brandonandlinda
June 2016
High Kiln Bank cottage is a beautiful, period farmhouse in a remote and rarely-visited part of the Lake District. It is quiet, beautiful, and extremely peaceful. We traveled to the cottage by car, and received good directions which brought us straight to the property. When we arrived, we were met by the owner (even though we were running late) who was extremely helpful and friendly. She showed us how to make everything work - from the hot water heater to locking the upstairs windows for safety. Maybe most impressive and thoughtful is that they knew we were coming with three young children so they had installed a child gate at the top and bottom of the stairs just for us. Very thoughtful.
The cottage is very large, with a kitchen and table which seats eight comfortably, lounge, three bedrooms and three baths. The lounge even has space for a grand piano which is tucked away nicely and the owner were happy with my children playing (banging) on the instrument. The showers are great, with lots of hot water and excellent water pressure (not always common in older houses in the UK). The kitchen was well-stocked. There is a very good dishwasher, washer/dryer combo, fridge, freezer, tea kettle, toaster, French press, etc. Plenty of dishes, cutlery, well-made pots and pans, and so on make it easy to cook for a family in the cottage.
The views are amazing. The house is perched on a hillside over one of the most picturesque valleys in the Lake District. There are a handful of gardens around the house where you can enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or glass of wine after dinner. There is a fenced in orchard with a picnic table that is perfect for kids. We brought our dog as well, and often a "pet-friendly" place makes you feel uncomfortable for having brought your dog. That is not the case here, they were very happy with our dog to wander around off the lead.
One part of the visit that was very special for our kids is that the owner's 96-year old mother lives in the other half of the holiday rental (think two semi-detached cottages with a door between in the inside that is not used). She has been living there for 70 years and was so sweet to our kids and our dog. She even told us about when the Lake District had no power, no running water, when she was in the RAF during the Second World War. It was a real pleasure to be able to talk with her through the week.
Of note, there is no mobile connectivity in this area of the Lake District. There is a land-line phone next door in case of an emergency.
Overall, the owners were very kind and accommodating and the cottage is a real gem. It is in a peaceful part of the Western Lake District. We'll go back!