EDENHALL ESTATE: THE LAKES

27-30/07/18

WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT:

For the cool and unique interiors
It’s the perfect place to switch off
To enjoy The Lakes countryside
Take in the peace and quiet in the hot tub

DESTINATION:

Edenhall Estate is situated around a 10-minute drive to Penrith. There are two cottages in the estate and we were staying in the smaller cottage of the two. There were a group of 4 of us visiting – myself and Steve and my cousin Meghan and her husband John. We were enjoying a weekend away of fresh air, nice food and drink and lovely company and this seemed the perfect spot for all of that.

Let’s just say you have a bit of a “wow” moment when you enter the grounds of Edenhall Estate. Turning off a country lane, you drive into a big entrance and then enter a grand courtyard with stunning stone buildings and a garden area in the middle. I wouldn’t have known our cottage was there, had reception not greeted us and showed us around, as it’s hidden behind a blue door in a passageway.

There are fields to the back of the cottage and from here you can do a short and unchallenging walk to the nearby village, where there is also a country pub. Unfortunately, it was pretty wet during our visit, but we managed part of the walk and it was very pleasant with a river along the way. There is local hotel nearby with a bar, which we didn’t visit, but walked past and it’s only a short walk from the cottage.

During our stay we visited Ullswater and took a ride on one of their steamers to Pooley Bridge, which was fun and we saw lots of beautiful scenery. We also enjoyed a fantastic Sunday roast at the George and Dragon, at nearby Clifton, and spent the afternoon eating drinking and playing card games.

DECOR:

The decor is one of the main reasons I chose to stay at Edenhall Estate. Increasingly, I find it difficult to find nice holiday cottages (you can read more about this and see some UK holiday homes with lovely interiors here) but this one really is stunning.

When you enter, you are greeted with a big open-plan kitchen/diner and living space and it’s light, airy and well-designed with tasteful decor. The kitchen runs along one side, with a big dining table and Smeg fridge in the middle, and then the other side of the room has a big comfy sofa and chair to sink into and bold lighting.

Upstairs there are two bedrooms, both with modern en-suite bathrooms. The master bedroom is a really large room with cool wooden panelling, a bed made cleverly out of pallets and a statement freestanding bath and cosy log burner.

The second bedroom is smaller but still spacious with a big bed and comfy armchair and an equally pretty view out to the fields at the back of the cottage.

The cottage leads out to its own small garden with table and chairs, BBQ and hot tub with a picturesque backdrop looking out at fields, trees and a lake.

The hot tub is a definite added luxury to the cottage but one thing we all noted was that it would have been good if it had been a bit more private, as you could easily see into the garden of the other cottage and it’s not necessarily something you want when you’re in your cossie!

DEBRIEF:

We really enjoyed our stay at Edenhall Estate. It is a luxury cottage, with the tasteful decor, stunning location and the addition of the hot tub, but you are also paying a premium to stay here.

For the price, I would have expected a welcome hamper on arrival with things like a bottle of wine, bread, butter, milk and local items such as crisps, cake etc and it was disappointing to arrive after a long drive not to even have any milk to make a cup of tea. There is tea/coffee/sugar and biscuits provided but there wasn’t any oil, herbs or spices and some store cupboard items would be welcomed.

I also think providing things like firelights and coal for the BBQ would be helpful, as these are things that you’re unlikely to bring with you. Finally, a guest book containing instruction manuals for the heating, oven etc and details about local walks and food/drink would be helpful. These are all things which I think the owners should definitely think about for the future.

The cottage was very clean and tidy and it really was a lovely peaceful spot to relax for a few days.