Recommended by:

Fabian Dippel from Schwalmstadt

Our party:

• Adults:
• Ages:
•  

• 2
• 20 - 24
•  

Stayed:

7 Nights
January - 2010

Wanted:

• Relaxing
• Walking
• Touring
• Shopping
• Local Food

• Beach / Sea
• Entertainment

Summary:

“GREAT! We will definitely be back in this cottage and can strongly recommend it”

My girlfriend and I were looking for a New Year’s trip so we went online and found this little cottage. I would say it was love at first sight. We read some reviews and then emailed the owners (Mark and Pat). We booked Helm Cottage which sleeps two.

When we arrived the owners gave us a warm welcome und showed us our cottage. In the cottage everything was nice, tidy and clean. Even my girlfriend, who is picky about cleanliness, had nothing to complain about. The kitchen was fully equipped with more than you need, you can even bake cakes there if you want to. There is a dishwasher, water-heater, coffee-machine a toaster, an oven etc. Only thing you have to do is go grocery shopping!

We were stunned by the cottage... under-floor heating, a gas-stove and oven, stone floor and walls, all-in-all very comfortable and luxurious. There are very many lights, the rooms are bright. Upstairs there are old wooden beams (timber) and it is very warm and romantic. The bathroom is small but luxurious as well. The sandstone is just beautiful. And in comparison to other English showers, this one actually worked!

The village is located on the foot of a little mountain. We made a lot of nice hikes out there. We went through knee-deep snow which was lots of fun. We went hiking there a couple of times, the views are really beautiful. It must be worth to come back in summertime.

We mostly cooked ourselves, because the kitchen was so nice and we wanted to have some quiet-time at home. There is also a bakery nearby, but we thought it was a bit pricey and not so good as baking our rolls in our gas-oven every morning.

Well, the cottage is so cosy and romantic, I served my girlfriend breakfast in bed every morning and she liked that very much. It was just a great atmosphere.

Specifically Recommend:

The contact was very friendly and helpful and booking was easy. The prices are very moderate, we compared a lot of cottages and this one just beat them all. The price includes everything, linen and towels, electricity, heating and the gas for cooking. That was important for us, because some cottages took extra money for electricity and heating.

What we liked the most was just the quietness of this place. There is no traffic and just nature.

If you want to spend an undisturbed vacation, this is your place. The owners were very helpful but not intrusive, what is important. I needed to check something online and they let me use their PC (but this may have been an exception). They are good and friendly people and very helpful. They can give you first-hand tips about the area, things to see and stuff to do.

But if you want to have some quiet-time, the cottage is the place to be. We spent a lot of time just lying on the bed reading, watching television (there are two televisions, one in each room) or cooking, because we loved the kitchen.

Local Gems:

In Gamblesby there is no store, so we went to Penrith where you can find everything you would like. There are cheap stores (even an Aldi) and more expensive ones, Farmer markets. We loved Greggs, which is like a little bakery which sells the yummiest cakes. There is also a movie-theatre in Penrith.

Gamblesby is very small, there are no stores, but this is what we loved it for. It is quiet and the world seems to be in order there. There is a small church and a little red English phone box. Like in the movies.

The next place to eat-out is in Melmerby, the Shepherds Inn. There was good English food.

Around Gamblesby there are lots of things to do. The Lake District offers a wide variety of stuff to do. We liked to hike so we drove to the lakes, parked the car and hiked the mountains. The lakes look so beautiful from the top of the mountains which encircle the lakes. Especially the Lake Ullswater is worth a view from the top of a mountain. You can go on a Steam-boat there, but we passed on this.

One day we took a trip to the English west coast, we visited Maryport and Whitehaven. We liked Whitehaven more and it’s definitely worth a trip, it’s an old fisher-town and we had great sea-food there. This city has its own charm. We also went horseback-riding.

When we planned activities, the owners were always very helpful. The cottage is equipped with a large selection of flyers from different activities. There should be something for every taste.

En Route:

We flew in from Germany with a low-fare Airline to Edinburgh, there we took a rental and drove down to Penrith, which is very close to Gamblesby. Some other guests told us that they came from Newcastle Airport. I think it was almost a two-hour drive, but it was nice because of the beautiful English countryside. Driving on the left was different at first, but fun!

Gamblesby is a beautiful little village. From Penrith you drive through Melmerby and from there the road to Gamblesby is small. Left and right you see lots of sheep and the beautiful countryside. The views from up there are stunning. In Gamblesby you cannot miss the cottage. If you come from Melmerby it’s located on the right side of the road, about 100 metres after you get into the village.

