Blencathra Barn Penrith, Cumbria

The barn could be a great place to stay but needs a little love downstairs ! It looked like it has been decorated with white paint, with no dust sheets down. The floors downstairs were covered in paint, so made it feel grubby. Sofas, rug & coffee table all need renewing. It really let it down. The first morning I got the Hoover out as one rug appeared unohoovered, but the Hoover was full & smelt terrible, the tumble dryer was was thick with lint & water dispenser not emptied. Mirror on the wall at bottom of top staircase had to be cleaned as was filthy. Just no attention to detail. On a positive note the kitchen was well equipped, great quality cooker etc Plenty of hot water Upstairs was good the bedrooms & bathrooms & plenty of space. Top bathroom needs a smal storage unit as no where to put toilet/ makeup bag so these had to go on the floor Garden well fenced in & good jsize. Needs attention to detail wouldn't take much to smarten up.

Fantastic cottage which was perfect for a gathering of friends.. Beds very comfortable and hot tub was brilliant. Only slight annoyance was the early check out time of 10am, which there is no flexibility on. 11am would be a kinder time to choose, like most hotels do.

Despite only 2 of us wishing to stay, we booked here because of what it would be like with emphasis on the safety of our 2 dogs. after one nights stay we asked for a refund to leave and find elsewhere.the photos are misleading, the back garden fence has a gap of at least a foot at the side of the spa and the side fence is no higher than 3 feet, easily jumpable for any decent sized dog.. from arriving at the place we struggled to open the security box for the key. Eventually when finally gaining entry we took our dogs straight to the back garden thinking they would be safe there whilst we unloded our stuff. What a disapointment. we managed to get our gear into the kitchen and then went to see which bedroom we would like. The star attracion is the bedroom ar the top of the house.We began climbing the stairs only to find above the first landing the stairway/room was covered with dead flys. We decided against using this room and decided to chose a room on the first floor with the intention of sorting the fly issue out in the morning. At this point we then had a look at the other rooms, what a nightmare. In the main lounge, at the side of the exit onto the patio is a bare wire sticking out of the plaster. Behind the settee is a plug socket completely open with the cover laid below the hole in a pile of bits of cement. The curtain pole above the patio was half missing with the missing curtain thrown over a sofa in the second lounge.. Because of the time we decided to settle in for the night with the intention of resolving things in the morning. I then started to prepare something to eat, the cleanliness of the place/pots and pans/ cutlery was nothing short of mind blowing. My husband at this point was now finding other issues, snail trails across several carpets, down stairs toilet was disgusting, BBQ needs binning, patio areas scruffy and back garden looking more like a building site, the steps upto the higher level are laughable. We retired for the night hoping that the morning might look a little better. After literally sleeping on our thoughts, yesterday morning we contacted Sykes to discuss what refund we could obtain if we left the place immediately after staying just the one night. WE WERE DECLINED ANYTHING. SHOCKING on both owner and Sykes.

Please refer to my trip advisor review to see how many issues we encountered.. What really disappoints me is that all our issues are all touched upon in previous reviews yet neither Sykes or the owner obviously cannot be bothered to rectify/act upon the obvious issues with this place. Obviously as long as both parties are getting their monies everyone is happy except the customer. In summary, I find it deplorable that Sykes refused to bring any pressure to bear onto the owner despite me supplying photos of all the various issues, people vote with their feet, you will never have another penny from me again.

Really lovely barn! Would definitely use again. Great range of facilities, I was even more impressed with how kitted out the kitchen was. Normally when we’re hire a home/caravan the kitchen has such a limited amount of pots, trays and utensils! The only thing that was a small downfall is that the hot tub took a while to heat up, by the Sunday it was up to temp and we enjoyed a dip! The garden is fenced in very well, so good for the pooches. My partner and I stayed in the top mezzanine bedroom and it was a dream! All in all enjoyed very much.

House wasn't very well cleaned downstairs we found peanuts and sweet wrappers in the main seating area.. Internet needs sorting out. we couldn't get signal most of the time we stayed there.

The barn is in a lovely location for getting about.. Hot tub is fab as is the garden for the dog to run about safely, upstairs us lovely and clean but I think the downstairs could do with an update as settees were not very comfortable and it wasn't the cleanest as there was lots of dust and cobwebs especially behind the furniture but a suppose that's down to the cleaner's,the biggest downside was that the dog wasn't allowed upstairs at any time and wouldn't settle on a night time being in a strange house so I had to sleep downstairs with him apart from that I would go back especially in the summer.

