REVIEWS FOR BROCKSTONE GRASMERE COTTAGE IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Here is a selection of Reviews for our Grasmere Cottage
Here’s a review from September 2024
| Traveller from Hayle, GB Date of stay 14 Sep 2024 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property Cottage in wonderful location. Is well kept, very clean and has everything you could need for your stay. The views from the terrace are spectacular, and as the weather was spectacular for the week of our stay, we spent much time outside on it after a long day’s walking or touring. The Cottage is also an excellent centre for visiting most of the Lake district’s main towns, Villages and attractions |
|||
| Tips for other travellers 1. Do make use of the excellent bus service. Both the 599 and 555 service stop at the bottom of the hill from the cottage. The services are regular & run well in to the evening. Destinations like Kendal, Keswick & Ambleside render the car redundant if visiting these places. Bars, Cafe’s Restaurants and gift shops are plentiful. 2. The Coffin path to Rydal is right under the Cottage. Gorgeous walks on to Ambleside, Grasmere or round Rydal water are available via this path. If you’re up for it, try a walk up Nab Scar and on to Alcock Tarn up at the back of the cottage. Take the Coffin path to Rydal and turn left. Pretty tiring this one, but all okay with a ‘sundowner’ on the terrace later. |
|||
A great review from July 2024
| Traveller from , GB Date of stay 13 Jul 2024 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 4 – Good | 4 – Good | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property This was a perfect secluded retreat for my wife and I to enjoy the hills and local amenities in Grasmere for a week in July. The location is ideal and right on the coffin route which allows you to walk into Ambleside or Grasmere and between Wordsworth’s two homes. The views are wonderful and the cottage has all you need, including a very comfortable king sized bed. If you want a rest away from it all – this is the place. |
|||
| Tips for other travellers Grasmere is quieter than Ambleside and has some lovely places to eat. We were a bit taken aback by how early everything closes, you can get a meal past 8pm in many pubs! So eat early. |
|||
Wow! Another great review from April 2024
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property A wonderful ‘home from home’ in a superb position off the beaten track yet within a few footsteps of wonderful walks and within easy reach of all the facilities of Grasmere. We have walked along the footpath outside numerous times over the years not realising we were missing such a hidden gem. The cottage was immaculate and had everything we needed. We’ll be back! |
|||
| Tips for other travellers Stock up on provisions and then you can literally park your car and walk on the fells from the doorstep. Alcock Tarn, Helm Crag, Fairfield Horseshoe to name just a few are all accessible – and we’d highly recommend a beer or glass of wine on the south facing terrace to enjoy the wonderful views after a day. Bliss! |
|||
Here’s a 5 Star review from March 2024
| We had a fabulous few days at Brockstone, enjoying wonderful views and a variety of walks from the door step. The house is spacious and very comfortable (super king bed was a treat!) and set in an idyllic spot and within walking distance of Grasmere or 5 mins away by car so suited us perfectly. The garden is so pretty and we enjoyed sitting out with our morning coffee listening to a variety of birds and gazing down on Rydal water. All in all magical and we shall look forward to returning for an escape back to nature as soon as poss. | |||
| Tips for other travellers Wonderful walk up Loughrigg from the cottage. Applepie shop in Ambleside for treats. Zeferelli’s in Ambleside for great cinema and dinner deal. Walk to Grasmere from the cottage very pretty. |
Two 5 Star reviews from guests staying in February 2024
“Very quaint and quiet rural location which is ideal for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Fantastic views even when dull and wet. Great communication with the owners. Would recommend to others and would love to return”
and
“Wonderful location, lovely welcoming, comfortable cottage with great log burner and extremely helpful owners whose extra touches made the break even better. Lots of useful information provided by the owners which came in very handy. We would thoroughly recommend and will definitely return as soon as we can!”
