Hall Bank Cottage Ambleside, Cumbria

Absolutely disgusting sofas and chairs in living room. We had to buy throws to avoid contact with them. Mould in bathroom and basically the whole sorry property is badly maintained. Oh, and don't try complaining to Sykes Cottages - it's practically impossible. Do Not Book!

Just a couple of things – 1) the Wi-Fi is only in a certain area which was inconvenient for us.. 2) When we arrived, there was a sheep and lamb in the garden. Your representative did sort this out eventually but the owners response was “ You are in the country.” Not helpful when you have a dog and you specially get somewhere with an enclosed garden for the dog and so that you can all be in the garden. This was like paying for a house with a garden and only getting the house. Thankfully your managing agent was more sympathetic and efficient than the owner and got this sorted out for us. The house itself and the location are ideal – we have even talked about going again. We saw a red squirrel in the garden!

You can leave the car in the drive as it is easy to walk anywhere fro the cottage.. It is charming and comfortable and quite classy, and we would be happy to return as the location is out of this world.

Leak from bathroom to living room meant we couldn’t use one of the bathrooms for 5 days.. Washing machine had a fault that was fixed on day 6. Lots of large spiders occupied the house - understand that not a lot can be done about this but not helped by all the cobwebs and level of cleanliness. It would be helpful if there were instructions on how to operate the central heating. We had to turn all the radiators off at one point. Maintenance company were reactive and provided feedback. We did have a very enjoyable week and would return in future.

A beautiful cottage in a brilliant location!

Just had our second holiday this year at Hall Bank Cottage.. Following my complaints after the first visit, we were glad to see that the gates are much easier to deal with. However, even when they're closed, it's still possible for sheep to get into the garden. The chef at Rydal Hall helped us to expel two ewes and four lambs; they had a left a lot of deposits. There must be a gap somewhere at the top of the rear garden. I found that, for sitting out, it was better to go to the Rydal Hall grounds which are opposite the cottage, although even in the enclosed Quiet Garden there, I met a ewe and lamb. Apart from this, the cottage is very good and well placed, as I said before.

Well equipped and comfortable but there were some issues. I've reported to the agents a problem with the front gates. You need a lot of strength (which I haven't got at 78) to lift one of them off the cobblestones. So we left them open all week and sheep from Rydal Hall wandered in at least three times; it also meant that the garden wasn't enclosed for our dog. One of the first things my wife found was that the freezer was covered in frost on the outside and, as a result, the door couldn't be closed. She has fixed that for the time being. There were signs of a party having been held recently, with bits of glitter, etc on the floor of the dining room. Two dining chairs have been damaged, suggesting over-enthusiasm on the part of some guests. The only cooking we do is my boiling an egg. It took me 20 minutes to do this and, naturally, it was hard-boiled. This happened three times so I gave up. At home I turn on the hob, put on the saucepan with egg included and count three minutes once it's boiling. These new-fangled hobs fluctuate so that you can't tell when the water is actually boiling. Presumably the EU's intention is that we use less electricity but it had the opposite effect. The gardens are rather disappointing, partly because of their sloping nature. They're just coarse grass and weeds with some trees and shrubs. On the warm and sunny days I did find a couple of reasonably level areas for placing my picnic chair in the shade at the back. The front "lawn" is dominated by a tree with very low branches. However, the cottage is in a fine location. If you have the energy, Nab Scar and the Fairfield Horseshoe start immediately, as does the Coffin Road, and from the main road below the Rydal Hall drive there are higher and lower walks along Rydal Water, plus Loughrigg Terrace and part of Grasmere. The bus stop is just down the drive and provides excellent and frequent services, so you could spend the whole holiday without using the car. By the way, we have a return visit booked for next month. Any hope of fixing the gate?

Yes, I would have said "Nearly met expectations", but there were some issues.. I've reported a problem with the front gates. You need a lot of strength (which I haven't got at 78) to lift one of them off the cobblestones. So we left them open all week and sheep from Rydal Hall wandered in at least three times; it also meant that the garden wasn't enclosed for our dog. One of the first things my wife found was that the freezer was covered in frost on the outside and, as a result, the door couldn't be closed. She has fixed that for the time being. There were signs of a party having been held recently, with bits of glitter, etc on the floor of the dining room. Two dining chairs have been damaged, suggesting over-enthusiasm on the part of some guests. The only cooking we do is my boiling an egg. It took me 20 minutes to do this and, naturally, it was hard-boiled. This happened three times so I gave up. At home I turn on the hob, put on the saucepan with egg included and count three minutes once it's boiling. These new-fangled hobs fluctuate so that you can't tell when the water is actually boiling. Presumably the EU's intention is that we use less electricity but it had the opposite effect. The gardens are rather disappointing, partly because of their sloping nature. They're just coarse grass and weeds with some trees and shrubs. On the warm and sunny days I did find a couple of reasonably level areas for placing my picnic chair in the shade at the back. The front "lawn" is dominated by a tree with very low branches. However, the cottage is in a fine location. If you have the energy, Nab Scar and the Fairfield Horseshoe start immediately, as does the Coffin Road, and from the main road below the Rydal Hall drive there are higher and lower walks along Rydal Water, plus Loughrigg Terrace and part of Grasmere. The bus stop is just down the drive and provides excellent and frequent services, so you could spend the whole holiday without using the car. By the way, we have a return visit booked for next month. Any hope of fixing the gate?

Well equipped but larger cafetiere good as house is for 8 people

The cottage is well placed, in a central location, with nice walks in the area..

A lovely place to stay for a family getaway. Really relaxing, beautiful walks and pubs close by. Easy to get to places like Bowness or further into Grasmere. Cottage inside was really spacious and comfortable. Well maintained and clean. Good facilities provided with kitchen appliances etc including tonnes of cutlery and plates etc, tv with DVD player, pay phone, wifi access, bed linen and fresh towels provided. There were also lots of indoor activities such as games, dvds, books and jigsaws available to use- brilliant for rainy days. The log fire was nice and cosy on a colder night with wood provided. Gardens were big and ideal for outdoor games for kids or for eating. There is also parking available just outside the cottage secure inside gates. Scenery surrounding cottage and in Rydal beautiful especially near lake just five minutes walk away. Rydal hall is a lovely walk with a mini waterfall, forest, scenic gardens just two minutes away. The local church is just down the road which is open to see- again some lovely gardens round it and lovely inside too. This is a place where you can just relax and take life at a pace you desire. There are four bedrooms which means it easily caters for eight people- so much room available both up and down that you wouldn't stand on each other's toes. I have no hesitation in recommending this cottage and would come again.