Barn was as described.. Warm and welcoming. Well stocked kitchen. Was away for my 50th birthday with 6 ladies from work there was plenty of room for all of us. The top floor was a hitt with everyone. Only a few downsides hot tub too cold to use on the first night also could do with some kind of shelter all the top of it. Down stairs toilet had no bulb in also toilet with keep filling so was unable to use toilet or shower on ground floor. Wi-Fi works fine. Could do with better description on where to park cars, you could not park to estate cars by the side of the barn as there is slate up against the wall. Great weekend away lovely warm barn, definitely will be back already looking to book up with the kids and grandkids. It was also nice to hear and Skyes cottages give NHS discount. Thank you so much

Cottage was comfortable and spacious, kitchen was very well stocked, beds comfy, .... Cottage was comfortable and spacious, kitchen was very well stocked, beds comfy, mezzanine bedroom amazing, plenty around to do and in a good location, the hot tub was fantastic although on a change over day ie Fri mon you carnt use as too cold, Wi-Fi is none existing so needs sorting as Wi-Fi is advertised, apart from this we really enjoyed my 50th birthday week

Blencathra Barn was a lovely place to stay with its private garden and the hot tub was a great place to relax after a days walking or seeing the sites.. The Wi-Fi was either very intermittent or non-existent but you would expect this in places like the Lake District. The only real problem we found in the Lake District was that there are very few bins to clean up after your dog which is very surprising as it is in general a dog friendly place with many places welcoming them

Everything was great about the accommodation.. The description is accurate but requires greater explanation about the mezzanine to really understand what you are getting. The fourth bedroom, off the first floor landing opens up into an area that we used as a dressing area, complete with table and built-in storage. From this level you go up to a floor built within the rafters of the house. On this level there is a king size bed and a door to a bathroom containing toilet, bath and sink. At first, being over 6ft i was concerned about the height but actually it is no problem and the chances of bashing your head are very low. What this bedroom does provide is privacy from the rest of the house. The mezzanine over looks the dressing room area of the bedroom. Windows and Velux windows make the area very light. I would avoid using this room for anyone with mobility problems.

Stayed with 4 girlfriends for a 50th birthday.. Not far from Penrith, Lovely picturesque village. Great views. There's a well stocked kitchen, Large dining area, the bedrooms were clean & beds comfortable. Lovely big garden, great place for kids to run around in. Hot tub is fabulous, clean & well maintained. However there were some issues that spoilt our holiday. No external aerial for TV. an inadequate indoor one that we couldn't get a signal on all weekend!! Despite a phone call to owners a difficult conversation due to very bad phone signal! Asked if someone could come out & sort this. No one arrived at all. So a basic TV was not available. The WIFI was non existent! The Hub stated could not be found! & I tried every room! There's a blue ray player but the remote left would not work in the TV to get to correct channel. changed batteries (our own) still didn't work. Unable to use that also. Bulbs were missing from 2 lamps looked for spares as stated in welcome folder none were found! We swapped one from lounge area. The small toilet on ground floor had a sink on top of cistern this was full of water on arrival so unable to wash your hands in this bathroom. Old bar of soap, a soggy tissue & 2 disposable razers found on shelf in large shower on the first floor. Upon arrival we checked out the Hot Tub thankfully this worked great. Sadly we had to clean up the patio area. The previous occupants had left a few items of wet clothes, cans, & rubbish littered around! (Unbelievable how people leave property) however this should have been picked up by the cleaners. They must not have gone outside at all! Chairs all array table not cleaned. Extremely disappointed with this & find that totally unacceptable. Such a shame as the location is perfect, barn a great size. reported to sykes when I returned . Owners need to visit this property for themselves as I do blame the quality of the cleaners! for most of it. My advice to owners ... invest in a good broadband & get an outdoor aerial fitted.... Our saving grace... The local pub The Sun inn a few minutes walk away! Fabulous. Worth a visit & a great restaurant. Lowther Castle 15 minute drive away also worth a visit. There's a Morrisons & shopping area 10 min drive away too. These complaints were made in May by other people. But nothing has changed.

Stayed with 4 girlfriends for a 50th birthday. Not far from Penrith, Lovely picturesque village. Great views. There's a well stocked kitchen, Large dining area, the bedrooms were clean & beds comfortable. Lovely big garden, great place for kids to run around in. Hot tub is fabulous, clean & well maintained. However there were some issues that spoilt our holiday. No external aerial for TV. an inadequate indoor one that we couldn't get a signal on all weekend!! Despite a phone call to owners a difficult conversation due to very bad phone signal! Asked if someone could come out & sort this. No one arrived at all. So a basic TV was not available. The WIFI was non existent! The Hub stated could not be found! & I tried every room! There's a blue ray player but the remote left would not work in the TV to get to correct channel. changed batteries (our own) still didn't work. Unable to use that also. Bulbs were missing from 2 lamps looked for spares as stated in welcome folder none were found! We swapped one from lounge area. The small toilet on ground floor had a sink on top of cistern this was full of water on arrival so unable to wash your hands in this bathroom. Old bar of soap, a soggy tissue & 2 disposable razers found on shelf in large shower on the first floor. Upon arrival we checked out the Hot Tub thankfully this worked great. Sadly we had to clean up the patio area. The previous occupants had left a few items of wet clothes, cans, & rubbish littered around! (Unbelievable how people leave property) however this should have been picked up by the cleaners. They must not have gone outside at all! Chairs all array table not cleaned. Extremely disappointed with this & find that totally unacceptable. Such a shame as the location is perfect, barn a great size. reported to sykes when I returned . Owners need to visit this property for themselves as I do blame the quality of the cleaners! for most of it. My advice to owners ... invest in a good broadband & get an outdoor aerial fitted.... Our saving grace... The local pub The Sun inn a few minutes walk away! Fabulous. Worth a visit & a great restaurant. Lowther Castle 15 minute drive away also worth a visit. There's a Morrisons & shopping area 10 min drive away too.