Here is a 5 ***** review from September 2023
| Comments about this property Brockstone was a most fabulous place to stay. We were lucky with the weather which meant we were blessed to enjoy the amazing views from the patio. Such a private place to stay but it doesn’t feel isolated due to the walks from the door and Grasmere being so close. I would definitely recommend it, the cottage is very sweet, clean and has almost everything you need. We do hope to go back next year. |
|||
| Tips for other travellers The walks from the door are amazing. We didn’t use our car from arriving, till leaving. Alcock tarn was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, so tranquil, well worth the climb. Rydal is also beautiful and the Badger pub serves great food. Grasmere is now my best place the lakes has to offer |
Another great review from more guests in April 2023.
| Traveller from , GB Date of stay 22 Apr 2023 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property Beautiful place in a stunning setting, a little paradise. If you’re looking for peace & tranquility, look no further, Brockstone is for you. Very well appointed with everything you need for a stress free stay. I loved everything about this place and I highly recommend it, I hope to be back before too long. |
|||
| Tips for other travellers Grasmere nearby is the prettiest village in Cumbria in my opinion. Well worth a visit or two, or three ! I think the best place for a dog friendly breakfast is Stiles in Ambleside, and I made a surprise visit to The Badger Bar on the way to Ambleside and had a truly brilliant steak & ale pie with mash and veg which was to die for ! I will definitely go back there when I next visit The Lakes. Beautiful area in every respect. |
|||
Review from guests April 2023
| Traveller from Rugby, GB Date of stay 01 Apr 2023 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property This place remains my slice of heaven. Having visited several times before I had my children, it was so precious to take my boys to Brockstone to experience the magnificence of the Lakes. The cottage is spacious, clean and well equipped with all you need. The location is peaceful and exclusive. My boys enjoyed being able to go off and explore by themselves, straight from the door. Sue and Peter….we can’t thankyou enough. 11years on from our last visit (we waited until both boys had hiking legs strong enough!) and Brockstone still wowed us. |
|||
Review from guests March 2023.
| Traveller from , GB Date of stay 18 Mar 2023 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property Wonderful second stay at Brockstone. Fantastic cottage in an amazing get away from it all location. Cottage had everything you need for a week away,and very cosy especially the wood burner, which we appreciated with the wet week we had! Communications with Sue were straightforward and Sue was quick to respond to any questions we had. Thank you also for the bottle of wine you left us. |
|||
| Tips for other travellers Tweedies in Grasmere was lovely, really dog friendly. Had breakfast in the disused church( opposite Herdy uk), before we left food was great, very dog friendly too. Coffin route from the cottage door was lovely, combined with a visit to Rydal Hall, the Badger Bar for lunch( worth checking their live Badger cam in the evening) then back along Rydal water. Plenty of walks from the doorstep. |
|||
Guest from 5th January, 2023
5.0 of 5
Fantastic cottage at the end of a single track road. Very well equipped with everythjng you could need for a family of 4. Clean, cosy & very comfortable. Great walks right outside the door. Grasmere, Rydal, Ambleside all within walking distance. Bus stop down on the main road to Windermere and Keswick. Perfect retreat from the madness and stress of the world. Stunning views from the cottage over Loughrigg and Rydal Water.
Guest from 6th November, 2022
5.0 of 5
Sue always responds quickly to emails sent. She is always eager to share her local knowledge of the Lake District. So delightful.
July 2022
“Fantastic location, perfect for walking and lovely to be surrounded by trees and the sounds of water. Excellent views of Rydal Water and the fells.”
Tip:
“Fabulous walking from the door and only a short trip into Grasmere for food and supplies. Booths at Keswick best supermarket in the world, and Tweedies in Grasmere really friendly and ideal if you have dogs and would rather eat outside – huge garden.”
June 2022
“Fantastic location, perfect for walking and lovely to be surrounded by trees and the sounds of water. Excellent views of Rydal Water and the fells.”
Tip:
“Fabulous walking from the door and only a short trip into Grasmere for food and supplies. Booths at Keswick best supermarket in the world, and Tweedies in Grasmere really friendly and ideal if you have dogs and would rather eat outside – huge garden.”
