All 6 bedrooms have their own bathroom and the beds were comfortable. The rooms are very clean and well decorated, each with it’s own character and charm. 3 of the rooms can be configured into either twin beds or a large single bed.
The kitchen is beautiful and has EVERYTHING you might need, perfect for those wanting to eat in.
The dining room is very large but we never used it as the kitchen is quite spacious with a table of it’s own.
The living areas are small but quaint with a fireplace that already had wood and kindling making it ready to go!
The location was perfect- isolated enough to allow you to enjoy the outdoors but only 15 minute walk to the little town of Melmerby which has a great pub and bakery. And only about 30 minute drive to the Lakes! 25 minute drive to the Sainsburys in Penrith.
Check in was a breeze as they have a small lockbox with the key.
Communication with Christine was very easy and she was lovely in person. The welcome basket they had for us was a wonderful touch.
I was very impressed with this place. I feel that Christine and Rowley Estates thought of everything that their guests might need.
I would definitely stay here again!
Of note- they also have a separate 3 bedroom and 1 bedroom unit in the same farmhouse. Also, the hot tub does not come with the house. We hired it for an additional fee through Cumbria Hot Tubs (as advised by Rowley Estates)