"North Lodge is perfectly located for not just Windermere and Bowness-On-Windermere but central to most of where you would want to visit in the Lakes."
Grasmere is perfect, art galleries, coffee and tea shops, The Swan Pub up the road is so nice inside and The Travellers Rest is so good too. The food at both are at a high standard.
The cottage garden is very nice, well-kept and fully enclosed for our dog. There is a shed which could easily store 3-4 bikes. Parking was good and around the back (we parked in the front the first night as arrived after dark and wasn’t exactly sure where was the parking). The internal layout of the cottage is also good and nicely decorated. Log fire was excellent and needed in April as the storage heaters only came on in the morning and it was freezing at night. The cottage was clean and very tidy. Fantastic size Bosch refrigerator and available laundry / dishwasher.
The beds, sofa and chair were not comfortable at all. The towels, sheets and pillows were clean and nice. Agree with another comment where the shower can cause 3rd degree burns. Keep it on eco mode! Kitchen hand towels would be good to have there glad I brought a load with me. The toaster is a bit battered and the cottage needs a new one. The oven is not great (but it works) and needs levelling as the food in the pans slide to one side. As cleaning is a requirement upon exit would be good if items like a dustpan and brush were available plus dish soap, floor cleaner etc.
Overall the cottage is fantastic, lovely location, had a great feel to it and yes I would go again.
Reviewed by Georgina4.1★ Apr 2024
"The property is gorgeous."
It is beautifully situated and, although on the main road, not noisy. We arrived in the rain and had a few wet days and found it cosy and warm, especially with the log burner.
The outside spaces would be great in good weather. Having use of the shed for our bikes was an added bonus.
The property was well kitted out and had everything we needed.
There are a number of lovely walks and cycle rides possible from the house so we didn’t need to drive much, which is always a bonus. The parking is ample for two cars (we have a LWB VW van and even that fit in, just!).
The village is also walkable and offers lovely shops and pubs/cafes. We had a very good meal at the Swan. The Co-op has everything including fuel for the log burner.
I would definitely recommend this place and may even be back ourselves.
Reviewed by Alison5.0★ Feb 2024
"The property was in a great location and only a few minutes walk to Grasmere and a fabulous pub called the Swan."
The cottage is lovely and cosy, but the kitchen really let's the whole cottage down. The sink is in a very odd location and the kitchen utensils and oven, etc, aren't fantastic. It's basic and functional and it wouldn't take much to make it a much better kitchen. There is no dustpan and brush, just a brush, so you have to get the hoover out to keep the kitchen clean. It is disappointing when basic salt and pepper isn't in the kitchen, it doesn't cost much but should be an essential for renting a cottage. All in all, the cottage is 'fine', but if we had paid anymore for it I would have been a little dissappointed.
Reviewed by Jo3.1★ Feb 2024
"The property was really good."
Warm, cosy and easy to get on with. WE had a lovely time, thank you
Thank you for your feedback.
We are pleased to see that you had an enjoyable stay at North Lodge.
We hope to welcome you again.
The Lakelovers Owner Relations Team
Property Owner
Reviewed by Christopher5.0★ Oct 2023
"Property was not as clean as we expect from Sykes cottages, that’s one reason we always book with Sykes."
Also beds not made on arrival, not up to usual high standard that we pay for.
Cottage was perfect location.
Storage heaters took a bit of getting used to and I use them a lot, I think the switches need looking at because the convector switches were not lighting up when the should have been. Also the 2nd heater in lounge did not work.
Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear about all the issues you encountered at the cottage, unfortunately we weren't aware of any of the issues you had as we could have resolved them to make your stay more comfortable.
We will highlight the issues you have noted with the relevant teams.
Lakelovers Owner Relations Team
Property Owner
Reviewed by Katie3.4★ Oct 2023
"Good value for the price."
Kitchen and bathrooms are quite simple but no specific complaints. A great cottage in a wonderful location.
Thank you for your feedback, we are glad that you had a lovely holiday.
Lakelovers Owner Relations
Property Owner
Reviewed by Tom3.4★ Oct 2023
"The cottage was much better equipped than i was expecting ,
the weather was mainly heavy rain while we stayed and i did message the contact tel no."
to note that rain had seeped into the porch ? under the door and was pooling in the porch . i did not receive any reply and within 2 days and keeping the door open to allow the area to dry out it was resolved.
Also the heavy rain from the tree above dripped constantly onto the velux window in the double bedroom , so much it kept us awake and we had to move into the other bedroom , no bodies fault, but it did keep us awake
Reviewed by Julie4.7★ Sep 2023
"The only negative thing about the Lodge was no locks on the
bedroom or bathroom doors apart from that everything was lovely and
we had a wonderful holiday."
Reviewed by Kay4.7★ Sep 2023
"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at North Lodge, however, this was slightly marred by the deluge of water which came through the window at the bottom of the stairs during a rain storm."