May 2022
“We’ve not visited Brockstone Cottage for over 20 years. Reminded us on arrival just how fabulous it remains. Must be one of the very finest viewpoints in the Lakes; idyllic, peaceful and quite frankly breathtaking. All our friends are still cooing over the photos we sent. The cottage refurb is first class. Thanks for the welcome pack Sue, much appreciated on arrival.
And yes, we shall be back.”
Tip:
“Booths quality supermarkets all within a short drive with everything you’ll need. If you are keen foodies then Heritage Meats shop at Yew Tree Farm, Coniston is superb @heritagemeats.co.uk. Great breakfast at Baldry’s Grasmere, and thequirkytraveller.com was a great find.
March 2022
“Brilliant cottage,in a fantastic location.Loved the patio,we were very lucky for March and used it nearly every morning and evening.Cottage had everything you needed,with the most amazing views through every window.
Although you get the wonderful feeling of isolation Grasmere is a short drive away,or for the energetic you could walk to the village.
Very easy to book,and Sue gave us all the information we needed to enjoy our stay”
Tip:
“Plenty of walks from the door of the cottage,Peter had given some ideas of the walks you could do without using the car, in a useful file in the cottage.”
and here’s one from overseas guests on another site
June 2022
Splendid cottage in the Lakes
Older reviews
September 2021
5 *****
| Lovely cottage in an amazing location with great views of the fells from the sun soaked terrace. It’s about a 30minute walk into Ambleside along a quiet road. | |||
| Tips for other travellers Sitting on the terrace watching the red squirrels. Coffin route to Badger Bar and to join The Fairfield Horshose, best ridge walk in the area. |
June 2021
“Stunning Views from Historic Grasmere Cottage on Wordsworth’s favourite walk
5***** Great Cottage in a prime location. Wonderful views. Easy walking or driving to all the Lake District has to offer”
May 2021
“5 Stars *****
“THIS IS A LOVELY COTTAGE WITH SUPERB VIEWS , WE BOOKED THIS FOR 2020 BUT DUE TO CORONAVIRUS HAD TO PUT FORWARD A YEAR ,IT WAS CERTAINLY WORTH THE WAIT ,BEAUTIFUL WALKS STRAIGHT FROM THE DOOR ,NO NEED TO TAKE THE CAR OUT AS THE WALKS GO IN ALL DIRECTIONS WITH LOVELY VIEWS ALL AROUND ,THANKS SUE FOR THE WELCOME WINE AND MILK ,WE HAVE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED YOUR COTTAGE”
May 2021
” 5 Stars ****
Really enjoyed the cottage. easy to find but we knew the area.
These reviews can be found on Google, our Booking Site, Facebook, and VRBO (formerly HomeAway).
Reviews for 2020 after Covid lockdown in July
These latest reviews come from guests who have stayed since we reopened in July 2020. We sent lots of information to guests in advance so that they could plan and work with the Covid restrictions. We have had very, very happy guests.
Brockstone Grasmere Cottage provides a wonderful combination- a feel of privacy and isolation, yet very close to all the wonderful amenities of Grasmere and the surrounding area. People have found it to be an ideal location for a much needed break during these difficult times.