Overall Rating:

Comfort
Cleanliness
Meals / Kitchen
Bathroom Facilities
Quality Of Items
Useful Info

Recommended on 17/03/2010
By Fabian Dippel from Schwalmstadt

I CONFIRM that this review is authentic, having been written by a bona-fide paying guest, and is factually accurate at the time of posting - Mark Cowell, owner

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Recommended by:

A.H from Aberdeen

Our party:

• Adults:
• Ages:
•  

• 2
• 29 - 40
•  

Stayed:

4 Nights
May - 2009

Wanted:

• Relaxing
• Walking
• Touring
• Shopping
• Local Food

• Beach / Sea
• Entertainment

Summary:

“The cottage, the location and, above all, the owners make this a perfect home-from-home you can use to explore Cumbria or retreat to from the excesses of city life”

Ground floor kitchen and living area. Well equipped, plenty of space, lots of character and wonderful under-floor heating. Nice touches are books on the shelves, TV and DVDs available for those wishing to stay in and relax, and a huge compendium of info leaflets for attractions to suit all tastes. Very warm and cosy, very comfortable bed.

Bedroom directly above - accessed by spiral stairs. Large bed and armchair with second TV. More character again, with wooden beams. Small but adequate toilet and shower room off the bedroom.

Whole cottage has plenty of light and beautiful, exposed stone walls. Interior and exterior of cottages well tended, fresh and clean. Car parking spaces adjacent to front door - no distance to lug bags.

Village equally beautiful - a quick drive or manageable walk from Melmerby, with the nearest pub restaurant and its village bakery. The village is a short drive from the M6, on the Eastern edge of the Eden Valley. As peaceful a spot as you could wish to find.

Specifically Recommend:

Those with limited mobility or large frames would be advised to book one of the other cottages - without the narrow spiral stairs.

Local Gems:

1. The Joiners Arms, Lazonby and The Shepherds Inn both gave us a good welcome and had good food menus - the only two pubs we tried.

2. The Hartside Top Cafe on the fell behind the village, as well as being England’s highest, does a very good all-day breakfast, has breathtaking views and seems to be a Mecca for friendly groups of cyclists and motorcyclists.

3. Follow the A686 via Alston to the Nenthead Mine Museum. We cannot recommend it enough. As a museum of industrial, social and local history it is outstanding. The hour-long tour shot past with an informed guide tailoring her talk to all the age groups present

En Route:

Travelled from Aberdeen, with Gamblesby our destination as a base to tour the Eden Valley and Lake District

Owner’s Reply:

We are happy to accept dogs at Helm Cottage but would point out that it does have a spiral staircase which may not be so suitable for those with more ambitious dogs, who may prefer to choose from one of our other three cottages. Equally, those people with mobility problems or anyone with very large suitcases may find the staircase problematic and prefer another of our cottages

Overall Rating:

Comfort
Cleanliness
Meals / Kitchen
Bathroom Facilities
Quality Of Items
Useful Info

Recommended on 17/06/2009
By A.H from Aberdeen

I CONFIRM that this review is authentic, having been written by a bona-fide paying guest, and is factually accurate at the time of posting - Mark Cowell, owner

If you found this review helpful, please like Rated Places on facebook.

Recommended by:

Alice J from Derby

Our party:

• Adults:
• Ages:
•  
• Dogs:

• 2
• 55 - 60
•  
• 1

Stayed:

3 Nights
February - 2009

Wanted:

• Relaxing
• Walking

• Touring
• Beach / Sea
• Shopping
• Entertainment
• Local Food

Summary:

“It provided a much-needed breather in a lovely location with snow-covered beauty and comfortable hosts ”

The cottage itself was compact, but had everything we could need.

The underfloor heating in our cottage was lovely for our somewhat arthritic dog.

The views were wonderful - hills to the back, village to the front. Parking was no problem.

The location is excellent - rural without being remote, and a great base for walking or driving in the Lakes.

Specifically Recommend:

Mark and Pat are available but unintrusive. We found ourselves with a few days leave to take, and had no joy with booking from a large, well-known holiday letting agency (nothing less than a week - in early Feb!) Mark and Pat, on the other hand, made us most welcome AND were more than happy for us to bring our large, though well-behaved dog.

I think that, for us, Mark and Pat themselves are the real recommendation. Anybody can make a nice cottage, provided they’re willing and able to spend the money. It takes something else actually to make people feel welcome.

Be Aware:

It can get a wee bit cut off in the snow. We enjoyed that, ourselves - some might not like it.

Can’t think of anything else. Will definitely be returning.

Owner’s Reply:

We are delighted that Spike enjoyed the underfloor heating but would point out that Helm Cottage does have a spiral staircase which may not be so suitable for those with more ambitious dogs, who may prefer to choose from one of our other three cottages.

Overall Rating:

Comfort
Cleanliness
Meals / Kitchen
Bathroom Facilities
Quality Of Items
Useful Info

Recommended on 12/05/2010
By Alice J from Derby

I CONFIRM that this review is authentic, having been written by a bona-fide paying guest, and is factually accurate at the time of posting - Mark Cowell, owner

If you found this review helpful, please like Rated Places on facebook.