Came here with my partner and three young children, they all loved it from arrival, such a lovely cottage and immaculate, all facilities needed for a week away, it was a home from home.. Internet a bit slow and phone didn’t work but us adults felt this was a bonus and enhanced the holiday. The hot tub was amazing as was the whole cottage. Any questions we had the owners were contactable immediatey to respond to queries. I would recommend this cottage and would love to stay again in the future

Had a lovely stay at Blencathra Barn.. However there are a couple of bits that we thought could be improved to make future guests’ stays even more enjoyable. The decor in the lounge was dated. A sign about how to use the hob (the fact that it may have been pushed too close to the wall) would’ve useful to save us faffing and wasting your time asking you. The sign on the hot tub needs changing as it’s falling apart and not legible. Maybe a nice framed sign attached to the fence rather than taped to the top would’ve been neater. Could do with some small bins in the bedrooms. There was no washing line, which would’ve been useful when washing our clothes as the weather was good that week. The bbq was small, considering the cottage was for 7 guests. We tried to bbq but it was a nightmare, and so ended up using the oven. The WiFi was awful, we didn’t have any. And when asked we were told it would sort itself out which it didn’t. No parasol outside and it was really hot that week. Being 30 weeks pregnant I was struggling to find shade in the garden where I could be with the rest of the family. Please take this as constructive criticism to help improve your lovely cottage.

There was a sunny south facing garden but no parasol for the tables and chairs outside.. The dishwasher did not work properly. The internet did not work at all although the property is advertised as having wi-fi. Modem could not be located throughout our stay which leads me to believe that it was located in the cottage next door and was supposed to somehow be shared. There was a washing machine but no washing line to dry it. In the welcome guide we were told that there was a bike shed - when we contacted the owner because we couldn't find the keys she said "oh, the people before you must have taken them". Although we did have a lovely holiday these things have spoilt it slightly. Additionally when we tried to contact the owner regarding a problem with the toilet and that we couldn't find the BBQ, she seemed completely uninterested and did not go out of her way to help us. The cottage is lovely in a lovely area but needs some more TLC and attention to detail.

We loved the cottage, garden and hot tub but were disappointed that not one of us could get the hob to work even after following the instructions in the manual and using initiative.. The oven still worked however so this was not too much of an issue, more of an annoyance. Secondly the shower on the first floor had such poor pressure and the water temperature was always changing from boiling to freezing. The hot tub was a great addition and we thoroughly enjoyed using it as well as the garden, which the dog loved! We would stay again if the facilities listed above were fixed :)

The key safe was very difficult to open.. We eventually walked in to be greeted by several houseflies, which continued to be a nuisance throughout our stay - where are they breeding? I soon found that the hob was filthy and no hob cleaner was supplied - I had to buy some & clean it before using it. The windows were dirty, both kitchen and back room, as was the tiled splashback behind the cooker. The kitchen bin lid was dirty - good job it's foot-operated. I had to clean out the fabric softener compartment before I could use the washing machine - it was completely clogged with gunk and washing powder - and empty the fluff filter in the tumble dryer. The cutlery drawer had crumbs in and some of the cutlery was dirty, as were some of the place mats. The dining room floor had breakfast cereal on it and a load of dust from where the stone wall is crumbling! The downstairs loo was badly stained - I left it cleaner than it was, but it clearly hasn't been properly clean for many weeks. The bathroom sanitary bin was left half full - yuck! There were light bulbs missing in the kitchen (1) and the single bedroom bedside light, and the light in the extractor over the hob wasn't working either. The microwave was too small for most of the dinner plates supplied - they couldn't turn. TV reception was poor, as were the wi-fi and phone. The low ceiling and huge beam over the bed in the mezzanine rendered it unusable, even for little me! Lucky only five of us were able to come on the holiday as it turned out. We were surprised to find no welcome pack - not so much as a pint of milk - no leaflets about local attractions, no information about the local recycling scheme (i.e. take it all to Morrisons car park), and no notes on how to operate the central heating system. On the plus side, the hot tub was ace - the best we've found anywhere - and the towels supplied were very good quality. The location was very convenient - just a few minutes' drive from Morrisons and handy for Ullswater, Derwentwater and plenty of other lovely places. We enjoyed a good meal with our grandchildren at Gianni's Italian restaurant in Penrith. We had lovely weather all week, so we didn't have to spend much time in the Barn, and actually had a really good holiday.

Quiet location , close to pub