| Traveller from , GB Date of stay 03 Oct 2020 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 4 – Good | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property We thoroughly enjoyed our long awaited visit to your cottage. Thank you for the welcome bottle of Fizz, much appreciated. Thank you for your suggested walks from the door, we walked most of them, we shopped at Booths in Keswick, and managed to stop regularly for coffee and cakes wherever we found ourselves! The scenery was stunning and the weather mostly kind to us. A lovely break during difficult times, Thanks |
|||
| Tips for other travellers Nothing extra to add, cottage information and recommendations all very helpful. As we visited during Covid 19 we were less adventurous with dining out and itinerary, happy to walk and enjoy the scenery. |
|||
| Traveller from , GB Date of stay 05 Sep 2020 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property We will definitely return |
|||
| Tips for other travellers Perfect location to commence walks so you don’t always have to drive. Lovely log burner for the chilly evenings. Jumble room – excellent takeaways. Lewis’s and Forest Side very enjoyable meals. The Old Stamp House is definitely worth a visit – an amazing meal and service. |
|||
| Traveller from , GB Date of stay 29 Aug 2020 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property Very secluded cottage which was warm and inviting from the outset. Standard of cleanliness was excellent, felt and smelt clean as soon as we entered the property.Fantastic walking. Had plans to drive and walk up Helvelyn but ended up starting and ending our walks from the cottage…Dog was worn out by day 3.Stunning views from and around Brockstone. Had mostly sunny weather with only afternoon of heavy rain…but this meant the waterfalls were overflowing and looked amazing. I’m sure the cottage would be fantastic whatever the weather because of its position.On leaving and opening the gate I noticed a movement on a wall next to me. On looking… it was a Red Squirrel just ambling along the wall. Have always wanted to see one of these creatures in the wild but never had. Fantastic end to our holiday. Thank you both so much. Brent. |
|||
| Tips for other travellers Kendal is really good for supermarket shopping. It has a Sainsburys, Morrisons and Aldi all within about 3 minutes of each other.Badger Bar had very good covid precautions and excellent beer.Honiston slate mine is very good for a visit. Very interesting. Once again covid precautions were outstanding. lovely shop, I could have bought loads, if I’d had the money. |
|||
| Traveller from Cambridge, GB Date of stay 18 Jul 2020 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 4 – Good | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property Fabulous location, beautifully kept cottage and lovely owners made this a wonderful stay. Thank you Sue and Peter! |
|||
| Tips for other travellers The Jumble Room restaurant (Grasmere) is excellent and currently doing takeaway, and Mathilde’s (also Grasmere) do a great takeaway (or eat outside) sandwich lunch. Alcock Tarn and Loughrigg Fell were two of our favourite walks. |
|||
| Traveller from , GB Date of stay 04 Jul 2020 | |||
| Location | Cleanliness | Facilities | Service / Staff |
| 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent | 5 – Excellent |
| Would you recommend this property to other travellers? | Yes | ||
| Comments about this property Contact with the owner Sue was excellent especially as our actual stay date changed due to corona virus. |
|||
From HomeAway – a visitor in August- a brief review!
5/5 *****
5/5 *****
Our last review before lockdown March 2020
“can honestly say that we have never stayed in a more welcoming, beautifully located or peaceful holiday accommodation. Brockstone Cottage is the sort of place you can only dream about, but we arrived there after a 7 hour drive to a warm, beautifully equipped cottage with views of the Lakeland hills and Rydal water. Too cold to sit outside on this visit but for next time, a beautiful terrace and sun room. Quite exceptional and cannot recommend highly enough.”
These guests gave us 5 Stars for everything!
Two reviews for stays in November 2019
We always maintain that Brockstone Cottage and the Lake District are wonderful to visit at any time of the year- see our article here. November might not be some people’s first choice, but this is what guests who have just stayed in November 2019 have said –
“Guest from 11th November, 2019
5 Stars * of 5
Wonderful cottage in the best location. Warm, comfortable and welcoming. I will be back for a third time next year.
Ratings
” 5/5
Do reviews get any better than this? June 2019
“This holiday was one of the best I have ever had in respect of the location of the cottage, the cottage and all the views, walks and scenery around us. Check in/out was so straightforward and laid back with a map and details about the cottage, we soon felt at home. We drove up to the cottage on arrival day (glad I watched the video on the drive from Dove Cottage, this helped me a lot) and did not move the car once until departure day. Sue and Peter are very lucky people to own this property and I felt a lucky person to have had the pleasure in staying in their property.”
April 2019
Review from second week of April 2019
“A really lovely and comfortable cottage – central location but peaceful and quiet – walks and adventure from the door to several locations – car free days possible (we could have made use of the bus to ride back at the end of some days had we been cleverer). Will happily return”
Guests who stayed the first week of April 2019 rated the cottage as “Excellent”. This what they said
“There are a number of great walks right out of the door. Red squirrels and deer were seen two minutes from the the house. It was cosy, warm and everything you could wish for. There’s a sunny terrace with wonderful views. We loved it!”