Even though this issue had been reported on two occasions by previous clients, and not been addressed adequately. However, the towels we had to use to stop the rain flowing onto the stairs and floors were promptly replaced and a builder came the next day and rectified the problem. Having said that the cottage was very comfortable and warm and the beds very comfortable.
Reviewed by J4.4★ Sep 2023
"North Lodge is good, and it wouldn’t take much to make it great."
It’s full of character, a bit quirky and generally really cosy. The gardens are very pretty and well maintained. The location is ideal, and despite being next to the main road, you don’t really hear it. For fellow dog owners, the garden is secure enough for small/medium dogs who don’t actively look to escape. My whippet was fine. The kitchen is so well equipped, and despite looking old, the oven was brilliant!
The negatives -
Two toilet rolls are not enough for three women for seven days
The window at the bottom of the stairs leaks terribly when it rains. We ended up using our towels to stem the flow
With only the ancient night storage heaters and the electric fire in the kitchen, drying our wet walking gear and the towels we used for the leak took forever.
The electric shower takes a good few minutes to maintain temperature. You alternate between ice cold and third degree burns.
A pest controller turned up unannounced to remove a wasp nest we weren’t aware of. If we knew he was coming we would have made arrangements to be out of the way but we were having a slow morning and it wasn’t convenient
I got a throw out of the cupboard in the twin room and it was covered in grass and muddy paw prints.
However, with all that said, I would recommend North Lodge and I would stay there again. Finding somewhere that allowed dogs, with an enclosed garden and parking for two cars for a reasonable price was so tricky. North Lodge ticked those boxes easily. So with just a few tweaks to the above criticisms, it could be the perfect cottage and easily score five stars.
Thank you for your feedback.
We are glad that you enjoyed your stay at North Lodge.
We appreciate all your suggestions and we will make sure to pass them on.
We do hope to welcome you back again.
The owner relations team - Heart Of The Lakes
Property Owner
Reviewed by Carly3.8★ Aug 2023
"Lovely cottage hence the return visits."
Loved the new decoration and the work on the gardens.
Reviewed by Joe5.0★ Aug 2023
"Window was leaking (bottom window near stairs)."
The vestibule was damp and it made the whole house stink of damp too. I found a used dirty make up wipe in the bedroom. In general the cottage was tired and in poor condition maintained wise. Location was the only up side.
Reviewed by Lewis1.6★ Jul 2023
"Nicely situated holiday accommodation."
Beds very comfortable. General cleanliness was good, a few bits still left from previous guests. Some storage heaters could do with some maintenance. Would have been good to have some basic cleaning materials. A slightly larger TV would be an asset and a welcome pack would have added to the overall experience. Other than that the Lodge was a comfortable stay.
Thank you for your comments.
We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay, and that you found the beds to be comfy.
We take the suggestions on board.
The Heart of the Lakes Owner Relations Team
Property Owner
Reviewed by Susan3.8★ Jul 2023
"Quirky and quaint cottage in wonderful location to explore the Lakes
Our only complaint is there was a lack of instructions- we never could work out how to start the dishwasher."
Thank you for your comments, we are pleased to see that you enjoyed your stay.
We take all comments on board
We hope to welcome you back.
The Heart of the Lakes Owner Relations Team
Property Owner
Reviewed by Corrie4.4★ May 2023
"We absolutely loved this property for our 4 day break in the Lakes."
The lodge was exactly as described and was very clean and comfortable. I spent most of my time there redesigning it in my head. Great layout especially upstairs with the en-suite bedrooms, perfect when you have teenagers in the twin room. Everything we needed was available to us in the kitchen, it has a quirkly layout and would actually benefit from a butchers block or a slightly taller workspace as we mostly used the kitchen table for food preparation which is quite low. Both gardens are lovely and perfect for our dog who was very safe in the lodge garden. The bench in the lodge garden definitely needs replacing as its broken and unsafe and in the shed there was a patio table but only 3 chairs but we made do. We enjoyed sitting in the sun in the garden just chilling out. The property is next to the road but this certainly wasn't an issue with noise. The wander back into Grasmere was very easy and literally took about 10 mins (1/2 mile along the footpath), so very close for the shops, cafes and pubs, also the Swan pub even closer in the opposite direction - 5 mins walk. Such a lovely little property, which we all loved, we definitely hope to come back. Many thanks.
Reviewed by Elaine5.0★ May 2023
"It is a lovely cottage, great position, enjoyed every minute there,a real home from home."
Comfortable beds, beautiful garden, everything we needed.Will definitely be back to North Lodge Thankyou.x
Thank you for your kind comments, we are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay.
We hope to welcome you back.
The Owner Relations Team.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Julia5.0★ May 2023
"Generally good with newly decorated rooms."
Thank you for your kind feedback. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Michael5.0★ Mar 2023
"Cosy, comfortable cottage in a great location."
Everything within the cottage worked okay. My only minor criticism would be the layout of the kitchen, the sink is too far from the cooker/work surfaces and the staircase to the upstairs bedrooms was a bit of a challenge (our party were all over 70).
