RECREATING my childhood holidays was my aim when I booked a holiday cottage in the Lake District last summer. Days of running down country lanes, buying penny sweets in little shops and picnics on hillsides with my mum, grandparents and brothers had created some lovely memories that I wanted my children to experience on our first holiday as a family of five. Dare I say I love Swallows and Amazons too? Yes, I may be a walking cliche but I’m very lovely… and modest to boot.
Not knowing much about the region, I booked a week in Barn Cottage in Troutbeck Bridge, a little hamlet situated midway between Bowness and Ambleside which we felt would be ideal for roaming around the area. First we collected our keys from the booking office in Windermere before driving over to Troutbeck Bridge. After driving up and down the road several times and studying the instructions intently, we discovered the access road by what looked like a gap between a wall and the post office depot. An unmade lane led up to a small parking area and then we we spent even more time trying to find the cottage before finally charging through an open gate and wondering around. Better signposting was needed – all was obscured at our visit.
Our cottage itself was a traditional lakeland cottage that had formerly been a barn. On the ground floor to the right, a well equipped country-style kitchen (oven, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, washer) led into a small dining room and on the left, a good sized living room with nice furnishings, TV, stereo and selection of books and DVDs. Reading the guestbook we found that the ‘fireside cat’ cushion our baby liked was loved by many other little guests too and the variety of ornaments added a homely touch throughout.
Upstairs was a large master bedroom with pink toile de jouy prints and views if you were prepared to crane your neck somewhat. A bunk room was decorated in pretty pink prints which our four year old, Sacha, immediately moved into. The third bedroom fitted only a single bed but was decorated in blue and therefore snapped up by my ten year old Max. If you like Cath Kidston style decor, you’ll like this house. We had also hired a travel cot and highchair for our baby Gabriel which were waiting for us in the cottage.
There was a small table and chairs area outside but the cottage was very hemmed in by others and we didn’t fancy sitting a mere few feet away from other holiday makers. However, this wasn’t an issue as we went out every day and the children were happy to make friends with other children staying in the lane.
We managed to pack in plenty of activities for our week there. A day out in Bowness found us with incredibly hot weather, a funfair and gazing out across the white sailboats of Windermere to the secluded Belle Isle. How we wished we could sail too! We also took a day trip out to Muncaster Castle – a must for The World Owl Centre – the World of Beatrix Potter museum (do try the delicious take away fish’n'chips from the shop opposite) where the children could paint their own plaster Peter Rabbits. A visit to Brockhole Visitor Centre (right) found us paddling at the lakeshore and enjoying a country walk easy enough for the little ones plus their children’s play park is amongst the best we’ve ever been to.
Another day saw a boat trip across the lake with a ticket deal that enabled us to go to the Lakes Aquarium too (get these from the ticket booths on the lakeshore at Bowness) and another day saw us meandering in Ambleside where we had lunch at the famous Apple Pie (kid’s menu £2-£5, mains £5-£6) – the homemade apple pie is a must and we were able to stock up on fudge and Kendal Mint Cake for pressies.
We did aim to go to Tarn Howes but the weather defeated us on that occasion. Having said that, the drive there along twisting country lanes was beautiful and we spotted deer – an absolute treat for us!
For a first family holiday, the Lakes was ideal. Breathtaking scenery, a wealth of things to see and do that was feasible for all the family (and didn’t require a second mortgage) plus a great variety of places to stay. And the lovely Barn Cottage has given us a great bar by which we’ll judge every other holiday cottage!
Factbox:
Prices and availability: £620 peak rate (we went in August)
Booked via: Cumbrian Cottages (ref: 126105, images of cottage available online)
Don’t forget to take: Groceries inc. tea, coffee, sugar, cereal, milk. Towels. Change for parking.
Nearby facilities: Petrol station with shop (for above), cashpoint and postbox a few minutes walk. Sun pub a few minutes walk too.
Any issues: No mobile reception at cottage. Not necessarily an issue!
Words and images: Camilla Chafer – click images to make bigger.
Troutbeck Bridge location:
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