They also said under the heading “Tips for other travellers”
Walks to Alcock Tarn, Loughrigg, the Coffin Trail, Ambleside, Rydal Hall and Rydal Mount as well as Dora’s Field. We also did Silver Howe and Easedale Tarn straight from the house.
Great views and lots of wildlife.
Would we recommend Brockstone Grasmere Cottage to other guests? YES!”
Here are some of my photos of the places our guests visited on their walks.
Tulips in Rydal Hall garden
St Mary’s Rydal , May
Dora’s Field Rydal looking amazing in the March sun
Here’s a review from guests who guest in November 2018. Why would you stay in November? Well, you can read here about why Winter is a great time to visit the Lake District.
November Reflections Rydal Water
This is from guests who stayed in the first cool rainy week after the heatwave ended in August 2018.
“Sue
Thank you so much for the use of your cottage, we had an absolutely fabulous holiday.
With walking and mountain biking every day, it was one of our best holidays ever – and the cottage was superb: so cosy and comfortable – and possibly one of the best locations in the Lakes
Thanks again. We will (hopefully) return in the future.”
Thank you !!!!
MORE REVIEWS
“DELIGHTFUL STAY”
| We had a delightful and memorable stay at Brockstone. It was good to leave the car and begin walks from our doorstep. The terrace offered wonderful views. The comfortable lounge and it’s efficient log burner was the perfect setting for yarns and re-connecting. | |||
| The nearby tarn is a wonderful place to view herons. Two or three at a time. The heronries are in the trees above. They are relaxed enough to continue their activities regardless of how many hikers walk by – reckoning that no one will wade the tarn to reach them”(March 2018) |
“BETTER EVEN THAN WE EXPECTED”
“LOVELY LOCATION”
“Lovely location and perfect for dog walking. Plenty of walks straight from the cottage.We would recommend this to other guests”
(Spetember 2017)
“PEACE AND QUIET”
If you love peace and quiet, walking and great views then this cottage is perfect. Our two labs love it! Wonderful walks straight from the door. The cottage has everything you need and is very well equipped. We have spent two wonderful holidays there and will certainly be returning.
(July 2017)
“DELIGHTFUL COTTAGE”
Brockstone is a delightful cottage, situated in a secluded spot on the ‘coffin route’ near Grasmere.
We stayed in the cottage in June this year and loved everything about it; the quality of the furniture and equipment was excellent and the cottage had a homely welcoming feel. Little touches such as maps and guides being available and logs for the wood burner were really thoughtful and much appreciated.
The location is ideal for anyone who likes walking combined with beautiful peaceful surroundings. We left the car at the cottage for the majority of our holiday taking the opportunity to walk into Grasmere, Ambleside and the surrounding area with our Labradoodle.
I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting a similar holiday in the Lake District.
(June 2017)
“DELIGHTFUL COTTAGE WITH BEAUTIFUL VIEWS”
Brockstone was absolutely ideal for us. It has been beautifully decorated and furnished, whilst still retaining the lovely cottage feel which we love. The lounge with the log burner was great to come back to after a day’s sight seeing and was already laid for our first night. The kitchen was well equipped and, whilst we had our main meals out at lunch time, would have had everything if I had wanted to prepare a full meal.
I normally can’t wait to get home to my own bed but the four posterDelightful Cottage with Beautiful Views double bed was so comfortable, I was reluctant to leave it and the lovely large room. Also, the spa bath was a real bonus and very relaxing. The views from the house are beautiful and on the sunny days, which we were lucky to have during the mixed weather we have been having in March, were even more lovely. Our dog enjoyed the walks along the track to the duck ponds in the morning and evening and even had an impromptu swim when he thought chasing a duck would be a good idea, having not realised they were in water. I finally saw the elusive red squirrel on our last day just down the track.
I can highly recommend Brockstone if you like peace and quiet but with plenty to do not too far away. The drive up the track to the house was a bit challenging the first time we drove up as it is very narrow in places. The startled look on the faces of the ramblers when they suddenly see a car heading towards them on their pathway is quite funny when we drove out in the mornings. Thanks again Sue for sharing your lovely cottage and hopefully we will be back.”