Reviewed by Joyce4.7★ Sep 2022
"North lodge is in an excellent location."
The garden is lovely, well established and maintained and a sun trap. One bench at top of garden. The table in the main garden has only 3 garden chairs for 4 guests? The additional garden over the road got the last of the evening sun. We had some extra visitors during our stay in the gardens; 3 sheep and a deer.
The cottage is very well equipped. There’s also have an iron, ironing board, vacuum and a hairdryer. Living room was comfortable.
I had high hopes when I saw the outside of this cottage it looks stunning and although we had a lovely holiday, you make the best of things, first impressions of the inside was the cottage needs redecorating. The walls and skirting boards look grubby throughout, in particular up the stairs. All Velux windows had cobwebs and the blinds were dirty and mildewed.
The pine furniture in bedrooms are old and the beds/ mattresses old and too soft. The double dipped either side and a lump ran through the middle. Was shocked to see the stains on the mattress when bed was stripped. Didn’t see this until end of holiday and as it was so hot we slept on top of the quilt. The twin beds were so lumpy you could feel the springs and they creaked. The bed linen was poor quality and at the end of the week saw how paper thin and poor quality the mattress covers were and the quilts were poor quality and very old. The pillows were fine. Beds and bedding need renewing and upgrading. When booking a holiday cottage I don’t think it’s wrong to expect home from home standards and in particular for bedding.
The shower in the twin room en suite as mentioned in other reviews needs looking at, very poor flow, door doesn’t shut. The week we stayed was very warm and upstairs was warm and stuffy, a fan would be a bonus.
All in all the size, location and garden would be the biggest draw for this cottage, it’s great. It looks like there’s been some money spent on the new garden / paddock hopefully some will be spent on updating and upgrading inside, at the very least the beds and bedding.
Reviewed by Lewis3.4★ Aug 2022
"The main attraction of North Lodge is the location."
It is in Grasmere and a short walk from the village centre. It is a well equipped cottage with two bedroom, each having an ensuite facility, one a shower and the other a bath. The bedrooms are comfortable and a good size. The kitchen/diner has a cooker, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine and drier. There are two good size parking spaces at the rear of the property. The lounge has a wood burning stove and is a good size. The television has Freeview channels although sometimes they lose the signal. On the negative side the shower in the back bedroom needs some refurbishment. There is a lot of black algae staining around the bottom and the shower door does not close properly. The most annoying thing for me was the lack of basic kitchen products. There is a small cardboard box with three dishwasher tablets, enough washing up liquid for one bowl of water and no washing detergent. My family regularly hire cottages for holidays and most supply enough kitchen materials to last the stay. Some even provide a 'welcome pack' with such goodies as a cake or a bottle of wine. When I am paying over £1,000 for a week's stay, not providing cleaning materials is penny pinching. Also, there is a request to leave the cottage tidy at the end of the week, which meant that on the first day of the holiday we had to go into Grasmere to buy Kitchen cloths, washing powder, dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid, bleach and disinfectant. All these items were needed to ensure we could leave the cottage clean and tidy when we left. Overall, North Lodge is a great place to stay, but a little more customer consideration would go a long way to improving the holiday experience.
Reviewed by Ian4.1★ Aug 2022
"2nd time at this lovely spacious holiday cottage."
Has all facilities we need in a lovely location. Added surprise this year was the new garden and new landscaping of the existing garden. What a bonus this was and thank you.
Reviewed by Joe5.0★ Aug 2022
"We have stayed at North Lodge many times over the last 20 years."
The improvements to the garden have really opened it up and let more light in.
The addition of Wi-Fi was a welcome benefit however the inside could do with a lick of paint and the living room furniture is now past its best.
North Lodge is still a lovely place to stay.
Reviewed by Philip3.8★ Jul 2022
"Lovely cottage and garden, good location too."
The road noise was an issue, and very busy too. As in heatwave windows needed to be open hence road noise an issue. Good holiday though.
Reviewed by Patricia3.8★ Jul 2022
"We enjoyed our stay, in your lodge, nice to see more garden this time."
TV reception exeptionally poor otherwise nice stay
Reviewed by Ian3.8★ Jul 2022
"Lovely cottage & garden, comfortable beds."
Good location. There was a mark on the couch which we saw in a review but did not affect our stay. Surprised there were no condiments as they have been available in other properties we have used. We have recommended it to family & friends .
Reviewed by Enid5.0★ Jun 2022
"Lovely cottage very central to Grassmere."
Beds were so comfortable, Shame main bedroom didn’t have a proper shower so had to use the twin bedroom shower. Settee had black dirty marks on the arm but all in all great location, very comfortable cosy cottage
Reviewed by Melanie3.8★ Jun 2022
"Another week spent at North Lodge which did not disappoint."
Comfortable and well equipped with local services a short distance away. Icing on the cake was the regular visits by red squirrels.
Reviewed by Martyn5.0★ Oct 2021
"Have visited this property many times over the years."
Always a lovely stay. The garden looked well looked after.
Mrs CollinsDec 2019
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