(March 2017)
“WE LOVE THE CHANGES YOU MADE-BUT WE LOVED IT BEFORE TOO!”
It’s always great returning to our favourite cottage, but this year we really liked the new log burning stove. Even cosier than ever.
All of us ( including the dog) thoroughly enjoyed our stay ( think it’s the third time)
We’ll be back
(January 2017)
“THANK YOU”
“Dear Sue
Just to say thank you for our week at Brockstone Cottage.
We loved the cottage, and its wonderful location – only noise the sound of the stream, and the occasional birdsong! Thank you for the Christmas decorations, and the delicious prosecco and cake you left for us.
We had very mixed weather, but it was great to come home to such a cosy place after being out on the hills.”
(Christmas 2016)
“BREATHTAKING VIEWS!”
5 Stars *****
Fantastic cottage in the most beautiful, quiet surroundings with breathtaking views. This is a walker’s paradise with walks right on your doorstep! I will definitely be booking up here again next time we plan a visit to the Lake District.
(November 2016)
You can see Rydal Water from the bedrooms
OCTOBER 2016
“PERFECT QUINTESSENTIAL BRITISH COTTAGE”
5 Stars *****
We live in a city with a very fast pace of life and appreciate any time we can experience peace and quite, particularly in such beautiful surroundings. This cottage is down a very narrow track “which we loved” (Coffin route), where you can see red squirrels and other wildlife in abundance. Although we didn’t need any further assistance I am sure Sue would have had no problem in assisting. We will definitely be returning to re charge the batteries. Thanks for letting your beautiful home Sue. X
OCTOBER 2016
“AMAZING LOCATION, COMFORTABLE COTTAGE”
5 Stars *****
Amazing location, wonderful views over the lake and hills. Everything was just perfect for our week stay. Would highly recommend for peace and quiet. Cottage very warm and comfortable with everything we needed.
winter sunset Brockstone Grasmere Cottage
AUGUST 2016
This is from more guests who stayed in August 2016
“Thank you for a lovely stay in your wonderful cottage, and for making us feel really welcome on our arrival…. We had a magical stay in the Lakes and even though the cottage feels lovely and remote we could still easily get out and about to walk and we used the bus to explore. We’ll definitely be back”
AUGUST 2016
We were delighted to receive this review, posted on the HomeAway lettings website.
“BEAUTIFUL COTTAGE IN A STUNNING LOCATION”
***** 5 STARS OUT OF 5
We have rented many cottages over the years, but have to say that this was the most special yet. The cottage itself, recently renovated, was perfect with all the facilities one could want: a very well equipped kitchen, lovely sitting room with wood burning stove; two very comfortable bedrooms; plenty of hot water and efficient heating (that we turned on for the one day when the not so warm English summer walk had left us feeling a bit chilly!).
Then there are the views: sitting on the terrace in front of the house looking over Loughrigg Fell and down to Rydal Water was truly inspiring. No wonder Wordsworth spent so much of his time here…
The location is great: turning right out of the cottage for a 15 minute walk into Grasmere; or left down to Rydal, and a quick few minutes straight down to White Moss. It did mean that we could leave the car behind on several occasions as we set out to explore, including lovely walks around Grasmere Lakeand Rydal Water, and up to Buckstones Jump for a (quick) dip.
The cottage’s owners, Sue and Peter, couldn’t have been more welcoming and helpful with suggestions and tips for making the week all the more enjoyable. All in all, a quite wonderful week in an incredibly special spot.
The view from Brockstone as the sun sets in winter
We’d like to thank those very lovely guests. We hope that they join our list of regular visitors.
Thank you!
NEW REVIEWS JULY 2016
We’ve been refurbishing the ground floor of Brockstone, our Grasmere holiday cottage. We’ve been hoping for some good reviews. Here’s a message just left for us by guests who returned last week for the first time since the upgrade.
Brockstone kitchen, with Bosch washer dryer, oven, hob, dishwasher and microwave.
Here are some photos of the kitchen following the refurbishment.
Another view of our Grasmere cottage kitchen showing the beautiful Smeg fridge freezer
Brockstone cottage Grasmere dining area, with views of the Lakeland fells
Looking the other way from the kitchen, you can see the antique pine table and the window onto the terrace with amazing views.
(If you’re wondering why we can’t be found on Trip Advisor, it’s because we no longer list our cottage with the Holiday Lettings website, as we did not like their policy of charging guests a large extra payment for booking via their site.Holiday Lettings is owned by Trip Advisor. When we stopped paying to be on their site, they removed us from Trip Advisor!” (so much for impartiality!)
LATEST REVIEW- WOW AGAIN!
The heading was “WOW factor”
Had the pleasure of staying at Brockstone cottage for 4 nights last week with our 2 Golden Retrievers and it was home from home and we highly recommend it. We collected the cottage key from Sue and Peters home, we was greeted by Sue who gave us a good customer service with information about the area and a map on how to get to Brockstone. On reaching the cottage the views are to die for overlooking Rydal water and beyond. The cottage is very clean and well maintained throughout, on our arrival it was warm, cosy, and very comfortable the coal fire was set and ready to light. The description, location, facilities and reading the other reviews I cannot comment on it any better, everything was so very nice and Thank you to Sue and Peter for being excellent hosts and for accepting the dogs as well, they too enjoyed it and I think they were pleased to get home for a rest with all the good walking routes we explored. Thank you again and hope to see you again. Jane B. Derbyshire.
We’re very grateful to guests who take the time to leave these lovely reviews.
JANUARY 2015- a new review starts the New Year in the best way possible.
“WOW!! Stunning Cottage, Location and Facilities” – that’s the headline for a wonderful review posted by the guests who stayed over the New Year period 2014-2015.
Guests who stayed for a week in December, which was the wettest week in the whole year, still loved Brockstone and hope to come back in the summer. Their review can be found on the Home Away Holiday Rentals website, with the heading “Perfect Location, well equipped, beautiful cottage “ , and in an email to us they said “we loved Brockstone- please don’t change a thing”
Here are some more snippets from recent reviews –
“The cottage is a magical place”……..”There is every attention to comfort………….There are wonderful walks from the door” (October 2014)
“The most wonderful cottage in the Lakes”……”.Delightful cottage in marvellous setting …….. Feels secluded but not lonesome…….Well furnished and very comfortable, warm fire and an wonderful bath in addition to separate shower and two loos………Friendly and helpful owners – nearby but not on the doorstep!” (August 2014)
“Perfect venue for a fell-walking holiday”…..”This is the second time I have rented this cottage and it makes a perfect base in the heart of the Lake District. It is very conveniently located but is also peaceful and secluded. A number of great walks begin right at the cottage door. It is very well provisioned,with great facilities. …. … The open fire is delightful and firewood, coal etc are easy to find in supermarkets, petrol stations etc. Parking at the cottage is secure and there is room for guest cars with a little manoeuvring. The views are sensational.” (May 2014)
We don’t like to pester our guests to leave reviews ,so we are always delighted when they do take the time to post on our Holiday Lettings pages ( which is linked to Trip Advisor) or on our Home Away Holiday rentals site. As many of our guests return year after year it’s unrealistic to expect them to make repeat reviews. We’re just very delighted to see them again!
When Trip Advisor first started showing reviews for holiday cottages they emailed me to tell me that I wasn’t getting enough reviews to get a high rating. They expected reviews every week, or at the very least several per month! I pointed out that this model was fine for a hotel or a B & B, with lots of different guests every week,but for just one cottage, where guests often stay for 2 weeks, and where many guests are returning guests , this model just didn’t make sense. I like to think that I played a small part in getting them to change the algorithm! However, if you now click over to Trip Advisor/Holiday lettings, you will see that we no longer appear. This is because we have withdrawn our advert from their site. They have a new booking system by which they charge you, the guests, a considerable amount for booking our cottage through their website. They make it very hard for us, as owners, to get round this, so for now we have pulled out.